Bart Fletcher left and Paul Preiss right
Dog Tags (2008) is a film that is well written and well directed with two principal actors who are able to take you on an emotional journey of their self discovery that lingers long after the closing credits have ended.
The use of imagery and the interloping of time sequences bring a unique cadence to the film that bubbles up into a powerful moving crescendo masked underneath the understated surface. The story has a gay theme but it transcends that and speaks into what is very human in us, our worth and our purpose.
Paul Preiss in Dog Tags
Paul Preiss as Nate Merritt is convincing as a new Marine recruit, who is searching for his birth father and finds himself tied to a fiancée who does not love him. He meets Bart Fletcher who plays Andy Forte, an openly gay man, who is an ill prepared father of an infant baby (from a drunken one night stand). Director/Writer Damion Dietz takes these two characters through life changing events that touch on friendship, gay relationships, fatherhood, betrayal, and the effects of war, tragedy and love.
It is through the quietness of this film that it has its power. There are no sweeping dramatic moments. However, you leave feeling affected in your heart, feeling more human, hopeful and thankful there are films like this still being made.
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Tasithoughts' Weblog 
Well, this was a good movie. I wouldn’t say great, well because I thought it was going to deal with being gay in the military. Instead, we have a film that deals with two guys and their emotional growth where one of them happens to be gay.
I really wanted to see the struggle of falling in love in the military, but with out the tragedy seen in Soldier’s Girl. I guess what we, Arthur and I, are waiting to see is a REALLY good love story. Without dealing with the coming out part, acceptance part, struggling with monogamy issues part or dying part.
Movies that came close to meeting what I consider a good love story are: Shelter (coming out issues), Trick, Big Eden (coming out issues), A four letter word (more of a fun comedy), Whirlwind (monogamy issues), Oh Happy Day and Adam & Steve (acceptance issues) to name a few.
I personally want to see a well made comedy love story or family story.
As for Dog Tag, a decent movie that had a gay character, but mostly dealt with a coming to age and finding oneself story.
Javier,
I appreciate your viewpoint and agree that there are still movies that need to be made about the particular subjects you mentioned. I like this movie as it stands on its own as a film in the way it treats it characters through a very layered plot line in spite of the gay sub theme. I love hearing you thoughts and always enjoy comments. When will you guys be down in the bay area?
JP