Original title: Dog Tags
Year: 2008
Running time: 90 min.
Country: United States
Director: Damion Dietz
Screenwriter: Damion Dietz
Cast: Paul Preiss, Amy Lindsay, Candy Clark, Hoyt Richards, Robert S. Martin III
Producer: New Media Entertainment LLC
Genre: Drama | Gay & Lesbian. Army
Synopsis / Plot: Abandoned by his father and raised by his single mother, Debbie, Nate Merritt joins the Marines to support his soon-tobe fiancée, Trish. While on leave in Palm Springs he meets Andy, a magnetic, seemingly free-spirited young gay man with dreams of escaping to the glitz and glamour of Hollywood. Though the bond between the two men is initially platonic, the nature of their relationship unavoidably shifts into something physical and intimate as they tread the risky waters of vulnerability and introspection. Unexpectedly, by delving deeply within himself, Nate also uncovers the identity of the father he never knew. With this brave cinematic work, director Damion Dietz (Beverly Kills) demonstrates tremendous ambition and craftsmanship, focusing on the emotional terrain of family loyalty and the weight of finding yourself in the world. Anchored by deft and powerful performances from a dedicated cast that includes Candy Clark (American Graffiti) and newcomer Paul Preiss as the introspective marine, Dietz has cultivated one of the warmest and most stirring gay dramas to come around in years.
