DVD An Affirmative Act
Rating: 6.2
Genres: Crime | Drama | Mystery
Director: Jana Mattioli
Writers: Ken Del Vecchio, Talia Gonzalez
Stars: Eric Etebari, Charles Durning, Costas Mandylor
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Storyline A slice of life of a young, professional married couple with their darling baby turns a sharp, dark corner when the pair are arrested and charged with several counts of fraud. The reason: Terry and Samantha Succi aren’t the man and woman that they purported to be… Terry and Samantha married under false pretenses, ignoring state law that discriminates against homosexual partners and prohibits them from receiving the same rights and benefits as their straight counterparts. Now the Governor, in an effort to protect his politically necessary anti-gay marriage bill, secretly arranges for a quick slap-on-the wrist plea offer that will ensure both a guilty plea and a fast end to the case. Terry and Samantha, though, decide to fight the fight and enlist the unlikely representation of self-absorbed, but respected attorney John DeMine. What ensues is a massive media covered courtroom battle, with equally divided views…and equally plotted acts of legal – and illegal – warfare. After a … Written by Kenneth Del Vecchio |
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Plot Keywords: courtroom, governor, homosexual, baby, marriage | |
Details: Country: USA Release Date: 4 June 2010 (USA) |
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Box Office Budget: $1,500,000 (estimated) |
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2 comments
Altho it has an unexpected twist at the end that changes the motivations of the characters in a way that may or may not be believable, this movie has a heart of gold for the issue it addresses; Gay marriage. The characters range from very serious and emotional, like the two main characters Terry and Samantha Succi (Played by Candice Holdorf and Elissa Goldstein respectively) to quite comical and very out of the range of plausibility. The plot begins quite dangerously real, and eventually steps outside of probability to a very idealistic reality with such humor and tenderness that one can't help but cheer for such an improbable ending. While the movie may not have proceeded in a very conventional way; the question IS a very real one, and so it heartens the soul in preparation to ask the question again, louder, and see what the very real answer might be.
I thought this was going to be a melodramatic, TV movie of the week look at the issue of gay marriage. But while that's where it started,it takes some unexpected turns with poison sandwiches, flamboyant assassins, and mysterious villains who may actually be heroes. The sudden twists in tone – from heartfelt moral arguments to bizarre Nazi shakedowns – keep you always guessing as to where this unique film is going. It's anchored by two strong performances from Candice Holdorf and Elissa Goldstein, as Terry and Samantha Succi the two lovers who aren't the man and woman that they claim to be. Holdorf finds a smoldering ambiguity in Terri – how much of her protest becomes a part of who she is? If you live in a lie long enough, does it eventually become the truth? Against these dramatic questions, we have a delightfully cartoonish Governor, a comically cocky attorney John DeMine and his seemingly vapid wife, whose crusade ends up being equal parts heartfelt and hilarious. A truly unusual and engaging film…and just who is the Man in White?