Following up on her 2014 Best Actress Academy Award-winning performance in the brilliant Still Alice, Julianne Moore (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part II) returns with yet another heavyweight drama in Freeheld. Tackling the injustice of pension provisions for widows and widowers in same sex partnerships, the film arrived in the US in Autmn 2015, but low box office takings and mixed reviews has resulted in it going straight to DVD and digital download in the UK.
Release date
Cinema: The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on the 13th September 2015, before getting a wider, but limited release in the US on the 2nd October 2015. The UK release date will take place on the 19th February 2016, but it will only be available at a limited number of venues, so you’ll need to check your local art-house cinema to see if it’s available.
DVD and digital download: Freeheld will also be available in the UK on DVD and digital download from the 19th February 2016, following on from its earlier home entertainment release in the US on the 2nd February 2016.
Story
The plot has been adapted from the 2007 short film documentary of the same name, which told the story of New Jersey police officer, Laurel Hester (Moore), and her fight to allow her pension to be left to Stacie, her domestic partner of five years, following being diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. The film looks at the back story of their relationship leading up to Laurel’s battle with cancer and her fight for equality with the powers that be. As Laurel’s colleagues in heterosexual partnerships get to leave their pension to their partner, it seems obvious that she should get to do the same, but with the decision lying with a frosty local county committee, it’s not an easy battle to face.
The situation seems all the more unjust when you take into account the fact that the state of New Jersey passed an act in 2004 which allows all gay and lesbian state employees to pass on their pension. The problem is that the counties within the state were able to choose whether or not to allow their employees to pass on benefits to their partners and the controversy arose because Ocean County decided against this. With the pair facing an up hill struggle, a rallying support starts to come forward to make a massive push for equality thanks to the efforts of civil rights organisation, Garden State, which becomes a key part of the film.
Cast
Julian Moore isn’t the only big name attached to the film as it also stars Ellen Page (X-Men: Days Of Future Past) as her lesbian partner Stacie Andree, as well as Steve Carell (The Big Short) as Steven Goldstein, a gay rights activist supporting their cause on behalf of Garden State Equality. The cast also includes Michael Shannon (Man Of Steel) as Dane Wells, Laurel’s police partner, who supports her throughout her various appeals, along with Luke Grimes (American Sniper), Josh Charles and Mary Birdsong.
Production
Freeheld was directed by Peter Sollett (Nick And Norah’s Infinite Playlist) with the screenplay written by Ron Nyswaner (Philidelphia). It was produced by Ellen Page, Michael Shamberg, Stacey Sher, James D. Stern and Cynthia Wade. Bizarrely, music is credited to Hans Zimmer (Man Of Steel) and former The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, with the addition of the song, Hands Of Love, by Miley Cyrus. We’re not too sure if the three of them ever got together for a rehearsal session, but it would have been a pretty odd one if they did.
First impressions
Sadly, the delivery of Freeheld looks a little too staid to live up to the inspirational story that inspired it or the Academy Award-winning short film that it’s based on. The plot has all the right intentions, but the big name lineup doesn’t appear to have been enough to lift it into the echelons of the bigger hitting movies of the year. On a side note, Julian Moore’s hair is brilliant in the film. She looks a bit like Farrah Fawcett.
