The Freedom to Marry


The Freedom to Marry is a 2016 documentary directed by Eddie Rosenstein.

Plot

The film chronicles the dramatic fight for marriage equality in the United States, telling an emotional story of the decades of work by lawyers and activists that ultimately led to the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage.

Distribution

The film premiered at Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco on June 25, 2016. It had a limited theatrical run in the US, distributed by Argot Pictures, and in Europe, distributed by Roco Films. It was available on Netflix. Later, it became available on most of the VOD platforms.
The Freedom to Marry was showcased at film festivals around the world and received numerous awards.

Cast

The Freedom to Marry portrays the efforts of activists and legal professionals in the prolonged campaign for same-sex marriage rights in the United States. The film primarily follows Evan Wolfson, a marriage equality activist and the founder and president of Freedom to Marry organization, and Mary Bonauto, a lawyer with GLAD and civil rights advocate. Together, they tackle legal challenges and work to shift public opinion, leading to the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Obergefell v. Hodges on June 26, 2015.
The documentary highlights Wolfson's long-term commitment to the cause. In 1983, he wrote his Harvard Law School thesis on the topic of gay marriage. After achieving success with a gay marriage case in Hawaii in 1993, he established professional ties with Mary Bonauto. Reflecting on the culmination of their efforts, Wolfson remarked, "That only took 32 years."
The film also features the story of April DeBoer and Jane Rowse, both nurses and mothers to four foster children. They were clients of Mary Bonauto and played a significant role in challenging Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage.

Reception

On the website Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of 18 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.90/10.
On Metacritic, the film's rating is 67/100, based on 6 critics reviews.

Accolades

AwardYearCategoryResult
Frameline40 Film Festival2016Documentary featureOfficial selection
Savannah Film Festival2016Best documentary feature; Best editingWon
North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival2016Best Documentary Feature FilmWon
Three Rivers Film Festival2016Audience Award - Best DocumentaryWon
Doc NYC2016Documentary FeatureOfficial selection
Atlanta Jewish Film Festival2017Audience Award - Best DocumentaryWon
Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival2016Audience Award for Best DocumentaryWon
Sebastopol Documentary Film Festival2017Audience Award for Best DocumentaryWon