The Falls 2012

RJ Smith is a young man raised in a small Idaho town, deeply rooted in his Mormon faith and family life, where a two-year church mission after high school is the expected path. He shines in sports, especially wrestling, and has kept a long relationship with his girlfriend for three years. The church’s code of conduct forbids sex outside marriage, so their closeness remains mostly chaste, with only light affection. A chance encounter in a park exposes him to a reality his faith hasn’t prepared him for: same-sex attraction. The revelation unsettles him, but the church’s teachings paint such desires as sin, threatening eternal consequence. He chooses to bury what he discovers, attempting to move forward, even as the question continues to simmer beneath the surface.

RJ departs for missionary training in Utah, where he meets a blend of naiveté and determination. He’s paired with a more seasoned missionary, Chris Merrill, whose father holds a high position within church leadership. The duo is assigned to the Portland area and shares a modest apartment, navigating the rhythm of daily discipline, study, and outreach. Chris explains the rigid schedule and expectations, yet his tone remains protective and supportive, easing RJ into the demanding life of proselytizing. Their mission unfolds through the usual channels: bicycling through urban streets, knocking on doors, and offering copies of the Book of Mormon to anyone who will listen. The work is exhausting and frequently unrewarding, with rejection weighing heavily in every busy street corner.

Among their encounters is a Marine veteran named Rodney, a man scarred by war and haunted by a traumatic past. Rodney isn’t initially inclined toward religion, but the pair manage to introduce him to the faith in a way that feels respectful and patient. Their visit leads to a dinner invitation from a man who claims to be investigating the church. After sharing a meal, the conversation shifts to contested church history, and the man challenges the integrity of their leadership, accusing the prophet of disturbing acts. Chris’s temper flares in the face of the accusation, and the evening ends with the two missionaries returning to their apartment unsettled and under a cloud of doubt.

That disruptive incident marks a turning point. Chris begins to drift away from the strict rules that once defined their mission, appearing disengaged and more like someone merely going through the motions. The flame of missionary zeal flickers as RJ grows worried about their dwindling commitment. A dinner out turns tense again when a drunken man, harboring a grudge against the church, misreads their calm exchange as homosexual flirting. A tense walk home leads to a confrontation, RJ defending his companion with quiet resolve. Back at the apartment, the mood lightens with a joke, but the bruised hesitation remains.

That night, RJ lies beside his sleeping partner and feels a tender intensity toward him, yet he remains bound by the church’s strict code. The emotional tension intensifies as they walk in a secluded area near railroad tracks, where Chris opens up about doubt, temptation, and fear. RJ attempts to deflect, but the moment changes as Chris leans in for a kiss, and what follows is a mutual, overwhelming confession of love. They give in to their feelings and begin a secret, intimate relationship, which reshapes their entire mission. Their work slows as they prioritize one another, though they continue to support the Marine veteran, [Rodney], who shares his own stories of loss and escape through companionship and, at times, substances that offer temporary solace.

Their bond does not go unnoticed for long. The zone leader eventually returns to their unlocked apartment and discovers them together in bed. RJ is sent home in disgrace, forced to confront the fracture between his identity and the life he had tried to live within the church’s rules. He faces his father, his former girlfriend, and church leaders—angry and expectant—challenging their harsh judgments and expressing a growing resolve to live openly and honestly. RJ does not apologize for his feelings; instead, he asserts a commitment to truth and self-acceptance, even if it costs him everything he once believed.

The fall from mission life does not erase the connections that shaped them. Chris, influenced by his father’s perspective, completes his mission and maintains contact with RJ through letters, hinting at a fragile continuity that stretches beyond their immediate circumstances. In a quietly hopeful turn, RJ envisions a future that remains connected to Chris, planning a three-month road trip across the American West to explore what lies ahead together, with a sense that love and honesty might offer a broader, truer path than the one they had followed before.

In the end, the film presents a tempered, determined portrait of two young men navigating faith, identity, and the pull of genuine connection. Their story unfolds with empathy and restraint, inviting viewers to consider how belief, love, and personal truth can coexist in a landscape of uncertainty and change.