Ash
Why was I keen to see “Freeheld”? Was it the star power of Julianne Moore and Ellen Page? Was it the current relevancy of the gay rights issue? Absolutely it was, and both were certainly present in the movie. Thus the film should have ticked all the boxes, right? Well, sort of. While mostly satisfying, director Peter Sollett has made a film that seems more intent on communicating a message than developing a story. And while promoting equality for the gay community is without doubt a worthy cause, Sollett would have done well to distribute the focus more evenly between the message he’s sending and the relationship that lies at the heart of the story. Unfortunately, that human story gets somewhat lost.
Based on real-life events, “Freeheld” stars Moore as Laurel Hester, a decorated New Jersey detective who is diagnosed with terminal cancer. As most people would, Laurel wants to leave her pension benefits to her partner, Stacie Andree (Page), however local county officials deny her request because the women aren’t a married straight couple. Michael Shannon co-stars Laurel’s hard-nosed colleague and Steve Carell plays gay rights activist Steven Goldstein, who join Laurel and Stacie in the fight for equality.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed this film. The performances were good and the finale was a tearjerker. But due to characters lacking in depth (and I should also acknowledge the disappointingly stereotypical “big loud gay Jew” played by Carell) the most poignant moment in the film came when the final credits rolled and the photos of the real life Laurel Hester and Stacie Andree were shown. The credits also drove home the currency of the issue, with same-sex marriage only made legal in the US this year. In that moment I was baffled as to how we, as a global society, can possibly be so far behind on this issue.
And that in itself probably proves that the film succeeded in achieving what it set out to do. Audiences will be satisfied and, despite some unsavoury character stereotypes, “Freeheld” is an enjoyable movie with a positive message and a moving story. At the end of the day, this is an important film in its own right and, while not perfect, is worth a watch.
