“Bryan Fugal is a consummate filmmaker, fearless and diligent. From the start, writing this script was an act of courage. The film will be the first of his many triumphs.”
Long Haul is a coming-of-age road drama set in the world of American long-haul trucking. Bo, an ultra-conservative teen – based on filmmaker Bryan Fugal’s own life – goes on a cross-country delivery job with his estranged father. During the journey, the son struggles with his parents’ divorce and discovering that his father is gay.
Show Notes:
In the first block we meet Bryan (son) and Lawrence (father) Fugal. Bryan has written and is making the film The Long Haul. The film is about a young boy from a small, conservative LDS town who’s parents have recently gone through a divorce and his father has come out as gay. The film is semi-autobiographical, and they discuss their family events that led to the film. Lawrence grew up LDS, served a mission in the Phillipines, married and had children. After Bryan’s parents divorced, Lawrence came out as gay. Lawrence discusses his struggles growing up as LDS and gay. Bryan’s reactions and understanding of the divorce and his father coming out are also discussed.
The second block begins with more discussion of how Bryan and his siblings handled their father coming out. Bryan discusses the film and how the character of Bo in the film represents a combination of his sibling’s reactions to their father. They discuss the origins of the story and Bryan approaching his father about writing the story and making it into a film. Bryan discusses his time living with his father in California during Proposition 8. They begin a discussion about how the LDS policy on children of gay parents would have affected their family.
The third block continues the discussion about the Church policy on children of gay parents. Lawrence tells about leaving the LDS church and still supporting his children in the Church, leading to him becoming Episcopalian. The episode ends with the 3 questions.
Editors Note:
During the episode, the LDS policy on children of gay parents is discussed. For clarity, here is a link to the letter that was sent to Church leaders about the policy. If you have any questions about the specifics of this policy, please ask your local leader.
Links:
Official web site: LongHaulFilm.com
Interview with Elder D. Todd Christofferson on November 2015 policy on children of same-sex couples
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