TJJP is truly a gem! So fed up was I of films with bad endings, sad stories, awful developments, that to watch this journey was a real find. Everything is very simple in the tale, naiveté is the name of the game. I guess that if more gay films had these sensitivity audiences would flow. Nothing is forced in this simple story of a boy arriving in the big city and finding his way through it, having to decide between the eternal dilemma of love and money. Maybe what gave me such a good feeling in the tale is the protagonist, played by Casey Spears. He mixes such a great gentleness in a cute body you feel immediately sympathetic towards him. The fact that Casey made so little films after this is a proof that he was simply being himself, what adds to the film. The rest of the cast is not bad, having some highlights like Steve Tyler the spoiled son of Jarred patroness,. In the end, you will feel blissful after watching the Journey of Jarred Price, a film that deserves being watched multiple times.

I have been harsh in my scoring of this film because I know it couldn't have been easy to make for the money but what lacks here to satisfy the viewer is a comprehensively decent narrative. This film stands as a record of gay film making in 2001 and yet sadly and portentously has given birth to a plethora of US gay titles that probably saw this film as the ceiling of what could be achieved for gay film and that other film makers have chosen to poorly copy or make less inspiring or aspirant films.That said obviously it was a good lesson for the writer/director - he went on to win an Oscar for a film that did break through that glass ceiling (but let us hope that this was not just down to a much bigger budget by several degrees of magnitude nor solely because of a great cast or director because gay film in 2010 and beyond needs to get better and reach further.) With the knowledge that Dustin went onto write and win that Oscar for MILK and looking at this film I wonder if it isn't more autobiographical than we think? Ten out of ten for progressing on from this first stab at a film, it was a valiant effort but just not enough for me to fully embrace it. But essentially thanks Dustin for persevering and writing MILK. Oh and my god you're good looking!

This sweet, simple story on the surface is about the coming of age of a small town youth in the big city. But at its heart is the very honest, rarely touched upon tale of a young man struggling with the pressures and realities of first love in an environment where issues of the heart can often be tainted by lust and greed. Although the production values are low, and the setups simple, for the most part, the performances and themes are fresh and compelling.

I've seen "The Journey of Jared Price" twice now, and the second time I became convinced that I was watching one of the worst movies ever made. It's like watching a train wreck-hideous and fascinating at the same time. The acting is hopelessly amateurish, the dialogue is painfully bad (particularly the monologue on the meaning of the word "partner"), and the plot is predictable and condescending. If this is the state of gay movies in the year 2001, then we've taken a huge step back. What ever happened to good movies, like "Beautiful Thing," "Get Real," and "Edge of Seventeen"?