24 June, 2014
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Title: The Case Against 8
MPAA Rating: NR
Director: Ben Coter and Ryan White
Starring: David Boises and Ted Olson
Runtime: 1 hr 39 mins
What is It: The Case Against 8 is an HBO documentary which examines the court case against California’s Proposition 8. Proposition 8, you may recall, was passed in 2008 and established a ban on same-sex marriage. The case eventually found its way to the Supreme Court.
What We Think: The documentary does an excellent job of taking us behind the scenes of arguably one of the most important court cases in recent years. On different ends of the political spectrum, David Boises, a liberal, teams up with Ted Olson, a conservative, to challenge the case. Shot over five years, the film ends with a triumph for the plaintiffs. However before we arrive on the steps of the Supreme Court, the film takes use through the difficult and laborious process. But the process is often fascinating.
Our Grade: B+. The documentary is at its best when David and Ted discuss the case and what each man brings to it. They were pitted against each other in the famous Gore v. Bush, which gave the US its 43rd president. Given the sheer rancor that enveloped that case, it is a little surprising that these two men found themselves on the same team for marriage equality—especially since this issue is mostly seen as a liberal one. While fictional dramas are nothing like what occurs in the “real” world, the documentary does have its surprising or “Hollywood” moments. For example when Boises cross examines a key expert witness for the defense, he essentially gets the witness to say that gay marriage is an American ideal. That stuff only happens in movies. The documentary plays throughout the month on HBO.
Category: Reviews
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