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Saving Marriage

Play trailer Poster for Saving Marriage PG-13 Released Oct 10, 2008 1h 30m Documentary LGBTQ+ Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
83% Tomatometer 18 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Politicians, seasoned lobbyists and other citizens grapple with the issue of legalizing gay and lesbian marriages in Massachusetts.

Critics Reviews

View All (18) Critics Reviews
Lisa Kennedy Denver Post Saving Marriage makes the deeply personal, powerfully political tussle a thriller with a number of intriguing characters and subplots. Rated: 3/4 Nov 7, 2008 Full Review Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter Equally effective as a human interest story and political thriller. Oct 30, 2008 Full Review Dennis Harvey Variety A solid, engrossing mix of reportage and human-interest stories. Oct 24, 2008 Full Review David Lamble Bay Area Reporter Combines suspense with an inspirational portrait of a new generation, for whom marriage becomes a surprising vehicle for empowerment and self-respect. May 12, 2020 Full Review Cynthia Fuchs PopMatters High contrasts, as well as grays in between, structure John Henning and Mike Roth's moving 2006 documentary about the legal and political battles surrounding gay marriage in Massachusetts. Rated: 6/10 Oct 27, 2008 Full Review Peter Canavese Groucho Reviews A portrait of democracy in action with high personal stakes and, as such, a moving emotional experience. Rated: 3/4 Oct 25, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (8) audience reviews
Audience Member Saving Marriage is a remarkable film. It reminded me quite a bit of my favorite documentary from last year, Knock Down the House, which follows AOC and other women and their primary campaigns in the 2018 midterm elections. Both films have incredibly compelling and important political races that they cover. However, Saving Marriage is actually more focused and more emotional. The stakes are clearer and the effects of a loss would feel more direct and personal for those featured in Saving Marriage. It's been several years since these elections and the landmark court decision in Massachusetts that allowed gay people to marry. The amount of hurdles the activists and legislators had to overcome in order to win was eye-opening. Each success was met with a new obstacle, time after time. Who knew the ups and downs of this political process would be so captivating? It certainly feels better to watch now considering we know the positive outcome. Saving Marriage features a cast of real people who are easy to root for and you become so invested in their success and happiness. The filmmakers also do a nice job of presenting the opposition fairly, without making them seem like cartoon villains. That being said, their arguments sound that much more ridiculous as the years have passed. Watching Saving Marriage can't help but make you think about the progress we have made in terms of civil rights and representation since that time, but it is also impossible to ignore the long way we have to go, particularly under this current administration. Saving Marriage is a must watch. It's both compelling and a great film, while still such a great historical document that it should probably be used as a teaching tool at schools and universities. It is well worth your time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm torn: I want to extol the virtues of Saving Marriage on purely my personal beliefs, but I can't give it an unqualified recommendation as a movie. Why? There's something...off...about it as the story of Massachusetts allowing gay marriage is told. Small technical issues like the lack of date stamps and the way the narrative seemingly skips from the marriage fight to an election fight had me scratching my head more than once. However, this is a compelling story obviously centered on the pro-gay side of the debate. It certainly plays on emotions, which most documentaries do, but never manages to have the two sides sit down to just talk without the rhetoric. That is squarely because of the real time nature of the film. And when a key legislator changes his vote at the last minute, it almost comes out of nowhere for the same reason. Still, this is a prime example of how ordinary people changed the course of a state after losing a battle, but not the war. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm torn: I want to extol the virtues of Saving Marriage on purely my personal beliefs, but I can't give it an unqualified recommendation as a movie. Why? There's something...off...about it as the story of Massachusetts allowing gay marriage is told. Small technical issues like the lack of date stamps and the way the narrative seemingly skips from the marriage fight to an election fight had me scratching my head more than once. However, this is a compelling story obviously centered on the pro-gay side of the debate. It certainly plays on emotions, which most documentaries do, but never manages to have the two sides sit down to just talk without the rhetoric. That is squarely because of the real time nature of the film. And when a key legislator changes his vote at the last minute, it almost comes out of nowhere for the same reason. Still, this is a prime example of how ordinary people changed the course of a state after losing a battle, but not the war. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting documentary on the battle in Massachusetts to allow same sex marriage. It tells the story well, but it drags out in places. I couldn't help but think about the battle in California as I watched this film. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member This was a tear jerker. Kudos for Massachusettes and all the people who've worked so hard for the cause. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member With the public moving towards marriage equality in the USA, 'Saving Marriage' is a doc that explains the legal battle for marriage in Massachusetts. It is fascinating to say the least. I was unexpectedly moved to tears and the movie made me...want to get married! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Saving Marriage

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis Politicians, seasoned lobbyists and other citizens grapple with the issue of legalizing gay and lesbian marriages in Massachusetts.
Director
John Henning, Mike Roth
Producer
John Henning, Mike Roth
Distributor
Regent Releasing
Production Co
Documix Films
Rating
PG-13 (Brief Strong Language)
Genre
Documentary, LGBTQ+
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 10, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jul 2, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$18.6K
Runtime
1h 30m