gbkmmaurstad
A biography based on the lives of police detective, Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) and her domestic partner mechanic, Stacie Andree (Ellen Page). When Laurel is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer after 23 years on the force she wants Stacie to have her pension after she dies. They soon find out that pensions can only be inherited by spouses, not by domestic partners.If you've ever been on the fence about gay marriage this is a realistic view of why it has become law in so many states. Regardless of your views on the topic, it will give the viewer insight to a lifestyle you may not have, but may help you understand those who do a little bit better. This film many not be for young viewers, but anyone old enough to date should see this film.
gradyharp
FREEHELD is a film that matters, a well acted and directed paean to a real life story of a lesbian couple and their fight for equal rights. Writer Ron Nyswander and director Peter Sollett have transformed the Oscar winning documentary into a deeply moving cry for equality for LGBT citizens. The film is made more worthy by the intensely dramatic performances by Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon and Steve Carell and a supporting cast that is spot on.This is first and foremost a love story between New Jersey police lieutenant Laurel Hester and her younger somewhat pugnacious domestic partner Stacie Andree). We witness Laurel's fine performance as a policeman who meets Stacie at a volleyball match and their love develops into a lasting one: their register as Domestic Partners. Laurel develops lung cancer, Stage 4, and must endure chemo and radiotherapy. Concerned about Stacie and the house they have reconstructed together, Laurel seeks her pension to be given to Stacie when the cancer wins. However the county officials, Freeholders, conspire to prevent Laurel from doing this. Hard-nosed detective and Laurel's work partner Dane Wells, and gay activist Steven Goldstein, unite in Laurel and Stacie's defense, rallying police officers and ordinary citizens to support their struggle for equality.At times the script becomes overly saccharine but because of the performances by the four leads the story hits you in the gut and the heart. It is a deeply moving film and one that deserves wide attention, especially during this time when the struggle for gay rights is changing the public perception of equality.
leonblackwood
Review: Although this movie is about an emotional true story, I must admit, I found it slightly boring. I thought that there was going to be much more depth to the touching subject matter but it seemed to skip from one scene to the next, once Laurel Heater (Julianne Moore) was diagnosed with Cancer. The love story between Laurel and her partner, Stacie Andree (Ellen Page), was sweet and I liked the fact that the tough cop, Laurel, fell for such a innocent young girl but the courtroom drama wasn't in the same league as Philadelphia. With that aside, the performances are top class, especially from Julianne Moore, and the outcome of Laurels uphill battle, to fight for gay equality, was truly amazing. I'm glad that the director added some wit, with Steve Carell's character, Steve Goldstein, because the movie needed a bit of a pick-up after a while. Michael Shannon also added great support to Laurel and when the officers showed up to her hearing and gave her there sick days, it was an emotional moment. The main problem with the whole film is that it seemed a bit rushed, towards the end and you don't get to hear much from Laurel, even though everyone is fighting for her partner to get her pension. Anyway, it's a watchable movie which does have some touching moments but I still think that this amazing true story, could be told much better. Average!Round-Up: Although this movie received some good reviews, it still suffered a big lose at the box office, which is a shame because the subject matter is brilliant. The movie was directed by Peter Sollett, who also brought you Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist and an episode of the new Martin Scorsese/Mick Jagger series, Vinyl. The movie was written by Ron Nyswaner, who also wrote Philadelphia in 1993, so the subject matter must be close to his heart. I personally had high hopes for this film but I felt a bit let down with the final product, especially as the director had some great actors to work with. Budget: $7million Worldwide Gross: $600,000 (Terrible)I recommend this movie to people who are into their biography/drama/romance movies starring Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon, Steve Carell, Josh Charles, William Sadler and Luke Grimes. 5/10
David M Farrington
It's 2002 and we open on
No, wait, it's 2003 now. A year has gone by and
No, wait, she's typing "as per the law enacted in 2005" now but only a month has seemed to pass in the story and
Oh, screw it! I can't keep up anymore. Freeheld, the new movie from director Peter Sollett and Oscar nominated writer Ron Nyswaner, is a relevant film with a discussion about LGBTQ equality that must be had, though it has suddenly become not so relevant. The message is the star of the film and it seems as if Sollett and Nyswaner rushed to make the movie in time forgetting that at heart they are storytellers. They defaulted to the use of clichéd dialogue and stereotypical archetypes, mostly wasting the talents of a stellar cast to release a film that could have had so much more impact if seen just four months earlier, before the SCOTUS decision on Marriage Equality. What they forgot in their haste is that if the story is not told well, we become lost and the thematic elements become insignificant as we just don't care.Freeheld tells the moving true story of Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore/Still Alice, Boogie Nights), a highly decorated detective of the Ocean County, New Jersey Police Department who was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer. Closeted at work in order to...Check out the full review on David 'n the Dark! https://davidnthedark.wordpress.com/2015/10/12/too-cliche-and-too- quick-to-care/
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