The point every reviewer missed is as I see it, the impact a religious leader can have on a town, by programming first , parents from day one what is right And what is wrong, and convincing them of her beliefs. Then it filters into the children
On down the line with both church and parents blindly following along.
Time and tim again these haters were carrying out what the pastor told them was wrong and they didn't know any different.
Without the pastor life would have been more open to making your own decision
Powerful movie with great acting by all the important people in the movie.
27 Reviews
Good, but not Great
Jandrade131329 December 2016
While I like the film and the short I feel like the director should have made it a two part movie with the first part being set in the 90's and then the second part being set in the early/late 2000's with the actors from part one taking on roles in part to as parents, teachers, and coaches in part two. I'm not a fan of splitting movies into two parts, but this movie felt like it was two different movies set in the same universe. I also have to agree with other reviewers when they said that the universe that was set up was inconsistent as they had the girls playing football, but they had male coaches and male announcers which should have been made female it's just a minor detail, but it would have made the universe seem more realistic with girls playing sports it would be them who would have more knowledge what's going on during the game. I would have taken it one step further by having none of my female cast wearing skirts or dresses as they would be seen as boy's clothes.
The movie is good and I do recommend it.
The movie is good and I do recommend it.
Intriguing Premise, But Movie Tries to do Much
max-885011 May 2016
Warning: Spoilers
***Spoilers may follow. Reader beware! ***
A lot of time and effort went into this film. And for an independent production with a no doubt smallish budget, it looks great. But sadly the concept is dated. It would have been perfect for in 1982, just after Anita Bryant's Miami jihad and the rapid rise of the religious right. And much of it it would have been relevant as late as 1998, after the Mathew Shepard murder. (My bona fides for this review: a gay male, who came out in rural Texas in the late 70s. Homophobia. Football. Religion. I know this territory.)
But today? We gays and lesbians are everywhere. We're not only tolerated, we're accepted. We've won the debate on same-sex marriage. We've even risen to the level where we can be a CEO, or simply a boring, suburban, PTA member, and totally ignored. Politically, we have the momentum, whether it is in controlling campus debates or ordering at the local bakery. We would be hard pressed to find any school district or college tolerating the over-the-top bigotry and hatred displayed in this film. MSNBC, the New York Times, CNN, ESPN, and social media would be all over any of the incidents portrayed. And forget about those Nike and Coca-Cola sponsorships.
OK. Set that aside. Look at it as science fiction: a parallel, opposite world -- Bizarro World for all you Seinfeld fans -- in which homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality looked upon as abhorrent, as in the early 80s. It's a fertile concept. But there are still problems.
Writer/ director Kim Rocco Shields' Homosexualworld is wildly inconsistent, obeys no rules and simply fails. Here the women are the jocks, playing football, and being scouted by the NFL. Yet the college coaches, and the play-by-play announcer are all male. More confusing is a major character who becomes a stereotypical, super-fem, mean-girl homecoming queen, not student body president or something more "male" and Y-chromesoney.
The college boy characters (who would be women in a sorority house in our real, opposite, heteroworld) live in a frat house where violent, macho, physical hazing and even sexual assault is tolerated. I've never heard of the tri-Delts getting up to that kind of bad behavior. More puzzling: references, never fleshed out, to some sort of "breeding season." Yes, where DO the babies come from? Is there some sort of test-tube / IVF ritual? I'm a sic-fi fan, and yes, there must be rules for an alternative world.
There are other inconsistencies. Since when does a fundamentalist Protestant church have a confession booth? And outside of Anglicans, where does the priest wear a clerical collar? Is the movie taking a swipe at Catholics in addition to the Phelps / Westboro clan in Kansas?
Meanwhile over at the stadium, the football team's behavior is just ludicrous. Our "real world" men would never act like these petty, vengeful, homo-world women. There would be other unpleasant consequences, yes, but nothing like the on-field action.
It could be that Shield's has tried to do too much and taken her eye off the details. The film covers everything from garden variety homophobia to teen suicide; gay bashing (shades of Mathew Shepard); grade school bullying; teen suicide; religious fanaticism (Westboro Baptist Church); social media shaming (the Tyler Clementi case); the impact of right wing politics on school curriculum; the gay rights movement; and even, tangentially, college sports excesses. These are all worthy topics, but why not focus on just one or two? And stop with the with the "messages," the lectures, the exposition. Whatever happened to subtlety?
Or a consistent style for that matter? I felt I was watching a campy mash-up of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit; Friday Night Lights; a SciFy series; General Hospital; an ABC After School Special; and maybe even a Lifetime made for TV movie, all slathered with preachy, docudrama gravy. One especially disturbing scene was positively Tarantino-like.
Despite the messy material, the actors were troopers. You'll recognize a few of them from TV roles. Two were actually from the Law and Order series. Convincing, competent performances from all despite the material. I especially liked Emily Osment in the mean-girl / Homecoming Queen role — a tiara no less! — who played it totally for camp. On that level -- camp -- I actually enjoyed the movie.
A lot of time and effort went into this film. And for an independent production with a no doubt smallish budget, it looks great. But sadly the concept is dated. It would have been perfect for in 1982, just after Anita Bryant's Miami jihad and the rapid rise of the religious right. And much of it it would have been relevant as late as 1998, after the Mathew Shepard murder. (My bona fides for this review: a gay male, who came out in rural Texas in the late 70s. Homophobia. Football. Religion. I know this territory.)
But today? We gays and lesbians are everywhere. We're not only tolerated, we're accepted. We've won the debate on same-sex marriage. We've even risen to the level where we can be a CEO, or simply a boring, suburban, PTA member, and totally ignored. Politically, we have the momentum, whether it is in controlling campus debates or ordering at the local bakery. We would be hard pressed to find any school district or college tolerating the over-the-top bigotry and hatred displayed in this film. MSNBC, the New York Times, CNN, ESPN, and social media would be all over any of the incidents portrayed. And forget about those Nike and Coca-Cola sponsorships.
OK. Set that aside. Look at it as science fiction: a parallel, opposite world -- Bizarro World for all you Seinfeld fans -- in which homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality looked upon as abhorrent, as in the early 80s. It's a fertile concept. But there are still problems.
Writer/ director Kim Rocco Shields' Homosexualworld is wildly inconsistent, obeys no rules and simply fails. Here the women are the jocks, playing football, and being scouted by the NFL. Yet the college coaches, and the play-by-play announcer are all male. More confusing is a major character who becomes a stereotypical, super-fem, mean-girl homecoming queen, not student body president or something more "male" and Y-chromesoney.
The college boy characters (who would be women in a sorority house in our real, opposite, heteroworld) live in a frat house where violent, macho, physical hazing and even sexual assault is tolerated. I've never heard of the tri-Delts getting up to that kind of bad behavior. More puzzling: references, never fleshed out, to some sort of "breeding season." Yes, where DO the babies come from? Is there some sort of test-tube / IVF ritual? I'm a sic-fi fan, and yes, there must be rules for an alternative world.
There are other inconsistencies. Since when does a fundamentalist Protestant church have a confession booth? And outside of Anglicans, where does the priest wear a clerical collar? Is the movie taking a swipe at Catholics in addition to the Phelps / Westboro clan in Kansas?
Meanwhile over at the stadium, the football team's behavior is just ludicrous. Our "real world" men would never act like these petty, vengeful, homo-world women. There would be other unpleasant consequences, yes, but nothing like the on-field action.
It could be that Shield's has tried to do too much and taken her eye off the details. The film covers everything from garden variety homophobia to teen suicide; gay bashing (shades of Mathew Shepard); grade school bullying; teen suicide; religious fanaticism (Westboro Baptist Church); social media shaming (the Tyler Clementi case); the impact of right wing politics on school curriculum; the gay rights movement; and even, tangentially, college sports excesses. These are all worthy topics, but why not focus on just one or two? And stop with the with the "messages," the lectures, the exposition. Whatever happened to subtlety?
Or a consistent style for that matter? I felt I was watching a campy mash-up of Law and Order: Special Victims Unit; Friday Night Lights; a SciFy series; General Hospital; an ABC After School Special; and maybe even a Lifetime made for TV movie, all slathered with preachy, docudrama gravy. One especially disturbing scene was positively Tarantino-like.
Despite the messy material, the actors were troopers. You'll recognize a few of them from TV roles. Two were actually from the Law and Order series. Convincing, competent performances from all despite the material. I especially liked Emily Osment in the mean-girl / Homecoming Queen role — a tiara no less! — who played it totally for camp. On that level -- camp -- I actually enjoyed the movie.
Most touching movie
layyyra11 September 2020
Powerful film
gabriellemiazimmerman10 July 2016
Love is all you need is truly one of the most inspirational films I have ever seen. Even if you are not a member of the LGBT community you will appreciate the artistry that went into making such a beautiful film. I didn't think before sitting down to watch the film that it would have such an impact on me, it made me cry non-stop. The film is so honest and makes you realize how incredibly cruel and ridiculous some people can be. I think this film can definitely be used as a learning tool to help not only future generations but this generation as well to have an appreciation for all things different because after all we are the same. I highly recommend the movie and I am so proud of everyone involved in making the film because it will impact the world in a big way
I Want To Claw My Fudging Eyes Out
Brakathor9 November 2017
I don't think I've ever seen a film this unequivocally hard to stomach in my life before, even worse than the 2004 race-bait film, "Crash." Simply referring to it as a feature film in and of itself is dubious. Really all it is, is an overwrought 2 hour length public service announcement designed as a circle jerk over the preconceived notions held by an increasingly petty breed of social activist who loves living in a bubble, hates having their views challenged, and would claim false victimhood in a world that in 2016, leans overwhelmingly in their favor, which makes it both grueling in running time and in subject matter.
It's clearly intended to be super edgy by challenging the way heterosexuals may look at "homophobia" by reversing the roles of oppressor/aggressor. All it reveals is an incredibly insulated concept of oppression held by its creators, one that relies on hyperbole, cliché, gross-out scenes, and everything caricatural surrounding bigotry that you can possibly think of, looking at the problem through an unrealistically magnified lens. It's as if they tried to cram an entire history of oppression into one little neighborhood, within the space of two hours.
Starting with the premise, a world that's completely homonormative where heterosexuals are oppressed and ostracized. As a concept, you could actually make something quite interesting out of that, but the problem is, we have to be given a REASON, and it has to make sense. This could have been a very developed sci-fi theme, or something of the sort, where humans are grown in test tubes, where there's an involved and developed backstory explaining how heterosexuality became redundant and was viewed as a force of antagonism. The problem is, the film makers had no interest in crafting a story with any sense or rationale to it. Literally all they seem to care about is propaganda.
The film is supposed to be an alternate universe that's always been homonormative and oppressive of heterosexuals since the time of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Julio," and us the audience, are supposed to take it for granted. As such, the film fails to address the real reasons behind bigotry, and instead presents homophobia as an either/or situation that can be easily flipflopped, when it can't. Let's really take a look at this though. Today, the average secular family has roughly 1.6 children. In a world that actively discourages heterosexual unions, calling them "breeders" as a pejorative, would such a world really be able to sustain its own population? More to the point, every single person alive would have to hate/despise their parents literally for giving birth to them. It's just dumb.
The film is pretty much one scene after another showcasing overt bigotry against heterosexuals, each scene more extreme than the last. That's ALL it is. The message is loud and clear. "Ha! You see what us homosexuals have to live with? Well now you know what it feels like, and doesn't that bother you tremendously?!" OK so they succeeded in bothering me. Touche, but not for the right reasons.
I'm bothered by how ridiculously tone deaf they are to the world they live in. Did anyone at my school get picked on or bullied for being gay, led alone beat up or murdered? NO. NONE. Literally never! At one point, within the wrong circle I made an offhand comment saying "I think two men having sex is disgusting," and for this comment I was ostracized, insulted, and shunned for the next little while until I formally revoked those words. That was the world almost 20 years ago. The world today is so overwhelmingly pro gay, that the over-the top scenes in this film are not even close to an accurate parallel AT ALL. In the city in which I live, all summer long people are flying rainbow flags from dawn to dusk, so I'm sorry to say, gays being oppressed in ANY societal context is not a reality I've ever known.
That being said, even in the fictional context here, it makes no sense. If heterosexuals in the film face so much hatred to the point of being beaten up, bullied, and killed, why are so many people "coming out of the closet," in the first place? The plot of the film is completely incoherent to the setting, for this reason. In such a society, EVERYONE would be in the closet. Likewise, the 50's were a "don't ask/don't tell" situation, and as a result you DIDN'T have a dramatic world of overt direct oppression/harassment like you do in this film.
The film is just SO over the top, SO self-indulgent that it reminds me of "Reefer Madness," but with one important difference: "Reefer Madness" is at least something we can all sit back and laugh at now. The film simply takes itself too seriously, and so do too many people who watched it, while it contains not a SINGLE hint of intentional humour or irony, despite the ridiculous plot elements. The scenes of bullying would be bad in ANY film, regardless of the subject, because of how clichéd and forced they are. Of course, because the film tackles the gay issue, it's presented with awards and accolades, but honestly, if this was a film that dealt simply with bullying, simple bullying, the majority of people would be canning it for the same reasons that I am.
I'm all for having the discussion about bigotry and oppression, and if that's what they wanted to do, it would have been a much more productive conversation if it was evoked through satire. Of course that's not what these filmmakers are about, not unity or mutual understanding, and certainly not about spreading love. The message they have is one of self-privilege. They're the type of people obsessed with getting attention and special interests by playing the victim card over and over again, and they get it by spreading misery and pain, the core elements of who they are, miserable, and self-absorbed, just like the characters in their story.
It's clearly intended to be super edgy by challenging the way heterosexuals may look at "homophobia" by reversing the roles of oppressor/aggressor. All it reveals is an incredibly insulated concept of oppression held by its creators, one that relies on hyperbole, cliché, gross-out scenes, and everything caricatural surrounding bigotry that you can possibly think of, looking at the problem through an unrealistically magnified lens. It's as if they tried to cram an entire history of oppression into one little neighborhood, within the space of two hours.
Starting with the premise, a world that's completely homonormative where heterosexuals are oppressed and ostracized. As a concept, you could actually make something quite interesting out of that, but the problem is, we have to be given a REASON, and it has to make sense. This could have been a very developed sci-fi theme, or something of the sort, where humans are grown in test tubes, where there's an involved and developed backstory explaining how heterosexuality became redundant and was viewed as a force of antagonism. The problem is, the film makers had no interest in crafting a story with any sense or rationale to it. Literally all they seem to care about is propaganda.
The film is supposed to be an alternate universe that's always been homonormative and oppressive of heterosexuals since the time of Shakespeare's "Romeo and Julio," and us the audience, are supposed to take it for granted. As such, the film fails to address the real reasons behind bigotry, and instead presents homophobia as an either/or situation that can be easily flipflopped, when it can't. Let's really take a look at this though. Today, the average secular family has roughly 1.6 children. In a world that actively discourages heterosexual unions, calling them "breeders" as a pejorative, would such a world really be able to sustain its own population? More to the point, every single person alive would have to hate/despise their parents literally for giving birth to them. It's just dumb.
The film is pretty much one scene after another showcasing overt bigotry against heterosexuals, each scene more extreme than the last. That's ALL it is. The message is loud and clear. "Ha! You see what us homosexuals have to live with? Well now you know what it feels like, and doesn't that bother you tremendously?!" OK so they succeeded in bothering me. Touche, but not for the right reasons.
I'm bothered by how ridiculously tone deaf they are to the world they live in. Did anyone at my school get picked on or bullied for being gay, led alone beat up or murdered? NO. NONE. Literally never! At one point, within the wrong circle I made an offhand comment saying "I think two men having sex is disgusting," and for this comment I was ostracized, insulted, and shunned for the next little while until I formally revoked those words. That was the world almost 20 years ago. The world today is so overwhelmingly pro gay, that the over-the top scenes in this film are not even close to an accurate parallel AT ALL. In the city in which I live, all summer long people are flying rainbow flags from dawn to dusk, so I'm sorry to say, gays being oppressed in ANY societal context is not a reality I've ever known.
That being said, even in the fictional context here, it makes no sense. If heterosexuals in the film face so much hatred to the point of being beaten up, bullied, and killed, why are so many people "coming out of the closet," in the first place? The plot of the film is completely incoherent to the setting, for this reason. In such a society, EVERYONE would be in the closet. Likewise, the 50's were a "don't ask/don't tell" situation, and as a result you DIDN'T have a dramatic world of overt direct oppression/harassment like you do in this film.
The film is just SO over the top, SO self-indulgent that it reminds me of "Reefer Madness," but with one important difference: "Reefer Madness" is at least something we can all sit back and laugh at now. The film simply takes itself too seriously, and so do too many people who watched it, while it contains not a SINGLE hint of intentional humour or irony, despite the ridiculous plot elements. The scenes of bullying would be bad in ANY film, regardless of the subject, because of how clichéd and forced they are. Of course, because the film tackles the gay issue, it's presented with awards and accolades, but honestly, if this was a film that dealt simply with bullying, simple bullying, the majority of people would be canning it for the same reasons that I am.
I'm all for having the discussion about bigotry and oppression, and if that's what they wanted to do, it would have been a much more productive conversation if it was evoked through satire. Of course that's not what these filmmakers are about, not unity or mutual understanding, and certainly not about spreading love. The message they have is one of self-privilege. They're the type of people obsessed with getting attention and special interests by playing the victim card over and over again, and they get it by spreading misery and pain, the core elements of who they are, miserable, and self-absorbed, just like the characters in their story.
Shaken and Stirred
kanikanigam25 November 2016
I've been critiquing food all my life, neglecting my other love- movies. I've never gotten around to reviewing a movie title barring maybe one other time.
This movie moved me into doing this and though one movie may not make a difference and bring a change in the dogmatic perspectives of the society, ' every drop counts', right?
I absolutely loved the perspective. When I first watched the short, I was fascinated. Just to get one quick thing out of the way- I'm as straight as straight gets; I love men. That being said, I support the choice of every individual to love as they choose because love is a beautiful thing and everyone should have enough of it in their lives. So, when the tables are turned and the society accepts homosexuality and shuns heterosexuality, I was left to wonder how brutal life would have been. The hatred, the resentment, the unnecessary judgments, the violence, the constant fear. So, as I watched the central characters getting killed, maimed and abused, I sat there wondering what gives anyone the right to do all this in the name of their religion. How are these prejudiced people any different from the terrorists?
The acting was brilliant and the direction was superlative. I'm glad I randomly clicked on the short years back and I'm glad I happened to chance upon this title because it wasn't a movie that ever received the highlight it deserved.
So, if you're looking for something that would be different and enlightening- this movie would be a great start.
-Love should be all you need.
This movie moved me into doing this and though one movie may not make a difference and bring a change in the dogmatic perspectives of the society, ' every drop counts', right?
I absolutely loved the perspective. When I first watched the short, I was fascinated. Just to get one quick thing out of the way- I'm as straight as straight gets; I love men. That being said, I support the choice of every individual to love as they choose because love is a beautiful thing and everyone should have enough of it in their lives. So, when the tables are turned and the society accepts homosexuality and shuns heterosexuality, I was left to wonder how brutal life would have been. The hatred, the resentment, the unnecessary judgments, the violence, the constant fear. So, as I watched the central characters getting killed, maimed and abused, I sat there wondering what gives anyone the right to do all this in the name of their religion. How are these prejudiced people any different from the terrorists?
The acting was brilliant and the direction was superlative. I'm glad I randomly clicked on the short years back and I'm glad I happened to chance upon this title because it wasn't a movie that ever received the highlight it deserved.
So, if you're looking for something that would be different and enlightening- this movie would be a great start.
-Love should be all you need.
Great premise marred by a very misguided execution
manuelasaez2 December 2017
Let me start off by saying that the premise to this film is top notch. A world that is homonormative and where heterosexuals are ostracized and shunned should make for a unique and interesting take on a hot button issue. What we got was a half-baked mess that leaned more on the experience of the woman, and rarely showed life as it might have been for men, who have been the ones that have historically had the short end of the stick in that regard. We see endless scenes of women kissing women, and women flirting with men, but the men/men scenes are kept off-screen, with no two guys even holding hands or even pecking lips for the duration of the film. The gay struggle has ALWAYS affected men more than it will ever affect women; why did this film maker choose to focus on the less oppressed?
This movie should have focused on a male lead, that is faced with coming to terms with his heterosexuality. The child should have been a male that was coming to terms with liking girls instead of boys. As the ones that are insertive as opposed to solely being receptive, the man would theoretically have a much more difficult time in this world. How would they procreate? How would a man carry a baby? The stigmas of that world would definitely affect a man in more damaging ways than it would a woman, so why the focus on "her" instead of "Him"?
That's where this movie lost me. This movie comes off as some self-indulgent crap, possibly from someone who considers themselves an "ally". They think that they are doing the gay community a service by making movies like this, but all it is doing is making the homophobic loons and religious nutbags froth at the mouth about "heavy-handed story telling" and "propaganda".
Had this movie made more of an effort to focus on the men that would suffer in such a society, it would have possibly made a much greater impact. But, just like in this world, women get a pass. Women have not have had to act "less masculine", or get beat up or killed for not being "feminine enough". Men were literally burned alive for being even slightly effeminate. The writer/director of this movie should have really done their research as to whom would truly be oppressed in the world they created and make a movie based on that. As it stands, all we got are some pretty girls, who had a tough time because they likes handsome boys instead of other pretty girls. Lazy filmmaking at its worst.
Call me when this same premise if revisited by a talented MAN, preferably one that is gay and understands the struggles men face daily living as they truly are. A woman will never understand the difficulties and struggles of living as a man within a society that harbors so many deep rooted, preconceived notions of what it truly means to be a man.
This movie should have focused on a male lead, that is faced with coming to terms with his heterosexuality. The child should have been a male that was coming to terms with liking girls instead of boys. As the ones that are insertive as opposed to solely being receptive, the man would theoretically have a much more difficult time in this world. How would they procreate? How would a man carry a baby? The stigmas of that world would definitely affect a man in more damaging ways than it would a woman, so why the focus on "her" instead of "Him"?
That's where this movie lost me. This movie comes off as some self-indulgent crap, possibly from someone who considers themselves an "ally". They think that they are doing the gay community a service by making movies like this, but all it is doing is making the homophobic loons and religious nutbags froth at the mouth about "heavy-handed story telling" and "propaganda".
Had this movie made more of an effort to focus on the men that would suffer in such a society, it would have possibly made a much greater impact. But, just like in this world, women get a pass. Women have not have had to act "less masculine", or get beat up or killed for not being "feminine enough". Men were literally burned alive for being even slightly effeminate. The writer/director of this movie should have really done their research as to whom would truly be oppressed in the world they created and make a movie based on that. As it stands, all we got are some pretty girls, who had a tough time because they likes handsome boys instead of other pretty girls. Lazy filmmaking at its worst.
Call me when this same premise if revisited by a talented MAN, preferably one that is gay and understands the struggles men face daily living as they truly are. A woman will never understand the difficulties and struggles of living as a man within a society that harbors so many deep rooted, preconceived notions of what it truly means to be a man.
Profoundly Impactful
rgillaspie10 July 2016
I was tremendously impacted by "Love Is All You Need?"
The movie is based on a simple, yet brilliant premise where it's society's norm for same gender couples to date and marry. Heterosexuality is taboo and those that seek relationships with the opposite gender are bullied and ostracized.
It really made me stop and think about what it would be like to be outcast for falling in love with my husband. I can't even imagine people thinking I'm gross or disgusting because of my simple relationship choice. As I heard the characters in the movie being bullied for being "heteros" it make me stop and think how often I've heard people in our society "insult" people using the term gay or fag with disapproving tones. Especially when I was younger.
Blake Cooper Griffin's performance as Bill Bradley was intense. You could literally feel the anger, disgust and tension towards Tyler Blackburn's, Ryan character who had a torrid love affair with Jude Klein, played by Briana Evigan.
Director Kim Rocco Shields, went to great lengths to show how the church can impact an entire community, and Elizabeth Rohm plays the perfect villain, who you really want to smack with her perfect white family values nonsense.
I found the direction to be remarkable and the the cinematography to be stunning. I'd highly recommend checking out this indie film if you're in the mood for a dramatic love story with a twist. Especially with all that's going on in the world right now with LGBT issues. It really makes you see things through a different lens. Great conversation piece.
The movie is based on a simple, yet brilliant premise where it's society's norm for same gender couples to date and marry. Heterosexuality is taboo and those that seek relationships with the opposite gender are bullied and ostracized.
It really made me stop and think about what it would be like to be outcast for falling in love with my husband. I can't even imagine people thinking I'm gross or disgusting because of my simple relationship choice. As I heard the characters in the movie being bullied for being "heteros" it make me stop and think how often I've heard people in our society "insult" people using the term gay or fag with disapproving tones. Especially when I was younger.
Blake Cooper Griffin's performance as Bill Bradley was intense. You could literally feel the anger, disgust and tension towards Tyler Blackburn's, Ryan character who had a torrid love affair with Jude Klein, played by Briana Evigan.
Director Kim Rocco Shields, went to great lengths to show how the church can impact an entire community, and Elizabeth Rohm plays the perfect villain, who you really want to smack with her perfect white family values nonsense.
I found the direction to be remarkable and the the cinematography to be stunning. I'd highly recommend checking out this indie film if you're in the mood for a dramatic love story with a twist. Especially with all that's going on in the world right now with LGBT issues. It really makes you see things through a different lens. Great conversation piece.
Did some of these reviewers see the same film I did?
hjfbd11 July 2016
LOVE IS ALL YOU NEED? is one of the most effective and touching films I have seen in years. It could have become a polemic so easily and yet this sensitive and touching screenplay draws real people and not political statements. When creating a world where sexual roles are reversed(and, therefore, so is the power hierarchy) the filmmakers could lead us down a road of tongue-in-cheek sarcasm. But that is not the case. These characters breathe on their own and not as some stereotypes created to make a point. And the performances of each and every actor finds the touch of identifiable humanity that makes this film so poignant. I do not know what film some of the reviewers here saw, but my experience was one of needing Kleenex for real tears for the first time in a very long time.
"Love is Love"
Judidc11 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
By reversing the angle, this movie gives a different perspective on forbidden love. At first it might be hard as the viewer to adjust to this, for the mind to accept this, we are brought up in a society to see it one way, which is actually the point of the movie. When the tables are turned and "wrong" is "right" & "right" is "wrong" we maybe for the first time see the unfairness of making people love as society deems correct instead of just letting love be love in every way it can. This movie might make you uncomfortable, might make you cry but should definitely make you think. No matter where you stand on the issues, right or left, you owe it to yourself to see this movie, if only to get a 360 degree view of the issue instead of staying oblivious to what is around you.
Beautifully executed
littlepeppy11 July 2016
This movie delivers a powerful message of how gay people are treated by the church, their peers, family, society, etc. However, this is an alternative universe where being gay is the norm and being straight is bad. It's a beautiful love story shared between two people and it makes viewers think about the world we currently live in and how gay people are treated on a daily basis.
This movie is gorgeous, heart-breaking, funny, breath-taking, and looks like it took lots of effort to make. I encourage everyone to watch this movie.
However, this movie isn't a cute love story. It delivers the hardships of being born as "not normal" and having to hide your love because people don't agree with it. Also if you are uncomfortable about violence (emotional + physical) I recommend not seeing it. However, this movie may be seen as controversial due to the view of the church. Amazing movie in the end.
This movie is gorgeous, heart-breaking, funny, breath-taking, and looks like it took lots of effort to make. I encourage everyone to watch this movie.
However, this movie isn't a cute love story. It delivers the hardships of being born as "not normal" and having to hide your love because people don't agree with it. Also if you are uncomfortable about violence (emotional + physical) I recommend not seeing it. However, this movie may be seen as controversial due to the view of the church. Amazing movie in the end.
Not for everyobody
lausch-markus25 November 2016
This movie is most likely deeper than the average viewer expects, and the story it's telling seems just to be about love attachments. I am straight, and feel uncomfortable with homosexuals, but I consider that my own personal weakness, as my attitude is everyone should have the freedom to follow his own natural ways, and if that's gay it is OK with me. Our society is built up in a way that many different behaviours out of the expected raise prejudice. The majority of people within a society is usually on the moral high ground, that includes the loudest voice for that group. Humans are gregarious animals and therefor don't befriend with minority opinions easily. People wouldn't admit, but raise opinions of the majority over their own. It's sometimes extreme like the bullying in the movie or killing in some cases, but can be much more under the radar in most cases, just with the same gravity for a society as a whole. This movie is getting a 9 and not a 10 from me, just because it is "just" focused on gender stereotypes, while it could render a wider picture about prejudice. On the other hand, what do I expect....it's just a movie, and people that don't want to think on their own will not start to do so because of a "silly" movie, and therefor I will give it a 10 again, because the movie can probably still reach a few people about a few things they wouldn't figure out by themselves. - really good acting, by the majority of actors - great script - really moving story. I definitely watch this movie again after it has settled.
Very interesting perspective!
jrdnlwn13 November 2016
Warning: Spoilers
As a supporter of LBGTQ rights, I praise "Love is All You Need?" very much for its remarkable screenplay and intense acting.
Director Kim Rocco Shields created an interesting perspective for the film's viewers, in which homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is the minority. This unique twist of reality caused me, as a heterosexual viewer, to "feel" the alienation and abuse that the heterosexual characters (Jude, Ryan, and Emily) felt; in reality, these characters would be mistreated for being homosexual, and that is why this film seemed so compelling for me (and many others viewers of this film).
In addition to the brilliant screenplay, the acting seemed so real and accurately depicts the inverse of the reality regarding today's LGBTQ rights and equality. I thought that Briana's acting during the film's entirety was outstanding. Although it was very painful for me to watch, the scene that I felt had the most convincing acting was when Emily breaks into tears and attempts suicide in the bathroom.
I would highly recommend this film, since I feel like it successfully addresses (and hopefully allows people to understand) problems with LGBT community.
Director Kim Rocco Shields created an interesting perspective for the film's viewers, in which homosexuality is the norm and heterosexuality is the minority. This unique twist of reality caused me, as a heterosexual viewer, to "feel" the alienation and abuse that the heterosexual characters (Jude, Ryan, and Emily) felt; in reality, these characters would be mistreated for being homosexual, and that is why this film seemed so compelling for me (and many others viewers of this film).
In addition to the brilliant screenplay, the acting seemed so real and accurately depicts the inverse of the reality regarding today's LGBTQ rights and equality. I thought that Briana's acting during the film's entirety was outstanding. Although it was very painful for me to watch, the scene that I felt had the most convincing acting was when Emily breaks into tears and attempts suicide in the bathroom.
I would highly recommend this film, since I feel like it successfully addresses (and hopefully allows people to understand) problems with LGBT community.
Great Film
lianatorresola11 July 2016
I don't have AN Y idea what the deal is with the other reviews here. I don't really write reviews on IMDb, but I am confused by the others on here. I saw this film for its World Premiere at Cinequest, and it is amazing. It actually won an award from the jury at the festival and scored really high with audiences.
I have followed the film, and it's won other awards in other festivals, and I have been awaiting news when I can see it again. This movie HAS to be seen by more people, because it is important for the world, and it is incredibly vital that our youth be aware of this film and its artists.
It is very well directed, and the writing and acting are highly emotional and inspiring.
As a straight man, I am ALL for such wonderful films.
I have followed the film, and it's won other awards in other festivals, and I have been awaiting news when I can see it again. This movie HAS to be seen by more people, because it is important for the world, and it is incredibly vital that our youth be aware of this film and its artists.
It is very well directed, and the writing and acting are highly emotional and inspiring.
As a straight man, I am ALL for such wonderful films.
Eye opener
princess-fairy201014 September 2019
Love is all you need.
guenter-5309010 July 2016
Love is All you Need is geared for an open and educated audience. I think it is a brilliant idea to reverse the world we are living in to showcase a problem of the LGBT community. The intensity of the movie took me by surprise and the acting is brilliant. It is easier after watching "Love is all you need" to get a better understanding for the trauma that bullying creates in the life of gays and lesbians. I especially like how society and religion played their cruel supporting part. It is a monumental task to take on such a difficult but relevant subject. My congratulations go to all involved in this piece of art. I would think people that see Woody Allen's movies would enjoy this one.
Based on the past
quartzsoldier20 May 2019
This film's heterophobia isn't based on the state of 2019, but how things were many years ago. Everything that has happens to a heterosexual in this movie has happened to hundreds of homosexuals in well documented cases. It's sad, moving, and motivating. An incredible watch.
Biggest impactful movie of the year!
hjvandenbrink11 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS* Love is all you need? is the movie you need to see! Why? Because it focuses on a topic that is still very current. It focuses on bullying, in every way possible. Even the new cyberbullying is being addressed by way of cellphone texts.
This movie got really close to me. Not because I am gay or within the community of LGBT, although I am supportive of this community. But because I was bullied when I grew up. And now my first niece is transgender and in the process of becoming a guy. And although my brother doesn't say it with much words, but I know my niece/nephew is being bullied. But the support is greater and that is what matters.
The characters in the movie are being perfectly portrayed by excellent actors. Definitely Kyla Kenedy, who we know from Walking Dead, is amazing. A rising star. Her performance is terrifyingly good and left me in tears. Briana Evigan plays a football player in an all-girl team, which I thought was refreshing and perfectly fits the movie. Her performance was excellent and when her character gets humiliated by her former girlfriend, you feel her emotions, you just want to take her in your arms and say, it's going to be okay. Tyler Blackburn plays his character excellent and to find out what happens to his character is heartbreaking. B.C. Griffin plays the villain and he does this well. You really feel the hatred that a lot of people have towards the LGBT community. And this is what needs to change! The movie graphics felt like they were big studio production, but it was a small budget movie and this is thanks to the excellent writing and directing skills of Kim Rocco Shields. Her vision and her will to change the world is being felt thru the movie. The multiple story lines entwine perfectly towards the end of the movie and will leave you shocked.
The fact I am still talking and thinking and referring to this movie months after I have watched it, means it left a big impact. I want people to change their thinking about bullying towards anyone. The news proves it over and over, this subject it still current and needs to be addressed and dealt with and it needs to be deleted from this world. People who think this topic isn't current, have been living under a rock and should wake up. Bullying destroys lives and is never good. Love is all you need? addresses this fact and shows that even the bible believes that Love is what matters above everything else. A fact that Kim Rocco Shields perfectly used in this movie. Being LGBT and being religious can go hand in hand. Bullying does not.
The movie was excellent in every way possible. My wife and me absolutely loved it and are still talking about it to friends and family and anyone who wants to hear about it.
This movie got really close to me. Not because I am gay or within the community of LGBT, although I am supportive of this community. But because I was bullied when I grew up. And now my first niece is transgender and in the process of becoming a guy. And although my brother doesn't say it with much words, but I know my niece/nephew is being bullied. But the support is greater and that is what matters.
The characters in the movie are being perfectly portrayed by excellent actors. Definitely Kyla Kenedy, who we know from Walking Dead, is amazing. A rising star. Her performance is terrifyingly good and left me in tears. Briana Evigan plays a football player in an all-girl team, which I thought was refreshing and perfectly fits the movie. Her performance was excellent and when her character gets humiliated by her former girlfriend, you feel her emotions, you just want to take her in your arms and say, it's going to be okay. Tyler Blackburn plays his character excellent and to find out what happens to his character is heartbreaking. B.C. Griffin plays the villain and he does this well. You really feel the hatred that a lot of people have towards the LGBT community. And this is what needs to change! The movie graphics felt like they were big studio production, but it was a small budget movie and this is thanks to the excellent writing and directing skills of Kim Rocco Shields. Her vision and her will to change the world is being felt thru the movie. The multiple story lines entwine perfectly towards the end of the movie and will leave you shocked.
The fact I am still talking and thinking and referring to this movie months after I have watched it, means it left a big impact. I want people to change their thinking about bullying towards anyone. The news proves it over and over, this subject it still current and needs to be addressed and dealt with and it needs to be deleted from this world. People who think this topic isn't current, have been living under a rock and should wake up. Bullying destroys lives and is never good. Love is all you need? addresses this fact and shows that even the bible believes that Love is what matters above everything else. A fact that Kim Rocco Shields perfectly used in this movie. Being LGBT and being religious can go hand in hand. Bullying does not.
The movie was excellent in every way possible. My wife and me absolutely loved it and are still talking about it to friends and family and anyone who wants to hear about it.
Great film with a message
weirdphuque11 July 2016
Love Is All You Need?, is a great film with an inspiring story of living and dealing with discrimination of all kinds. I think everyone and anyone can relate to being discriminated against at least once in their life. I don't usually cry during movies, but this one is real tear jerk-er. This movie will change lives and hopefully educate those who watch it. I think this is one of the greatest movies ever written. Discrimination has no boundaries against color, age, race, sexuality, level of education, weight, height, religious beliefs, styles, Etc. It really opens your eyes to all the hate that still lives in such a diverse world. I think this film can be an educational tool for years to come.
Love IS All You Need
smebd13 July 2016
Love Is All You Need? is a film that re-imagines the world in such a way that homosexuality is the "norm" and heterosexuality is the "perversion". This re-ordering of the world is a device that the director and writer, Kim Rocco Shields, utilizes to illustrate the universal nature of prejudice, discrimination, and bullying, and the price society pays for its intolerance. Ms. Shields has crafted a sophisticated and psychologically savvy story in which we are confronted with the arbitrary nature of societal and religious taboos; this films deals with the universal nature of human emotions, showing just how basic the need and desire to love and be loved are. Love Is All You Need? is at times a very uncomfortable film to watch, but the discomfort is purposeful, in that the audience member is actually experiencing the pain and emotions of the characters on screen—these induced feelings are quite effective in helping one to identify with the characters and what they are experiencing. In the end, the movie does much to help us see that Love Is All You Need.
Brilliant Film!
alexlamas6611 July 2016
I knew the premise going in so the twist didn't surprise me. What surprised me was how impactful and emotional it was. Even knowing the conceit before hand will not prepare you for how powerful and moving the story really is. The acting was topnotch all around and it was the particularly the performances that contributed to how the film touches you. The two leads Briana Evian and Tyler Blackburn give exceptionally poignant performances that brought these issues and emotions to life. This is all to the credit of the director Kim Rocco Shields, who has masterfully weaved together an amazing cast and story that will reach deep into your heart. Now more than ever this film has relevance and needs to seen and talked about. Honestly, if your not moved or touched by this film, you're not alive.
Loved this film, it helps this country understand what we mean when we say Love Wins!!!
AlysonBlackBarrie12 July 2016
In a world full of hate, this film really resonates with me & is an incredible story! Everyone needs to watch this to get some perspective & K Rocco Sheilds did an unbelievable job, creating this masterpiece. They should start showing this move in school, to teach the youth of America some tolerance. we need films like this to help this country progress, as a niece with a gay uncle that passed away from HIV, I know how important it is to love our gay community. My uncle would be 60 right now & passed away 2 days before my 20th birthday, I spent my birthday at his funeral & my 21st birthday at his memorial. When I see movies like "Milk" and I see what type of hate his generation dealt with, I am disgusted! Thank god Obama stepped in & made gay marriage legal so we can start with basic human rights & 1 day hopefully get everyone in the LGBT community some basic human decency. Love, love, loved it & love really is all you need!
Insightful film!!!
foetwenti11 July 2016
This film offers a view of the LGBT community from an entirely different perspective. It is based on real events that actually happen in communities around the World.
I love the way that the roles were reversed but in a real way that didn't seem staged or campy. I think that it successfully showed all levels of real life and how ignorance and fear can spread and escalate to unthinkable levels.
Anytime a film can spark conversation and cause people to ask , what if? Helps to spread empathy for everyone.
Great film!!!!
I love the way that the roles were reversed but in a real way that didn't seem staged or campy. I think that it successfully showed all levels of real life and how ignorance and fear can spread and escalate to unthinkable levels.
Anytime a film can spark conversation and cause people to ask , what if? Helps to spread empathy for everyone.
Great film!!!!
Must Watch
dgruner12 July 2016
Warning: Spoilers
This is a superb film from a first time writer director. It tackles a subject matter that is highly controversial in a way that engages the audience and draws emotions out. You find yourself living the movie through the characters eyes. Other reviews have said that this is more of a propaganda flick then anything and I highly disagree . Is there a message? Yes. After all the controversy surrounding the subject matter if thus film, you should know going in that there is going to be a message, but it doesn't feel forced. Everything in this film is taken from actual events. It is presented in a way that forces a reaction . In a world where films set aside emotional value over sticking to the formula in favor if higher box office numbers, this film is a breath if fresh air . I haven't felt so engaged or entertained by watching a film since the 90s. The only reason I marked it down was the time line in the movie was a little confusing for me the first time I watched it. I could have done with less bouncing around in favor of either a more linear story or a better explanation of the time line . All in all though this is a film that you don't just watch. You experience it.
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