Customer Reviews

Saving Marriage

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The film is amazing---having lived through these events in Massachusetts, I can't thank Mike and John enough for capturing the energy and passionate the engulfed an entire state and country. While the film does an excellent job telling the story in a very tight and concise way, this battle went on for years----and the film is edited in a way that shows that progression perfectly.

A must see for people who live in places where it's easy to say "it couldn't happen here" or "of course that happened in Massachusetts"----this will make you see it wasn't quite so easy there either.

I'm a very private, non-politically vocal individual. Given that, I must say - gay or straight - this film illuminates the emotional undercurrent of the gay marriage issue on many levels. Beyond the political talking points (which are engaging and amusing in and of themselves), the film points to what it means to have the allowance of marriage as a "goal" or "purpose" in a relationship at all ... and how that resonates in a person's life.

The film is incredibly well made, beautifully shot, tightly edited/structured ... and just flat out blew me away as a shining example of what intelligent and evocative film-making can be. Everyone should see this film. Especially those who are so vehemently opposed to the issue. Everything is quite fairly laid out ... not overly condemning one way or the other.

A wide exposure of this film would create a more productive and human conversation on the topic so we could collectively move forward as a society without such judgment and fear. Congrats to all involved!

after seeing this documentary a couple times, i can say it has moved me differently and uniquely each time. from the joy and elation of winning the hard fought battle for marriage equality, to the sadness and despair of possibly losing it all, this film takes you on an emotional and powerful journey for one of the last civil rights issues of our time. i highly recommend saving marriage.

This film impactfully informs viewers of the efforts it took to change history in Massachusetts. I found myself being educated while riding the emotional roller coaster of those events as marriage equality was advanced and people were educated. Regardless of the final outcome of marriage equality in Massachusetts, and it's impact on national equality, films like this greatly inform people of what everyday individuals can do to be part of historic efforts towards advancing equality and fairness in our country for lgbtq people. I was inspired and felt better educated on the issues and strategies for moving forward. Many thanks to the filmmakers for making a movie that documents this history and educates people across the country, not just those living in Massachusetts. As such, the film is a call to action, not just a passive documentary record.

This powerful and beautiful film succeeded on many fronts: the filmmakers provide the audience with a compelling cast of characters, complete with Heroes and Villains, whose lives are impacted in one fashion or another by the issue of Same Sex Marriage. They also do a nice job fashioning a clear plot for the audience to follow and become emotionally invested in (I was personally moved to tears a number of times during the film) and did a nice job building the drama around the key turning points for the bills under debate.

Where I really think the film succeeds is in making all the people in the film real and three-dimensional, there wasn't a lot of jingoistic talking points being tossed around, just real human drama and real emotion in the discussion of the issues faced by homosexual men and women...and that will go a long way to softening the hearts and minds of the general public who really doesn't understand the issue (like the lobbyist says in the film...it plants little seeds that can eventually grow large enough to break down the walls in people's minds).

It's easy when taking on a subject like this to show the opposition as cartoon characters and the film tries to show the other side and does a fairly decent job of balancing the argument by not making Same Sex Marriage opponents too over-the-top or making too much fun of them.

This documentary manages to both explain a complicated legal process, and tell an emotionally affecting story. I wish everyone could see this, as it has the power to inspire more people who are pro-marriage equality to take action -- and possibly change some hearts and minds on the other side. Though there are plenty of ultra-conservative types who may never be swayed, I think many others could be if they connected a human face to the issue. We see it happen over the course of this film with one Massachusetts legislator in particular, and that effect could be replicated in other states if we all take the time to share our opinions and stories -- and mobilize ourselves into a political force to be reckoned with. Change is coming no matter what, but let's make it happen in our lifetime!

This film is about marriage equality in Massachusetts, but it's really about everyone's rights and how government is supposed to protect, not deny, citizens' rights. Most people outside of Massachusetts (and probably a good number inside as well) don't have any idea how this whole issue of marriage equality came about in the first place, so this film does a great job of showing the time-line of events, and how the courts play a role, and the legislatures play a role. It was really interesting to watch the legislators explain why they were voting either "for" or "against", but even more interesting to see the whole process of how ordinary people can make a difference, working with the legislators, or opposing them. I learned a great deal from the film and I hope to see the day when all 50 states will stop denying gay people the right to marry. "Civil union" instead of marriage is like the old segregationist policy "Separate but equal", which the late Thurgood Marshall argued, if it's separate, it's not equal. Likewise, if it's called "civil union", it's not "marriage". And that's wrong.

What an amazing film this is. It is possibly the only film I've ever seen which made me feel joyful, sad, angry, hopeful, and inspired all at the same time. I walked away from this film feeling great, and wondering what I can do to help. It is truly amazing to see how far we've come on this issue. I was in Boston while that was all happening, and I'm kicking myself now for not participating in any of the rallies. Now that I'm in LA, and when this happens here, I'll be sure to take part. This certainly will be a popular film in the gay community, and I certainly hope that it will reach out to those who need to see this to understand what we're fighting for.

I first saw this film when it premiered at a film festival. An amazing documentary that captured an important time in history. I am sure this film will be viewed by generations to come. The filmmakers had access to all the key people involved and allow us to see how things unfolded. Moving film worth seeing over and over again.

I first saw this amazing film, a comprehensive journey of the Massachusetts marriage equality legislation, at Outfest in Los Angeles. As a PFLAG Mom I was moved by the candor of the people describing their individual paths. There are scenes in this film to touch the hearts of those who watch. My eyes welled with tears as I watched the marriage ceremony of two gay men, preceded down the aisle by their small children.