The Laramie Project (DVD, 2002)

Well done docudrama about the small town where Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered because he was gay. Great real interviews and transcripts from actors portraying some of the towns people of Laramie Wyoming.

The format of this movie (and live play) is creative, in that it places the viewer into the shoes of the various players in the retelling of the tragic death of Matthew Shephard. For the un-informed (like Virginia Foxx of North Carolina) this movie can help bridge the gap between understanding hate crimes and the impact on society.

I have seen the play 2 times and I wanted to see the documentary and It is very well put together I think. I love it to death. One of my all time favorites!!!

This movie is about the tragic death of Matthew Shepard in October 1998. He was robbed and brutally beaten to death for being gay, he was 21 years old. It actally takes place after his death and the impact it had on the small community of Laramie, Wyoming, population 24,410. There is a star studded cast including Peter Fonda, Joshua Jackson, Laura Linney and Christina Ricci just to name a few. If you have not seen this film, it is well worth watching.

THIS MOVING IS VERY GOOD !!! IT IS VERY TOUCHING AND SAD.. I WOULD ADVISE EVERYONE TO WATCH THIS MOVIE...

i've seen it before and want to see it agian.. The story tells a powerful tale and reminds everyone that things are still around. i can't wait until it's shipped to me!

10 Years ago... Oct 12th, 1998 - Excellent way this movie was put together... Overall, I'd recommend that this Film should be shown to every middle school and High School class across the Nation. Let the world see how even today we still have so much HATE here in the United States and you can see the Bible thumper trying to say these KILLERS of a 21 year old gay male had done nothing wrong? Seems if this would have happened somewhere else in the world, The United States would be the first to jump on a white horse and bring everyone to justice.

Matthew Wayne Shepard (December 1, 1976 – October 12, 1998) was a gay American college student at the University of Wyoming who was murdered near Laramie on the night of October 6 – October 7, 1998. Shepard died at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins, Colorado, on October 12, 1998, from severe head injuries. His murder brought national as well as international attention to the issue of hate crime legislation at the state and federal levels.

Russell Arthur Henderson pleaded guilty to felony murder and kidnapping, allowing him to avoid the death penalty. Aaron James McKinney was convicted of felony murder and kidnapping. Henderson is currently serving two consecutive life sentences and McKinney is serving the same but without the possibility of parole.

Shortly after midnight on October 7, 1998, 21-year-old Shepard met McKinney and Henderson in a gay bar. McKinney and Henderson offered Shepard a ride in their car. Subsequently, Shepard was robbed, pistol whipped, tortured, tied to a fence in a remote, rural area, and left to die. McKinney and Henderson also found out his address and intended to rob his home. Still tied to the fence, Shepard was discovered eighteen (18)hours later by a cyclist, who at first thought that Shepard was a scarecrow. At the time of discovery, Shepard was still alive, but in a coma.

Shepard suffered a fracture from the back of his head to the front of his right ear. He had severe brain stem damage, which affected his body's ability to regulate heart rate, body temperature and other vital signs. There were also about a dozen small lacerations around his head, face and neck. His injuries were deemed too severe for doctors to operate. Shepard never regained consciousness and remained on full life support. As he lay in intensive care, candlelight vigils were held by the people of Laramie.

He was pronounced dead at 12:53 A.M. on October 12, 1998 at Poudre Valley Hospital in Fort Collins. Police arrested McKinney and Henderson shortly thereafter, finding the bloody gun as well as the victim's shoes and wallet in their truck.

The two men had attempted to get their girlfriends to provide alibis.

This film is intellectually and emotionally moving, making very important social commentary in a way that is strong but not threatening. This subject was, I'm sure, difficult to address and try to package neatly into a film, but I think they did a brilliant job.