The Freedom to Marry

As a college student I found this movie fantastically interesting and inspiring. Becoming an adult in a world as struggling as this one can seem overwhelming and scary. The Freedom to Marry is a film that makes change seem possible. It shows how each action that seems like just a drop in the bucket does make a difference and can when people come together and fight for something as ubiquitously precious as love, they can't be held back. The film is a triumph for love, empowering change, and understanding humanity that makes me, a college student, driven to improve this country and the world. In other words - can't recommend it enough.

The Freedom to Marry (2016) is a documentary directed by Eddie Rosenstein. Now, the right of people to have a same-sex marriage is simply part of our culture. It's hard to remember that this right came only after a very recent Supreme Court ruling (June 2015).

In the years to come, young people will assume that African-Americans could always ride in the front of the bus, and that race or religion would not bar anyone from becoming President. However, these rights that we take for granted were all won by people who kept pushing for them over many years.

This movie shows us the struggle for same-sex marriage that went on for years before the Supreme Court ruling. Two major players were activist Evan Wolfson and attorney Mary Bonauto.

The movie brings us face-to-face with both Wolfson and Bonauto, as well as with many people who were key supporters, although their roles were somewhat less prominent.

There's no recreated footage in this film. We see interviews with many people, especially Wolfson and Bonauto and we see important meetings, conferences, and strategy sessions, which were filmed on the spot, and then used in the movie.

I think it's important for any interested person--straight or in the LGBTQ community--to see this film and learn from it. What started as a (literally) impossible dream, ended in a historical victory. However, this victory didn't come from hoping and wishing. It came from hard, strategic efforts on the part of many, many people.

We saw this movie at Rochester's excellent Little Theatre. Any movie works better on the large screen, but this one will work almost as well on the small screen. Find it and see it!

You might be tired of the LGBT hoopla over the last few years, but you might be curious about the history of the movement that led to outlawing the banning of gay marriages just last year, thanks to The Supreme Court. The Freedom to Marry is a first-rate doc about the activities leading up to that monumental decision.

Evan Wolfson occupies the prime spot in this comprehensive and accessible recounting of the struggle between liberal and conservative believers about gay marriage. The doc takes an almost neutral stance, letting supporters of the gay movement and the defense of traditional marriage duke it out. Because most of the shots are of supporters, the testimony of the opposition takes a starring role too, so necessary in any doc or debate on such an incendiary topic.

Director Eddie Rosenstein takes a moderate approach as he concentrates on the drama leading up to the SCOTUS decision rather than beating us up with the liberal agenda. As charismatic as Wolfson is, Mary Bonauto, who argues the case in front of the Court, is cool and efficient, and of course successful. One of the finest sequences shows her listening to the recorded trial and stopping the recording to comment on her testimony. Although she does not brag about her part in any way, her sheer competence comes out regardless.

If you're a history buff, you will enjoy the accurate arc of success several years out. If you are a liberal who gets off on great movements like this, you will not be disappointed. If you are a cinephile, you will delight in the doc craftsmanship integrating talking heads with historical footage for a complete film siding with the tide of humanitarian sympathy for freedom of expression characteristic of the U.S.A.

One of those disgusting and perverted things that causes enormous damage to our children. The far left side schooling that serves only for destroying the institution of family and youth as we know! The results of these perversions are visible all around us!

Don't let THEM to brainwash your kids!!!

KEEP THEM SAFE!!!

One of those disgusting and perverted things that causes enormous damage to our children. The far left side schooling that serves only for destroying the institution of family and youth as we know! The results of these perversions are visible all around us! KEEP YOUR CHILDREN SAFE!

Even if you don't love docs, and even if you aren't involved in gay issues - see this film. It's really a great ride, and super inspirational. Some friends took us to see it at the Savannah Film Festival. It definitely wasn't my first choice of a film to see. I wanted to see a fiction film, to be honest. But boy am I glad we went! As they say in the old commercials, "I laughed, I cried." I know it went on to win best documentary at Savannah. I hope it wins a lot more awards. Deserves it.