Freeheld (2015)

Directed by: Peter Sollett

Written by: Ron Nyswaner

Starring: Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, & Michael Shannon







Michael Shannon is all over the big screen this week.  First 99 Homes and now Freeheld.  You go Shannon!

Freeheld is about Laurel Hester (Moore), a cop who is also a closeted lesbian.  She's been on the force for twenty-something years and no one knows.  She's worked her ass off to get to where she is today and she feels that by letting out her secret it can all come crashing down.  Unfortunately, her life does come crashing down, but not because she's a lesbian, but because she gets cancer.  Once she realizes that she's going to die, she wants her domestic partner Stacie Andree (Page) to have her pension.  But because they are not married and are only domestic partners, this is easier said than done.  Both women fight for equality with the help of Dane Wells (Shannon), Hester's partner (cop wise), and Steven Goldstein (Steve Carell), a gay Jewish activist for gay marriage.

I liked almost everything about this movie, except Carell.  To me Carell playing a gay Jewish activist was not believable.  He seemed like he was trying too hard to be gay or maybe I've seen him in too many straight roles.

The film is overall good.  It starts off a little slow with Hester and Andree getting to know one another and falling in love, but once Hester develops cancer it speeds up.  I do, though, think it is necessary for the audience to see how their relationship developed in the beginning because we get a sense of what both women are fighting for in the end.

I think if you have seen Still Alice, where Moore is also sick, you may not be as emotional towards this film as it was intended.  I just hope Moore can stop playing the sick roles soon.  I mean she's good at them, but still.  Haha, still, get it?

Anyway, 4 popcorns.