It has been nearly two years since “I Am Michael” premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, and despite the high-caliber talent involved both in front of and behind the camera, the film has taken a long time to reach screens. Well, it’s finally on the way, and the first trailer shines a light on the fascinating true story at its core.
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Directed by Justin Kelly (“King Cobra“), produced by Gus Van Sant, and starring James Franco, Zachary Quinto, and Emma Roberts, the film tracks the journey taken by a queer youth activist who makes waves when he becomes a straight, Christian pastor. Here’s the official synopsis:
I AM MICHAEL is the incredible true-life story of Michael Glatze (Franco), a high profile queer youth activist who created a national controversy when he claimed to no longer be gay and became a straight Christian pastor. The film follows Michael from his life in San Francisco with his boyfriend Bennett (Quinto), where he pursues political activism, a journalist career at XY Magazine, social awareness, and sexual exploration, to his days of personal self-discovery. After a traumatic scare, Michael is plagued by doubt and paranoia, and begins a religious reawakening. Michael renounces his gay lifestyle, rejects his friends, and endeavors to find his “true self.” He explores Buddhism and Mormonism, yet ultimately lands at a Christian Bible school in rural Wyoming where he meets his girlfriend, Rebekah (Roberts), and becomes the pastor of his own church. This powerful new film captures one man’s haunting journey through modern concepts of love, denial and redemption.
“I Am Michael” opens in limited release and hits VOD on January 27, 2017.
