During the first two movies in this trilogy, writer/director Jon Garcia ensured that we really connected to the two young gay Mormon missionaries who were the protagonists, so that we became completely invested in the outcome of their on/off relationship. Now with Covenant of Grace, the third and last part of their story, we will discover if they will finally live happily ever after.
It is a year on since we last met them and RJ (Nick Ferrucci) is single again and trying to write his next book up in Portland, whilst Chris (Benjamin Farmer) is still in Utah, has been divorced from Emma his wife and now shares custody of his daughter the love of his life. The two men agree to meet up in Portland to see if there is any possibility of re-kindling their relationship, and discuss a new edict that the Mormon church has just issued. However RJ is no longer a practicing Mormon, and Chris is still in the closet, and so the Churches new ruling to ban baptisms of children from LGBT families has them arguing quite violently, and they part on bad terms.
Then unexpectedly Chris’s mother dies and RJ and his father fly to Utah for the funeral. They initially receive a frosty welcome from Chris’s father Noah (Bruce Jennings) who is a member of Church’s hierarchy the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who strongly disapproves of same-sex relationships, but then he has an enormous change of heart once he sees that for the very first time how very happy Chris is now that RJ is there.
Garcia writes a very compelling love story and just as in the first two ‘Falls’ movie the chemistry between his talented, and two very hot, lead actors makes the piece really sizzle. Watching them working hard to find a way to make their relationship succeed against all odds makes for cozy, feel-good romance that will definitely sit well with fans of the ‘trilogy”. The timing of the movie is also quite perfect as in real life the Church of Latter Day Saints struggles with trying to evolve on the issue of sexuality which goes against their ingrained ultra conservative beliefs. It is still some time away from one of the Twelve Apostles inner circle actually pleading for them to question their spirituality to be able to fully accept LGBT members into the Church.
Related articles on The Falls, and The Falls : Testament of Love
