Today
I'm officially announcing that I'm a sap for sentimental movies. I watched
"Wedding Wars' last night, where a gay wedding planner (John Stamos) goes on
strike -- and gets thousands of gays nationwide to join him -- to protest the
anti-gay marriage stance of his brother/the groom (Eric Dane) and the father of
the bride-to-be, who happens to be the governor of Maine (James Brolin).
I actually really enjoyed the film and was teary during most
of it. Here's why:
1) Weddings make me cry. Even weddings
I've been to where I don't know the bride and groom -- I'm a total mess. If you
love to cry at weddings, you'll love it too.
2) Movies where love between brothers
is featured make me weep. They make me appreciate how much I love my own
brother, who happens to be one of my most favorite people ever. And if the movie has a gay/straight brother thing going on,
fuggedaboutit -- I'm an even bigger total mess.
3) Real estate gives me goose bumps. I love
movies with great real estate, and while no movie has yet to beat the
real-estate-porn of Diane Keaton's house in 'Something's Gotta Give,' this one
has it going on, with a special nod to great kitchens.
4)
Dykes on Bikes help save the day. Love that.
5) It turned out
to be a good movie -- and got a political cynic like me choked up about gay marriage. Although 'Wedding Wars' is a bit TV-movie-of-the-week, it drew me in. I bought it. John Stamos, Eric Dane and even James Brolin were fun to
watch. Stereotypes were kept to a minimum, and the family tension rang true.
Most of all, I appreciated what the movie had to say, and thought it did a pretty darn good job of saying it.
Stamos' character delivered a thoughtful message in his
final speech after ending his strike on behalf of gay marriage:
"In spite of the polls, I want you to know that everyone
here, and everyone that supported us around the country, have made a difference.
An even bigger difference than anyone could have imagined a few weeks. I sure
didn't.
We may have lost the battle, but in my heart, I know
one day we will win the war. We'll win because we're going to keep
trying. Because the people and friends and family and co-workers we return to
havebeen put on notice that we will not be treated as second-class citizens
because of who we love. And if you're not out to all the people in your life who
you love, then maybe it's time. Because those who think that gay people are out
to destroy the institution of marriage don't know us very well. We do not
destroy -- we renovate!
We're going to make marriage
stronger, and even more beautiful than ever."
There
is a lot of impact to the idea of gays walking off the job all over the country
to protest the discrimination we face in not being able to marry the people we
love. Can you imagine if that really happened?
Jokes aside
about the huge number of hairdressers, decorators and flight attendants who'd go
missing, if people really saw the absence of gays they encounter in everyday
life -- the bus drivers, carpenters, nurses, store clerks, coaches, UPS
men/women and on and on -- it would make people stop and think.
And that's what this movie tries to do.
It will be re-broadcast this Saturday on A&E.
See listings, cast
bios, clips and other stuff.
2 comments:
I watched & enjoyed the movie too. I'm with you on 1, 4 and 5 with but not so much with 2 & 3. ;-)
It was a very sweet movie with a heart even if it wasn't a great movie. Why was the gay with the non-stereotypical job (the prosecutor) the only one who wasn't pro gay marriage? As for #2, agreed: I have an absolutely terrific straight brother who has been my supporter and ally since he found out at age 18 that I was gay. As for #4: Como no? Kind of makes me feel all safe, protected and tingly.
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