THE POPCORN REEL FILM REVIEW/"Saving Marriage"
Making Marriage A Mockery By Denying It To Some Americans
By
Omar P.L. Moore/November
14, 2008
"Saving Marriage", a documentary by Mike Roth and John Henning is a agonizing
and painstaking look at the repeated attempts by conservative groups to deny
same-sex couples the right to marry in Massachusetts. Seven such couples
sued the state of Massachusetts declaring a right to marry, and the battle and
journey of their struggle is chronicled here as the Massachusetts State
legislature votes on whether to amend its constitution to limit marriage only to
one man and one woman. Given what has happened recently in California,
"Saving Marriage", which has been playing in several U.S. cities and will open
and expand in others this month and beyond, is an apropos film.
As one watches the three-year fight unfold, beginning in 2003 -- a fight which
swings back and forth like a pendulum for gay and lesbian couples -- one can't
help feeling the anguish and elation these couples endure. The film
features a gay candidate for the Massachusetts state senate, gay marriage
activist Anne Hunt, gay rights lobbyist Arline Isaacson and others. Each
expresses frustration, sorrow and anger at the lack of equal protection by the
state where marriage is concerned and make logical and plausible arguments to
justify their positions, while those opposing marriages of same-sex couples
appear to make their arguments based more on fear and interpretations of the
Bible rather than anything rooted empirically or cogently.
There are painful episodes, confrontations between pro-gay marriage and anti-gay
marriage camps, and moments where triumph endures but only after a sustained
struggle. The film features some impassioned floor speeches pro and con
from Massachusetts state legislators about same-sex marriage, a topic which
continues to bitterly divide the United States, which at this point has only two
states (Connecticut and Massachusetts) that allow same-sex marriage. Many
countries, including England and parts of Canada, allow same-sex marriage.
Mr. Roth and Mr. Henning's film leaves an impression that change grinds as
slowly as the flow of molasses, although by the end of the documentary, while
some have local sports teams on the brain, at the very least the disinterested
are capable of weighing in on a subject that they probably spend little time
thinking about.
"Saving Marriage" examines the process without attacking what are seen as
"conventional" marriages, although the filmmakers could have used the ammunition
if they so desired. Perhaps wisely, they stick to the very personal
stories of Americans who just want the right to be happy and free. They
also do not focus on the federal legislation decree signed by Democratic
president Bill Clinton in 1996 entitled the Defense of Marriage Act, which
states that marriage is defined as a union between one man and one woman.
The ride we take in "Saving Marriage" has all the characteristics of a roller
coaster. The film is ultimately a referendum about what it means to be
American. Do we have the freedoms as a country as a whole if one segment
(previously blacks and whites marrying) of the society is prevented by any
state's government from marrying? Are we truly free collectively as a
people if this prevention occurs? "Saving Marriage" implicitly leaves us
with this question, and it is a wise one to ponder long after the film is over.
"Saving Marriage" is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America
for brief strong language. The film's duration is one hour and 30 minutes.
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