The Laramie Project

The bottom line is the piece works brilliantly.

The Laramie Project is not really about Matthew Shepard but about this question of identification with Matthew, and of identification with the larger community of Laramie that admitted, sustained, eliminated, grieved, and civilly avenged Matthew.

A fascinating chorus of outrage and sadness, hatred and hope.

Though well-intentioned, dealing with the relevant issues of hate crimes and gay bashing, artisticaly speaking, Moises Kaufman's film, the opening night of 2001 Sundance Fest, is quite disappointing.

a potent, thought-provoking drama that offers insight not only into Shepard's case, but into the changing attitudes of Americans in general.

questions our basic humanity, and gives an accurate picture of the current state of affairs of tolerance in America's schizoid version of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

It's a compelling and horrifying story, and The Laramie Project is worthwhile for reminding us that this sort of thing does, in fact, still happen in America.

Kaufman creates an eerie sense of not only being there at the time of these events but the very night Matthew was killed.