The Matthew Shepard Story

Whether you like gays or not, We are all human, and should treat other as such. 2nd watch 04/01/2023.

I loved it. It didn't seem much like a TV movie. I cried inside while watching it but I thought it was amazingly well done. Superlative acting. I like especially how strong Stockard Channing is - she never crosses the borderline into hysteria. Sam Waterston is at his usual best. Shane Meier is not that well-known but he should be, he's a very good actor. I was a bit apprehensive about buying this for some reason but not being one to judge books by covers, I did it and am really, really glad I did. Shane plays Matthew as a really straight gay guy and I think that worked well. The scenes with Matthew and Pablo are great - a love scene woulda been cool but maybe it wasn't so integral to the plot? I really liked the lesbian chick who became friends with Matthew, who was played by a very good actress who wasn't too butch. Hopefully the world has become a bit better off because of this film and because of the Matthew Shepard Story and the Foundation in his name. I wish it didn't take death to instigate and motivate change. The passage of a few more generations is all it will take, I hope and pray. "You've got to be carefully taught, before it's too late, to hate all the people that your parents hate." One day that quotation won't apply. Anyhow, I won't get off on a diatribe. Although I'm gay, I never watched any films like this, or any gay films at all, until recently and this was one of the first ones I bought to add to my collection. I'm glad I did. Oh by the way, if you liked this film and are just now getting into gay films like I am (at the time I wrote this), you should see "Bridegroom", a much more recent feature-length documentary, that tackles different subject matter about gay guys.

The characters in this movie all did a tremendous job. The two who played his parents are among my favorite actors, and they did a magnificent job with the movie. I had never heard of Shane Meier, but he does an excellent job too. It was a very sad time in American history that they are depicting here, and hopefully the country has moved on past this sort of thing, although gay-bashing does still happen in some areas. Psychologists are virtually unanimous in stating that most gay-bashers are doing it because they have the tendency to be gay and are resentful of those who actively pursue their sexuality openly. I have no doubt that the assailants were of that variety, but there are also many sick people in our society who revel in hurting people just for the sick pleasure of hurting people.It seems obvious to me that Matthew Shepard was an idealist, not a realist, and he felt that the world should be the way he wanted it to be, and wouldn't face the fact that life isn't always the way we want it to be. He was a "performer" as one of my friends puts it, and very bad at judging situations. I feel that he was asking for trouble in Morocco and it wasn't surprising that he got it. When you go to a foreign country, you have to take into account the mores and values of that society. When you openly flaunt things which they don't like bad things can happen to you. In Wyoming, he was foolish enough to get into a car with people he didn't know, and that alone tells me that his judgement was faulty. Most parents tell their children not to get into a car with strangers and I have no doubt that Matthew Shepard's parents did that too.It doesn't pay to take risks that are unwarranted. All in all this is avery good movie.

The Matthew Shepard Story, along with my having been well aware of the actual event's occurrence earlier than my having even ever watched the movie, proved itself able to do a fine job of evoking the hurt and the utter frustration that occurs alongside nearly all of our own who find ourselves confronted by the anger and the hurt that goes right along with the reality of our being gay in this world that doesn't seem to find it at all so simple to accept us who are. But this actual and most tragic event far surpasses any actual kind of any reasonableness by virtue of the red-necked "gentlemen" who did indeed "do the dirty deed" by killing a man for no reason whatsoever other than his having been gay, and failed to take the precaution often felt to be appropriate of covering it up, by our just seeming to be found hiding it underneath a basket of some sort or another as would be symbolically existing in some underhanded manner or way quite inappropriately so to be ever so more than certainly sure! In any event, this historical event is one that must not ever become as a forgotten legacy of historical tragedies which have proven themselves to have been events that have helped to shift the balance of public feeling and thought related to this particular "issue" of what it actually means to be found openly gay in this sometimes somewhat screwed up world we share habitation within it out here too. I wish to first off recommend this movie most wholeheartedly due the reasoning as shared above, and due how equally assuredly too, that such as this kind of any event that actually happened in this world of ours here is found happening, it's those things such as this most assuredly is that prove to be found as a historical interlude that helps us bring the necessary change that this world of ours here's been waiting for to arrive, not that such events that help change history and bring it to its knees so to speak, ought to be.

This film follows the period before,during,and after the brutal murder of Matthew Shepard, who was tied to a fence on remote Wyoming farmland, and beaten close to death, by two men who had actively gone out to find a homosexual and cause him harm. Matthew Shepard died soon after he was found,covered in blood. The case attracted attention across the US due to the brutality of the hate crime. Stockard Channing & Sam Waterson play the parents of Matthew, and both portray the mix of anger & grief so well. They argue with each other, they do not always agree on issues relating to the court case. Stockard Channing as the mother in particular really makes your heart ache, as she had sat in the courtroom day after day listening to every horrifying detail of how her son died. Shane Meier plays the role of Matthew Shepard, and also puts in a very good performance. The film moves quickly between flashbacks and the present,is well shot and edited. Highly recommended, especially since right now in 2010, hate crimes do not seem to be lessening. In Belgrade, rioting recently broke out at a gay rights parade, and in the US, at least 5 teenage boys have killed themselves after homophobic bullying. This film is as important now as it was when it was released, perhaps even more so. An excellent film. This DVD release does not include any extra features or documentaries.

When I heard this talked about on rupauls drag race I bought it omg a heart breaking true story had me in tears what those guys did to Matthew for us as gay people who live in fear they were monsters

The film packs an emotional punch that hits more widely than the facts it works with. The facts deal with the brutal beating of Matthew Shepard, which leads to his death. His being gay played a role in this attack; therefore the attack is approached as a hate crime. As Wyoming, Matthew's home state, did not have legislation about hate crimes at the time, this particular case became an important reason to write new relevant laws.The major section of the film deals with the court case of one of the attackers, Aaron McKinney, and focuses on the response of Matthew's parents. Amongst all the factors making this an ordeal for them, they have to discuss the possibility of a plea bargain by the accused which will sentence him to life in prison, not death.Through flashbacks Matthew's growing up is explored, as well as his relationship with his parents and friends. These friends support the parents in a stunning visual display at the court case to soften the impact of protesters loudly claiming that Matthew as gay man was sinful.Anyone who sympathises with victims of physical attacks, whether "simply" a crime or motivated by hate and discrimination, will respond to the emotions portrayed. The film is a strong cry to everyone to eliminate hate crimes of all kinds from our society - in that sense it is healing as well, as it forces one to think of how to respond to this despicable deed of senseless murder. At long last the film is released on DVD - it is high time that it reaches the DVD audience.

This is really a very touching movie, one of the best I have seen. I can related to my own feelings at his age. You watch this movie and you see the reality of the life of almost each gay born boy, the way parents should accept and handle the situation, how the people around act,... .If somebody doesn't know what gay life is at the young age, even the reality of this movie is the murder on Matt, this sure is a great help to see how the inner life of a young gay boy is. I recommend this movie not only for the fact that NOBODY should judge somebody on his sexuality, sure not murder somebody for it, this hate murder and the life of Matthew Shepard, should be a lesson for many of us to try to understand what's going on in youngster with the discovery of the gay sexuality.

After reading Judy Shepards book the meaning of matthew and being very moved by it I thought I'd give the film a try too. The film gripped me from start to finish and goes all the way through the last years of Matt's life upto his horrific murder. The film is an honest and frank account of a life cut far too short....I can't recommend it enoughR.I.P Matt Shepard,