Redwoods

By: Scott Cranin
In-House Review - Dec 16 2011

Shot in the gay Russian River resort town of Guerneville, David Lewis' new film is leagues more polished than Rock Haven and it's got even more soul, if that's possible. Redwoods will suck you into its warm cinematic womb and won't let go.

Everett (Brendan Bradley) and Miles (Tad Coughenour) have a comfortable, non-passionate relationship. Together they are raising Billy, a learning disabled boy, who takes up much of the loving and attention in their home. Miles and Billy go off to visit the grandparents and leave Everett to work in peace. There isn't even a kiss shared between the two men before the departure. Shortly after they leave, Chase (Matthew Montgomery) stops his car at Everett's house and asks for directions. There is an instant connection between the two men. Later that day Everett visits his bed and breakfast and "just happens to bump into" his new friend. And then while antique store hunting with his Mom, the two men run into each other again and the flirtation is official. Despite Everett's reticence and clumsiness, Chase persists and their love blossoms quickly.

Matthew Montgomery and cast are superb in their roles. Truly a fine actor, Montgomery's talent seems to grow with each of his film roles. With its original score, great scenery and mushy-beyond-belief story, Redwoods is bound to become a gay classic.

By: dangerousman

Redwoods is a great movie that I encourage everyone to watch. In the beginning, I thought it was going to be one of those fall in love end with heart break movie. Boy, I was wrong. The two main characters were in love and they spark something new out of each other.

By: paulrdietz

By: JC

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. The 2 handsome leads, Brendan Bradley and Matthew Montgomery played an believable tale of meeting and falling in love. The end gave ma a good cry..one of those happy /sad ones. I sure hope to see them team up again in the future!

By: jt

By: LuvnLife

Wow, I have been waiting for this to hit DVD and it really was worth the wait. The photography in this movie is very good. The story line is fantastic, and the actors are really good. Matthew and Brendan really had the chemestry going between them. I was very caught up in the whole story right up until the surprise ending. This was Brokeback quality in every way. Great job! This is one I'm proud to own.

By: justme

By: pnadeau

When I saw Matthew Montgomery was in this movie, I knew it would be and hit. In fact, it was a HOMERUN!

The movie leaves you anxiously awaiting the next scene and though like all love stories, we want the two main characters to come together in the end.

They do, just not in the way you would expect it.

Buy the movie; rent the movie. Just watch it. This one will go down as a true gay classic. Making you want to watch it, year after year.

By: JANORM

I have to say this first-off, I am an ardent and dedicated fan of Matthew Montgomery. I have watched him in many films and found everyone of them to be very emotional and thought-provoking. He has the unique ability to portay a character in such a manner as to bring him to life directly in front of the camera.
This film is more than the usual genera of gay romance. It has a most intriguing story line, with twists and turns that one would expect from a detective film, not a romance. In today's complex world it holds a very poignant significance, especially for those who have witnessed a gay love, real love! This film will become one of the classics for the gay cinema and must be added to your collection. In ending this review I am remined of a very famous quote.
IT IS BETTER TO HAVE LOVED AND LOST, THEN NEVER TO HAVE LOVED AT ALL. WE WILL ALWAYS HAVE OUR MEMORIES!!

By: OKLAHOMA COWBOY

I JUST RECEIVED MY ORDER OF REDWOODS AND I MUST SAY IT IS AN EXCELLENT MOVIE. A SURPRISE ENDING, HAVING TO LOVE SOMEONE AND THEN FIND ANOTHER TO LOVE PUTS YOU IN A TURMOIL THAT CAN TEAR YOUR HEART APART.
RE- LEARNING TO LOVE, AND ACCEPTING A LOVE LOST. BROUGHT ME TO TEARS.

By: Darwin

I have not seen an independent gay movie of this caliber in a very long time. The production values, the writing, the acting, the cinematography were all first rate. The story was one of the most romantic that gay cinema has seen in a long time. The two male leads were perfectly cast and perfectly lovable.

My only problem was with the ending (spoiler alert here). It just made no sense to me that Everett would choose to stay in a loveless marriage when he had a chance to be with a man who touched his very soul. He and Chase could easily have raised the child as their own and lived happily ever after. I guess because we don't get to see too many happy ending in quality gay films, I was disappointed with this one.

This movie is well worth seeing (and purchasing) as it will haunt you for some time afterwards (much like Brokeback Mountain did). Maybe my romantic soul just found the ending to be too painful to comprehend.

I give this movie five out of five stars.

By: usnjake

Where to start? First off, this is one of the finest gay films I have ever seen! It is romantic, poignant, uplifting, sad, involving, and a totally thought-provoking, engrossing film that sucks you in from the first scene and does not let the viewer go until the surprisingly haunting ending!

The main character, Everett is in a long-term go-with-the-flow relationship with his husband Miles. The two of them are raising a young boy and their relationship seems to be in a rut. While Miles and Billy (their son) are away on a family trip, Through chance, Everett meets Chase, a writer who is lost (in more ways than one).

Like the best of Charles Dickens' plot elements, coincidence plays a part in the two meeting not once, but twice and from there a poignant love story evolves and sweeps us the viewer away.

Everett, a very moral man, yet dissatisfied with where life is leading finally succumbs to his feelings that have been building for Chase throughout the film.

Where he and Miles are a calm center of a storm, Everett and Chase are a passionate storm!

The film builds to a crescendo and leads to a surprising ending that I did not see coming (make sure you have a hankie ready).

The acting and directing is awesome. I think this is now my favorite Matthew Montgomery film. He gets better and better with each movie!

Each moment feels honest and true! If this movie is a low budget film, its honesty and serene setting certainly does not show! The small town setting in northern California is beautiful.. the redwood forests seems the perfect setting for such a wondrous love story.

Needless to say, I cannot recommend this film highly enough. Kudos the cast, its production crew and writer as this is a nearly perfect love story!

But it now! You will not regret it!

By: Amos Lassen

"Redwoods"

Tres Romantique

Amos Lassen


"Redwoods" has got to be one of the most romantic gay films ever made as it tells the story of Everett. A guy who finds himself stuck in a relationship that is going nowhere and who meets and falls in love with a writer who was passing through the small California town where he lives.
Beautifully photographed in Guerneville on the Russian River, this is a film that is loaded with heart and soul. Everett (Brendan Bradley) lives with his lover Miles (Tad Coughenour) in a comfortable lifestyle but with no passion. Together the two men are rearing Billy, a boy who is learning disabled and much of their attention goes to him. When Miles and Billy go to visit grandparents. Everett stays behind. Shortly after the departure of father and son, a car driven by Chase (Matthew Montgomery) stops at the house looking for directions. Later Chase and Everett keep running into each other and there is fliratation. Chase is enchanted by Everett and is not about to let him get away.
Together with the rtomance, director David Lewis weaves the real concerns of life. The film shows the difficult choices that are faced when one is confronted with love. In today's age of freedom, we tend to still focus on the issue of marriage and its rituals. We seldom stop to think what happens afterwards. We seem to find ourselves tied to a person who brings home the bacon, changes the tires of the car, cosigns for the house, cares for the kids and worries about life. In the gya community we find that many movies on once the sex cools down. This is what happened to Everett and Miles. Everett has desires to have his passion reawakened and Chance is the one to do that. Miles and Everett share an ill-defined relationship that evidently went bad years ago but when Everett becomes involved with Chase he is torn between responsibility and true love.
Matthew Montgomery and Brendan Bradley give very fine performances and the love that their characters feel for each other almost sets the screen aflame. Their love is tender and we see how they account for the decisions that come with true love. What I found to be particularly interesting is watching Everett learn that many of the stable and seemingly conservative people in his own life have been to find passion and love outside of the relationships that they are in. When the affair is over, we watch as Everett returns to the life that he has been building with Miles and we see that a part of him has been changed forever. His affair, the unspoken ritual, did not change his life with Miles. Instead it allowed him to stay and to be the person he needs to be with Miles and with those around him.