Freeheld (2015)

It's better than it has a right to be.Two women -- Moore and Page -- fall in love and move into a house in Ocean County in southern New Jersey. Moore is a detective on the police force and Page works as a mechanic. Well, southern New Jersey is not the New York metropolitan area nor a raffish suburb of Philadelphia. It's not exactly hick country either, not since the highways made it possible to commute to the cities, but it still retains some of its quaint charm. Ocean County includes the pine barrens, a sandy country of stunted pines, prickly pear cactus, and copper colored shallow creeks, a broad portion of leftover coastal plain. It's the only state home of the New Jersey pine snake (Putuophis m.melanoleucus), a tough specimen of which I was happy and proud to catch and release.Where was I? I do wish you'd stop interrupting my train of thought. Pretty soon I'll offer to show you where I store my specimens. Yes, so anyway Moore and Page have a happy household and eventually Moore's partner on the police force, Michael Shannon, comes around to accepting this unusual ménage. But then it is discovered that Moore has incurable lung cancer. Despite treatment she gets sicker and sicker and decides to leave her police pension to Page. Uh-oh. The couple aren't man and wife, just "domestic partners." Moore's employers at the police department are uncertain about the deal so the matter is referred to the Ocean County Board of Selectmen or Aldermen or Freeholders or whatever they are. They demur.The rest of the movie is taken up with Moore's search for what she calls equality, not special privilege, but the case is sensationalized by the media and all kinds of people with all kinds of motives show up at the Board meetings. Among the most impressive of these visitors is Steve Carrell as a hyperenergetic New York gay Jew who prances around leading chants and calling everyone "Sweetheart." Nothing in the movie comes as much of a surprise. There is anger and confusion. A few locals support the cause, the Selectmen are afraid it will cost them votes to hand the pension over to Page, Shannon is stalwart in his support, and sooner or later the anticipated happens. The direction by Peter Sollett is unobtrusive. Moore gives an excellent performance as usual. She sickens credibly. I groan with delight whenever Ellen Page speaks. There is no other such offhand voice, no matter what the subject. But, alas, she's not given much chance to exercise her acting chops. For most of the movie she trudges around wearing a face like the mask of tragedy, as if she'd just been told they stopped serving breakfast at eleven. It never changes. If this were fiction and her name could be made up, it would be Delores not Stacie. Michael Shannon is surprisingly effective. He's beetle-browed and hardly handsome but he brings an everyman quality to his roles precisely because he doesn't seem to be an actor. His underplaying added considerable power to his role as a schizophrenic in "Take Shelter."I said initially that it was better than it had a right to be. What I meant was that it wasn't sicklied over with the ghoulish cast of excessive piteousness. Think what could have been done with this adult flick if it had appeared as a drama on Lifetime Movie Network.

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.

'FREEHELD': Five Stars (Out of Five)A low-budget drama flick; based on the Oscar winning 2007 documentary short film (of the same name), by filmmaker Cynthia Wade. It tells the story of a veteran New Jersey police officer, named Laurel Hester, and her struggle to pass on her pension benefits, to her life partner Stacie Andree; after Laurel was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The movie stars Julianne Moore, Ellen Page, Michael Shannon and Steve Carell; Page also served as a producer on the film. It was directed by Peter Sollett (who also helmed 2008's 'NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST' and 2002's 'RAISING VICTOR VARGAS') and it was scripted by Ron Nyswaner (who also wrote 1993's acclaimed gay rights-courtroom drama flick 'PHILADELPHIA'). I absolutely love this film!Laurel Hester (Moore) was a police officer, in Ocean County, New Jersey, for 23-years. Then she was diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. She attempted, many times, to pass on her pension benefits; to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree (Page), but failed. Laurel got a lot of support, in her battle; from Stacie, her partner Dane Wells (Shannon) and (the founder of Garden State Equality) Steve Goldstein (Carell). Many more, also rose to the occasion; to help Laurel. The movie starts out as a very touching romance, then it changes to a tragic cancer battle story, and then it concludes as a very passionate courtroom drama flick! The movie works, on all three fronts; and it works very well. The directing is superb, the story is very moving, and the performances are all phenomenal. Moore and Page are great, in the first half of the film, then they take a little bit of a backseat to Shannon (who is fantastic in the movie as well). Carell is also hilarious comic relief. The movie works, in all ways, but it's especially inspiring; and it's also (definitely) a good tearjerker.Watch our movie review show 'MOVIE TALK' at: https://youtu.be/A1MyBFioKXM

This film tells the story of a well respected and very competent police officer in New Jersey, who fights against the county to give her pension to her partner after she is diagnosed with terminal cancer.It is really beyond me that "Freeheld" is not getting any award nominations. It is way more touching, captivating and engrossing than the other film that is getting a lot of attention. Julianne Moore is superb in the film. Steve Carell is very good as well, he is likable as the flamboyant activist. The story is so touching that I literally kept reaching out for tissues to wipe my tears and blow my nose. I thoroughly enjoyed the film!