4 stars out of 5
First things first: Yes, the movie is set in New Jersey, but no, it is not set in the town of Freehold. And the second thing: If you are unfamiliar with the case of Laurel Hester and you have an interest in justice and equality, you really need to see this movie. Now. Stop reading this review and go see it.
I had only the vaguest recollections of this Ocean County police detective who simply wanted her pension to go to her same-sex domestic partner. This is in those long-ago days when same-sex marriage was not yet legal in New Jersey—you know, prior to October 22, 2013. Things were more complicated back then.
So the movie has this fascinating, entirely true, brink-of-history plot going for it, which is brought to life by an absolutely world-class cast. Leading the way with a powerhouse performance as Hester is the incredible Julianne Moore. She embodies Hester’s no-nonsense decency and dignity. Moore captures Hester’s inherent Jerseyness without making it an over-the-top portrayal. (The story starts in 2002, though Hester is still proudly rocking a ’70s feathered ‘do.) She’s a real good cop who is maybe a little reserved, likely because she’s led a secret life for so long. However, that becomes much harder for Hester to do when she genuinely falls in love.
Playing the girlfriend who becomes Hester’s domestic partner is Ellen Page. Now, she’ll always be Juno to me, but as Stacie Andree, Page does superb work here. Again, this could’ve turned out to be a clichéd character—the tough, short-haired, motorcycle-repairing lesbian (I’m thinking Andrea Martin’s “Dutch” from SCTV)—but Page does it just right, with real humanity.
Now you know I love that madman Michael Shannon. He’s already earned his Jersey stripes with his strong performance as Richard “The Iceman” Kuklinski. Here, he’s on the other side of the law, as Hester’s partner on the force (Dane Wells, not Nelson Van Alden). This is a key character, because he symbolizes the ability for people to change their minds, and Shannon handles it flawlessly. He has a couple of the best scenes in the film, including one with Moore in the front yard—Hester’s “coming out”—which really got to me.
Steve Carell gets to have some fun with a lively portrayal of Steven Goldstein, the head of Garden State Equality. (I didn’t know about that advocacy organization till late 2009, a few years after the events in the movie, when my friends Sean and Alex sent an email about an upcoming marriage-equality vote in the New Jersey State Senate.) Top character actors—hey, there’s the mayor from Boardwalk Empire! And there’s the preppie bad guy from the Wet Hot American Summer Netflix series!—round out the cast.
There is so much to learn and consider in this movie. (One meeting of the Ocean County Board of Freeholders—the true powerbrokers who give the film its name—was very informative but felt like a bit too much exposition.) We get politics and law and lobbying and bigotry and loyalty, and it’s all true which makes it all the more compelling. But at the center of everything is a basic love story: Two people who care deeply for each other, who look out for one another, and who just want to be treated fairly by the society around them. It’s funny, 2006 seems like a million years ago in many regards, but there is still so much work to be done. The Kim Davises of the world aren’t just in “redneck enclaves; you need look no further than the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated, where an unrepentant homophobe based in New York City is being held up as a hero.
So this is a very important movie, with a sprinkling of solid laughs but even more tears (I estimate I was choked up and/or crying for literally half the film), some Capra-esque goodness, and a whole lot of heart. Kudos to everyone involved.
Jack Silbert, curator