This story is one that deals with a very real, but somewhat socially unmentionable issue. Child abuse. The early scenes feature a young boy being molested by his Little League coach, and while the scenes look very real, each actor was filmed separately so as to protect their interests. In both the novel and film we learn that the boy has a yearning for the coach, but doesn’t know what to do about it. After the coach molests him, he goes to his house again and again for the same reason, because the boy liked it.

The novel raises the question of whether, morally speaking, this type of thing is abuse if both parties enjoy doing it from the outset. Most would answer no, including the boy (Neil), who grows into a teenager still dreaming of coach, and proud of the ‘relationship’ between them. Although all the time knowing that the coach had other boys too.

Neil as a teenager is a hustler, who earns money for having sex with older men. And while his friend Eric seems in the film to think he is wierd, it is much clearer in the book that he is deeply in love with Neil. Some of the things he says about Neil are quite sad, because he knows their love will never blossom. Also in this book the two have sex once, while in the film it is an empty yearning to be together from Eric.

We see Joseph Gordon Levitt give an incredible performance as Neil, including an orgasm on camera, and partial nudity throughout the film, which is well worth viewing just for that.

On the other side of the story we meet Brian, who lost a few hours from his childhood and believes he was abducted by aliens. Many things occur in his hunt to find the truth, one of which takes him to Neil. They were both on the Little League team together. We learn the truth about Brian and see him hunt for Neil, but he has left to live in NYC.

While Neil is in NYC, he learns that the hustler life in the city is much different than that in a small Kansas town. And in the end gets Raped and beaten by a man who he hooks up with, and then left on the pavement outside, quite a few tube stops away from his apartment. Bloodied and shaken by the event he returns home for christmas, and finally meets Brian. The end of the book is a very emotional meeting between the two, that was very well translated onto the screen. Neil finally admits to what happened to Brian, as he is the only one who knows.

By the end of the film we already know the truth about Brian, or at least we work it out. But in the novel it is very clear from about half way through, and we are urging Brian on to find out what really happened.

Overall, the film is very well directed and the acting is extremely good. But i have to say that the book delves into each of the person more, and we really feel like we understand why Neil is how he is, while the other characters do not. I challenge any gay man, or woman for that matter reading this book to not to fall in love with some of the things Eric says about Neil, or Eric himself, as I myself almost did. A very powerful read, but in parts can be hard to continue due to its content.

I would personally give this 5 stars, as it remains one of my favourite books even after reading it 4 times. As for the Film the fact that Joseph Gordon Levitt plays Neil makes it an instant win for me, but overlooking that, it is a very good translation from novel to film. And so would also get 5 stars.