When Ben’s (Christopher Howell) sister suddenly dies, he has to step up the plate and return home to take care of his bed-ridden mother. The moment he steps back inside the family home in some god-forsaken rural town that he left for the bright lights of N.Y. some 20 years ago, the reasons he was in such a hurry to get out of there, all come rushing back.
He has an uneasy relationship with his mother (Cinda McCain) now not helped by her new found love of God and she castigates him on his sexuality whenever she can. Then there is the case of the two broken hearts he had left behind. Lori (Caitlin Nicol-Thomas) was, and still is literally the girl next door and always carried a big torch for Ben. What she didn’t know was the fact that he was gay and the one keeping his torch burning (so to speak) was none other than her closeted brother Joe (James J. Fuertes).
Lor meanwhile had tried marriage which hadn’t worked out so was back renting her parents old house, but Joe however having forsaken men, was still married. Seeing his old lover again stirred up feelings for both men but the question was would Joe ever give up his wife for Ben, and would Ben ever give up the high-life of NY for a life with Joe. Turns out neither of them were actually happy at all with their current lot, and so it soon became a pretty fast drawn conclusion how this was all going to end up. And of course, Lori would have to resign herself to always being the single girl-next-door.
Crazy All These Years is the debut feature from writer/director Jeff Swafford and whilst it may pack no real punches in the way of a story line, it is well executed with a talented and credible cast and makes for a perfect date movie ….especially with someone you may want to re-kindle a fire with that you put out in your youth.
