Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine

This is a film that attempts to portray Shepard as an ordinary young man who happened to become a lightning-rod figure. But most of all, it gives its characters - and its audience - a chance to reflect.

If the director wanted to rehumanize Shepard, she has succeeded. Her other goal, though worthwhile, was not so easy to accomplish: to make sense of a horrific event and move on.

Josue's film is not consistently effective in bridging her personal story with Shepard's well-known legacy, but there are striking moments that explore the limits of forgiveness.

The film doesn't so much answer questions as it does paint a much more complete portrait of the beauty and wonder that was Matthew Shepard.