Lionsgate
It’s often difficult to divorce the social importance of an “issue” film from the quality of the work itself. It seems churlish to slag something that’s clearly a story that’s worth telling, even one reasonably well told, for failing to live up to whatever criteria one holds for quality of story, performance, etc.
What’s undeniable is that, for Americans at least, Freeheld is an important film. It comes at a time when the national dialogue about gay marriage, inequality, and social justice is taking place in real time. For many, including this Canadian, these issues are long settled, but in a country where just this week a Clerk was jailed for refusing to do her job and allow couples to marry, and in so doing became an international story, it’s clear there’s a long way to go.
The story of Freeheld starts much earlier, long before the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark rulings. It involves a hardworking cop names Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) who remains closeted even from her cop partner, just keeping her head (and her Farrah Fawcett locks) down as she gets on with her gig. At a volleyball game out of town she meets Stacie Andree (Ellen Page), an auto mechanic, and after a brief and awkward courtship the two form a close bond.
They buy a house, they get a dog, and from there the story turns more tragic – Hester gets cancer, and it’s realized that her benefits will not be transferable to her partner, despite the formal civil union the two are legally bound by. From there it turns into a kind of courtroom drama, with outside agitators coming in to help out, and the quiet cop becoming a cause célèbre in the community.
The real-life story laid the foundation for the changing of many laws (and perspectives of fellow cops), and the film does its best not to simply be a by-the-numbers tale of tragedy and triumph. Much of the film’s success can be attributed to the lead performances – both Moore and Page are excellent, entirely believable as they play out their affection on screen. There’s nothing shocking or ribald about their love, and that’s part of the film’s underlying message – it’s preposterous to think of this as anything other than a marriage like any other, insulting to delegate it to different-but-equal status and deny rights. But logic, of course, rarely plays into situations like these, and those predisposed to the so-called “other” point of view (you know, “wrong”) may find the film little more than propaganda.
Hopefully even those with strong objections during the current debate will find their hearts softened slightly by this portrayal, recognizing that regardless of whatever label they’re comfortable ascribing that this is clearly a relationship that’s strong and true. That’s unlikely to be the case, but like Philadelphia and the issue of HIV the film may be mainstream enough about a taboo topic to open up discussion for those who don’t yet have the tools to engage in that discourse.
So as a film Freeheld has its fine moments – a Yarmulked Steve Carell is a hoot, with an explosive entrance that soon showcases his deft ability to somehow be both over-the-top and wonderfully subtle. It’s easy for his character to be mere caricature, and he manages, in ways not always obvious, to do these little things while giving a lot, providing some stellar moments of quiet within a in-your-face portrayal. Michael Shannon brings his trademark lock-jawed, quiet rage to screen, something that I still haven’t tired of even if it does make me pine for his Boardwalk Empire days.
Yet the film, of course, centers on Page and Moore, and the combination is quite extraordinary. They pull off the connection without resorting to dew-eyed fawning or saccharine cooing, instead feeling completely natural in their levels of love, frustration, and compassion. We’ve seen cancer on film a gazillion times before, but Moore plays her illness with a defiance that’s palpable.
The film has plenty going for it, yet for those jaded viewers who will justifiably feel they’ve seen it all before it may be fair to remember that it may not really be targeted at them (turn to the identically-titled documentary that inspired the film instead, perhaps). For a less cynical audience, however, one that enjoys tear-jerking dramas with a bit of social justice-bite, Freeheld will certainly deliver.
The Upside: Timely; strong performances; compelling story; wonderful dynamic between the two leads
The Downside: Feels like we’ve seen this before, can’t believe this is even still up for debate
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