LATTER DAYS — * — Wesley A. Ramsey, Steve Sandvoss, Jacqueline Bisset; not rated, probable R (sex, profanity, nudity, vulgarity, violence).

It isn't only LDS filmgoers who should feel offended by "Latter Days." Gay filmgoers have reason to be miffed with the film's stereotypical characters and borderline offensive insinuations.

And even those who aren't immediately put off by the film's brazen attacks on religion — and in particular, the LDS Church — will likely be bored by this clumsy, incredibly contrived comedy, which has little charm.

The only real interest the film holds is seeing just how far it will go to fulfill its agenda — which is so heavy-handed you may feel like you've been pummeled by anti-religious pamphlets.

There's also the fascination at seeing what screen veterans Jacqueline Bisset and Mary Kay Place might do to elevate this material. But both are stuck in thankless supporting roles that don't afford them the opportunities they deserve.

"Latter Days" also features one of the least appealing and most unsympathetic lead characters in recent memory in Christian (Wesley A. Ramsey), a struggling actor who's waiting tables while he waits for his big break. To amuse himself, the sexually aggressive Christian has taken to seducing supposedly straight men. In fact, he's so good at it, his co-workers have bet that he can't work his "magic" on one newcomer to L.A. — naive LDS missionary Aaron Davis (Steve Sandvoss), who has just arrived from Idaho.

Elder Davis immediately rebuffs Christian's too-obvious advances, though he does try to befriend his new neighbor. And surprisingly, Christian begins enjoying the time the two spend together.

Where writer-director C. Jay Cox (screenwriter of "Sweet Home Alabama") takes this material won't exactly surprise anyone (not to spoil anything here, but Christian's attempts at seduction eventually succeed). And it's a toss-up as to which is worse — the supposed humorous scenes that are laughless or the supposed dramatic scenes that are laughable.

Not that the cast is any help. Lead actor Ramsey is stiff as a board, and the incredibly bland Sandvoss isn't much better. And what Bisset and Place (who plays Elder Davis' homophobic mother) are doing here is anyone's guess.

"Latter Days" is not rated but would probably receive an R for scenes of simulated gay sex and other sexual contact, occasional use of strong sexual profanity, male nudity, crude sexual talk and use of sexual slang, and some brief violence (a scuffle). Running time: 108 minutes.

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E-mail: jeff@desnews.com