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Plot Summary

The Falls: Testament of Love (2013) Plot Summary Explained

Release, runtime and language
2013 · 120 min · English
JustWatch #13,135 12
Directed by
Jon Garcia

Five years after a shared tragedy, former Mormon missionaries Benjamin and Nick are reunited in Oregon. Haunted by a past love affair and the loss they experienced together, they must confront the lingering pain and test the strength of their enduring connection as they navigate their complicated history.

On this page (6)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 What happens: full plot
  3. 3 Plot questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Movies like The Falls: Testament of Love
  6. 6 Every angle

Where to watch

Where to Watch The Falls: Testament of Love (2013)

Where can you watch The Falls: Testament of Love? Stream, rent or buy it in the US, including on FlixFling, Philo and Fawesome: current JustWatch availability with up-to-date prices.

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Full plot summary · contains spoilers

What Happens in The Falls: Testament of Love: Full Plot Summary

The whole story of The Falls: Testament of Love (2013) explained, from the opening scene to the final frame: every key event, every twist and what it all adds up to. Read it as a quick recap before the sequel, to check a scene you missed, or to finally understand what really happened.

Five years after their shared mission and road trip, Mormon missionaries RJ Smith and Chris Merrill, who fell in love, find themselves out of contact. Upon returning home, Chris was coerced into reparative therapy by his father, Noah, and subsequently married a woman and became a father. Now residing in Salt Lake City, he works as a pharmaceutical representative, leading a life in accordance with LDS values, convinced that he must repress his true self to achieve an eternal family in heaven.

On the other hand, RJ, having completed college, now works as a magazine editor in Seattle. Out and proud, he has been in a long-term relationship with Paul. Despite his new life, RJ cannot shake his religious upbringing, as he continues to pray and wear sacred undergarments. However, he also indulges in alcohol and coffee—activities considered forbidden. Still unable to forget Chris, he published a book detailing their relationship, oblivious to Chris's new life as a husband and father.

One day at work, RJ receives a call from Gloria, the mother of Rodney, a veteran he met during his mission whom he stayed in touch with. Gloria informs RJ of Rodney's passing, prompting him to attend the funeral. Coincidentally, Chris also decides to attend the service. When their paths cross at the graveside, Chris avoids eye contact and tries to leave without speaking to RJ. However, RJ insists they meet for closure, and Chris reluctantly agrees.

Their meeting is fraught with tension, with Chris appearing distinctly uncomfortable as he reveals he is a practicing Mormon with a family. RJ, frustrated, shares that he is dating Paul but they cannot reconcile their differences, leaving RJ to return home to a supportive Paul, who has prepared a loving dinner for him.

As both RJ and Chris grapple with their complicated emotions, old memories resurface. RJ gently ends his relationship with Paul, admitting he cannot give him what he needs. Meanwhile, Chris struggles with intimacy with his wife, Emily, after their encounter. Conflicted, he retreats to a mirror, grappling with feelings of self-loathing.

Driven by a mix of emotions, RJ impulsively decides to confront Chris about his marriage. He tells his boss he is writing an article about Salt Lake City and heads back there, yearning for closure regarding Chris's decision to cut ties. Upon arriving at Chris's home, he is met by Emily, who is unaware of Chris’s past and invites RJ in for dinner.

That night, Chris sneaks a note under RJ's door, and the two meet in a park the following day. Their conversation is strained, with Chris feeling trapped yet unable to voice it. Eventually, they regroup at RJ's hotel room, where Chris recounts his experience with reparative therapy. Apologetic, he provides RJ with the closure he sought, though it leaves RJ disheartened. They bid farewell with a hug, reminiscent of old friends.

Shortly after, Chris hosts a dinner with a Mormon couple, during which the man discusses church matters and alludes to their shared struggles with same-sex attraction, igniting Chris's fury. When the women return, it becomes evident that an argument has transpired, yet silence envelops the tension.

Later, during an evening out, Emily drives by RJ's hotel and spots Chris's car. She discovers the two men giving in to their passion, leading to a confrontation filled with betrayal. Chris then calls a family meeting to come clean about his sexuality, shocking his family. His father, initially supportive, ultimately demands a letter be written to inform family and friends of Chris's "sin."

As family tensions escalate, Chris's relationship with Emily deteriorates while his father shares his disdain. Chris admits to his mother that he feels love for RJ that transcends his marriage.

Afterward, at a 25th wedding anniversary gathering for Chris's parents, in a shocking turn of events, RJ bursts in and kisses Chris passionately, leaving the attendees in disbelief. With RJ returning to Seattle and Chris confronting the aftermath of his revelations, RJ receives a letter from Chris granting him forgiveness for the public display.

The film concludes with RJ's reflective voiceover, suggesting that while their relationship remains unresolved, it is far from over.

Last updated: October 25, 2024 at 09:40

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Plot questions answered

The Falls: Testament of Love Plot Explained: Your Questions Answered

The questions people ask most about The Falls: Testament of Love (2013): what happens in the confusing scenes, why the characters do what they do, the twists, hidden details and what the ending means. Each answer contains spoilers.

Q1

Why did Chris marry Emily when he was still in love with RJ?

Chris married Emily because his father coerced him into reparative therapy after their mission ended. The therapy forced him to suppress his true feelings and conform to traditional LDS values. Chris believed that marrying a woman and starting a family was his only path to an eternal family in heaven, so he chose to live a life that outwardly denied his sexuality, even though he still harbored deep feelings for RJ.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show Chris struggling with his identity during their mission, hinting at the internal conflict that would later drive his desperate attempt to conform.

  • chris merrill
  • emily
  • reparative therapy
  • forced marriage
  • lds values
Q2

What was reparative therapy and how did it affect Chris?

Reparative therapy was a controversial practice aimed at converting gay individuals to heterosexuality through religious and psychological intervention. Chris's father Noah coerced him into undergoing this therapy after their mission. The experience left Chris deeply conflicted, causing him to repress his true feelings and convince himself that denying his sexuality was necessary for salvation. Chris reveals to RJ that the therapy was traumatic and ultimately ineffective, as he still loved RJ despite trying to suppress it.

Foreshadowing: The timeline notes Chris's coercion into therapy immediately after returning home, establishing the pressure he faced.

  • reparative therapy
  • noah
  • conversion therapy
  • repression
  • sexuality
Q3

Why did RJ publish a book about their relationship without knowing about Chris's new life?

RJ published the book because he was still unable to forget Chris and wanted to process his feelings about their shared past. He had no knowledge that Chris had married Emily and started a family, as they had been out of contact for five years. The book was RJ's way of expressing his unresolved feelings while living openly in Seattle with Paul.

Foreshadowing: The summary establishes that RJ and Chris lost contact after their road trip, explaining why RJ was unaware of Chris's choices.

  • rj smith
  • book publication
  • paul
  • unresolved feelings
Q4

Why did RJ break up with Paul?

RJ ended his relationship with Paul because he realized he could not give Paul what he needed. Despite caring for Paul and having a supportive relationship, RJ's unresolved feelings for Chris prevented him from fully committing. He recognized that his heart was still with Chris, making it unfair to continue the relationship.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes show RJ's difficulty fully engaging with Paul while haunted by memories of Chris.

  • paul
  • breakup
  • rj feelings
  • emotional connection
Q5

What happened at Chris's parents' 25th wedding anniversary?

At the 25th wedding anniversary gathering, RJ made a dramatic appearance and publicly kissed Chris in front of all the guests. This passionate display shocked everyone in attendance, including Chris's family and the church community. The kiss represented a culmination of years of suppressed emotions and was RJ's bold statement of their relationship, despite the consequences.

Foreshadowing: The buildup includes their secret meeting, Emily's discovery, and Chris's struggle to reconcile his identity, all leading to this explosive moment.

  • anniversary party
  • public kiss
  • family reaction
  • church community
Q6

Why did Chris's father demand a letter be written about his sexuality?

After Chris came out to his family, his father Noah initially appeared supportive but soon demanded that Chris write a letter to inform family and friends about his "sin." This demand reflected the father's commitment to church doctrine and desire to control the narrative within their religious community. The letter represented a public condemnation of Chris's sexuality within their social sphere.

Foreshadowing: Noah's earlier coercion of Chris into reparative therapy establishes his role in pressuring Chris to conform to religious expectations.

  • noah
  • father
  • letter
  • church doctrine
  • family condemnation
Q7

What closure did Chris provide to RJ at their hotel meeting?

During their hotel meeting, Chris recounted his experience with reparative therapy and apologized for the pain his choices caused RJ. He acknowledged that he genuinely loved RJ but chose to prioritize his religious beliefs over their relationship. This honest admission provided RJ with the closure he sought, though it left RJ disheartened knowing Chris would not leave his life behind.

Foreshadowing: Their earlier tense park conversation shows Chris struggling to express his true feelings before this confession.

  • hotel meeting
  • apology
  • reparative therapy
  • closure
Q8

Why did Emily discover RJ and Chris together at the hotel?

Emily drove past RJ's hotel after noticing Chris's car was missing from their home. Filled with suspicion, she went to the hotel and discovered Chris and RJ together in a passionate moment. This confrontation shattered the facade of Chris's family life and marked a turning point in the story, leading to Chris's decision to come out to his family.

Foreshadowing: Earlier tension shows Emily sensing something was wrong during intimacy issues with Chris.

  • emily
  • discovery
  • affair
  • confrontation
Q9

What did Chris's letter to RJ at the end mean?

Chris's letter granted RJ forgiveness for the public display of their relationship at the anniversary party. While the kiss was controversial and caused upheaval in Chris's family, the letter suggested Chris did not resent RJ's actions. It signified ongoing complexity in their relationship and a sense of absolution, though their future remained uncertain.

Foreshadowing: The letter follows the emotional climax of the public kiss and Chris's subsequent family fallout.

  • forgiveness letter
  • resolution
  • relationship status
Q10

Does RJ and Chris's relationship get resolved by the end of the film?

The film ends with RJ's voiceover stating their relationship remains unresolved but is "far from over." While they share a passionate kiss and Chris sends a letter of forgiveness, they do not reunite or make definitive plans. The ending is bittersweet, suggesting their connection persists despite the obstacles of religion, family, and geography.

Foreshadowing: The entire narrative builds toward this ambiguity, neither fully committing to each other nor completely letting go.

  • ending
  • reunion
  • unresolved relationship
  • bittersweet
Q11

Why did Chris get angry during the dinner with the Mormon couple?

During the dinner, the Mormon man discussed church matters and alluded to shared struggles with same-sex attraction within the church community. This ignited Chris's fury because it highlighted the hypocrisy and pain of living a concealed life while others spoke casually about these struggles. The comment struck a nerve given Chris's own traumatic experience with reparative therapy and his hidden relationship with RJ.

Foreshadowing: Earlier scenes establish Chris's anger building from the tension of living a double life.

  • mormon couple
  • anger
  • church hypocrisy
  • same-sex attraction
Q12

What prompted Chris to come out to his family?

Chris decided to come out to his family after Emily discovered him with RJ at the hotel. The confrontation forced Chris to stop living a lie. He called a family meeting to reveal his true sexuality, hoping for acceptance. While some family members were initially supportive, his father soon demanded a letter condemning Chris's "sin," showing the complex and ultimately divided family response.

Foreshadowing: Emily's discovery serves as the catalyst, breaking the dam of Chris's accumulated secrets.

  • coming out
  • family meeting
  • emily discovery
  • revelation

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Falls: Testament of Love, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Falls: Testament of Love tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Movies about forbidden love like The Falls: Testament of Love

Intimate dramas of romantic passion clashing with oppressive social forces. If you were moved by the painful romance in The Falls: Testament of Love, explore other movies like it that delve into forbidden love, secret affairs, and the heavy emotional weight of relationships constrained by societal or religious pressures.

  • yearning
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • claustrophobic
  • painful
  • introspective
  • Tone: melancholic, tense, yearning
  • Pacing: slow, character-driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically follow characters grappling with a powerful romantic connection that exists outside the bounds of social acceptance. The narrative tension arises from the constant threat of exposure, the characters' internal struggles with shame or identity, and the sacrifices required to maintain even a fleeting connection, often culminating in a bittersweet or unresolved conclusion.

Why they belong together: Movies are grouped here for their shared focus on the specific emotional experience of a forbidden romance. They share a melancholic, tense mood, heavy emotional weight, and a central conflict where love is pitted against powerful external or internal obstacles like family, religion, or societal norms.

Movies about emotional reunions like The Falls: Testament of Love

Character-driven dramas where a reunion forces a confrontation with shared trauma. Discover films similar to The Falls: Testament of Love that explore the complex dynamics of reunions. These movies feature characters reconnecting after years apart, often burdened by a shared tragedy or a complicated past love, leading to tense, introspective, and emotionally heavy dramas.

  • introspective
  • painful
  • tense
  • melancholic
  • unresolved
  • yearning
  • Tone: melancholic, introspective, painful
  • Pacing: slow, reflective
Why these movies?

The story pattern: The narrative pattern involves characters being reunited after a significant time apart, often following a traumatic event or a painful separation. The story unfolds through a mix of present-day interactions and flashbacks, slowly revealing the details of their past. The central drama comes from whether they can overcome their history or if the wounds are too deep, frequently ending on an ambiguous or bittersweet note.

Why they belong together: These films are linked by their core plot device—the reunion—and the specific mood it creates: a blend of nostalgia, tension, regret, and painful introspection. They share a slow, deliberate pacing that allows for deep character exploration and a heavy emotional weight stemming from unresolved conflict.

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Every angle

The Falls: Testament of Love (2013) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Falls: Testament of Love in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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