SHELTER - OLD DOG / NEW TRICK

Okay, here's the Old Dog part. I don't know how many times I've watched the film Shelter, either by myself or with others, but it's a lot. And each time I see it I fall in love again with Zach and Shawn and the others, the plot, the dialogue (which I almost know by heart now), even with San Pedro! But to be honest, I no longer expect anything new like a detail or element I hadn't noticed or known before. Certainly nothing that would make the film any better than it is. The film's not quite "old," but it's very familiar. Maybe some of you feel this way? Well, I was wrong and it involves one of the more important scenes in the movie towards the very end. It's the one where Zach leaves Tori's house after spending the night (no sex) and drives to Shawn's to apologize for his behavior and to ask for help. The scene begins with Shawn walking towards his luggage (he's obviously planning to go back to L.A.) and picks up the walkie-talkie. I've seen this scene a gazillion times and each time I think: it's sweet that Shawn carries the walkie-talkie around hoping that Zach will call but it's a stretch. Kinda too sweet maybe? And I always think that surely Jonah could have written something just a little bit better?

So here's the New Trick part. Over the weekend I was reading some of the Shelter fanfiction posted online (some of which is pretty clever) and someone talked about this scene and said wasn't it cool that ZACH placed the walkie talkie on Shawn's luggage and wasn't it a clever way of tying together all of the scenes in the movie that involve them. This possibility never occurred to me before! I immediately went and watched that scene again and now it seems so obvious that Zach placed the walkie-talkie there. It makes the story richer and adds still another layer to Zach's character. Maybe some or all of you always thought this but I didn't. (Yeah, we can't be absolutely, totally 100% sure who did what unless Jonah tells us but I'll never watch Shelter again without thinking that it was Zach.)

I'm posting this stupid story for two reasons. First, to say that the film is a lot better written and executed than some of us -- me! in particular -- might have thought. And second, to encourage members of this forum to continue to post their own thoughts and discoveries. Certainly to encourage new members to post. The forum isn't as active as it once was; maybe some of the older members think that everything's been said already. (I think maybe I did.) Or maybe the forum's just had its day, after all, Shelter the movie is 5 years old. Still, my little experience over the weekend suggests that there's more to the movie and more to discover and talk about.

Just a thought.


P.S. Is there anything we can do to get "skygirl" from posting her/his stupid wig ads on the forum?

Hi Eric!
I surfed around and thought, there will be another lonely day on this forum (except this terrible skygirl - I used the "Report an abuse"-Button last weekend).

But today I found your nice post. Thanks for thinking about Shelter over and over again.
And it's really amazing. I never thought that Zach placed the walkie-talkie. It was so clear to me that Shaun (Shaun? Shawn?) carried it through the house. I can understand that (It is not too sweet. It is the real life. You would carry around your mobile phone, too!). If there were just a tiny glimmer of hope that the loved man could use the walkie-talkie, I wouldn't leave it for a minute. Especially on that last day. Because I don't want to go.
But the idea, Zach placed it there, is great, too. We know he is inside. He was able to do it. Why not?

You asked for our own discoveries.
I think, it's nothing new, but I love the little scene in the car, when Zach is looking at Tori's house and then he's looking at the street ahead and this is for me a Goodbye from his old life. This is for me the "point of no return". I love that powerful moment.

Thank you, Eric, you remembered me to watch Shelter in the next time. The last weeks I was catched by John Barrowman and Torchwood , but now I need some minutes of sunsets and waves and walkie-talkies again...
I'm sure John would agree....

Doreen,

Thanks for your comments and observations. I guess my point was, that a film like Shelter, no matter how many times you see it, can still surprise you! And I'm glad to learn that I wasn't the only one who thought Shaun put the walkie-talkie on the luggage.

Like you, I really like the scene in the movie, towards the end, where Zach gets in his car, looks at Tori's house, and then the street ahead. It is the point-of-no-return. But perhaps my favorite is the scene a few minutes later where Zach and Shaun pull into Jeanne's driveway. Both get out of the car and start walking towards the house but Shaun hesitates by the car. Zach takes a few steps, stops, and goes back and takes Shaun's hand. He wants Jeanne and everyone one else to know the decision he's made. As you say, powerful.

We'll see what else, if anything, other members have to say.

Eric

Eric, thanks for posting this. I'm about 4 years too late in discovering this movie, but am glad I found your post.
I actually didn't get that one either....*hangs head in shame*.... I took the walkie-talkie on the suitcase as an odd thing. I just thought that it was not in line with his character for him to leave it on the suitcase (think he would either go see him or be his patient self and wait till Zach would come back to him) and as all the rest of the story/script was so cleverly done, I had to have missed something, but didn't have a clue what.
Can't believe it's so flippin' obvious and I missed it....

Maybe they should have put in a shot of Zach's hand (identified by his ring) putting it on the suitcase, so clueless people like me would've gotten it in the first place, haha!

The more I think about it the more it makes sense.
Yes, a short view on Trevors hand would have been helpful.

Doreen, I watched it back and Shaun's surprised look is so subtle and fast, that I missed that the first time, I think. I guess when you interpret something a certain way, it sticks in your head. I don't know. I'm just happy I found eric85 post to help me on this one!

Once again, I'm struck by how much fun -- and how much you can learn -- in a forum like this. New members such as Doreen and CoffeeKay discovering SHELTER for the first time, sharing their excitement and insights. Others sharing their discoveries. All of us in love with the movie, the actors, the story. And with Trevor, without whom, we wouldn't be posting on the forum to begin with. Hats off Trev!

eric85 wrote: Hats off Trev!

Certainly true!
No movie has been able to touch my 2 favorite movies for the past 20-25 years, but I think I can safely say Shelter has smashed them off their pedestal! So hats off to Trev and all the cast & crew from me

My favorite movie was "Brokeback Mountain" (I said it anywhere here before). "Shelter" was a birthday present (gift? sorry, my English...) in May from a friend who knows me well. From the first viewing I fell in love.
Now I love both. BBM for it's beauty and sadness and Shelter for it's deep lightness and for showing the possibilities.

Which were your favorite movies for the past 25 years, CoffeeKay?