Movie Review: Pride
Just came back from seeing Pride (finally!), primarily for Andrew Scott, but man, what a great cast!
The movie takes place during the 1984-1985 coal miners’ union strike in response to PM Margaret Thatcher's pit closures. A London gay and lesbian group unexpectedly steps in to raise funds for the miners in a show of solidarity.
Andrew has a subtle but significant role as Gethin, an emotionally traumatized Welsh man running a gay-themed bookshop in London. There’s also Dominic West (who plays Andrew’s partner), Bill Nighy (another great subtle role), Imelda Staunton (always a delight), Joseph Gilgun (I remember him from later seasons of Misfits)-and Russell Tovey (from Being Human and Sherlock!) even makes an appearance. Newcomers (to me, anyway) Jessica Gunning (who plays Sian James), George MacKay (Joe/Bromley), Faye Marsay (Steph), and Ben Schnetzer (Mark, the leader of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) were all solid and enjoyable, particularly Jessica Gunning, whom I felt stole the show.
The ground this film covers is remarkable but somehow never overwhelming: Thatcher and the mining crisis, the importance of unions, being gay in the 80s, championing the civil rights of several groups, being closeted, dealing with unsupportive parents, learning what it means to have friendship and pride. The movie also touches on gay bashing, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and even veganism.
It’s almost too much, really, and I felt that the feminist lesbian group were given short shrift. This is particularly odd because the movie is great at showing the power that women have in a community and also what a positive effect women’s rights and education can have. The primarily female committee members, mainly Welsh miners’ wives, acted as the heart of the movie, both hysterical and moving.
The film managed to walk the line between being emotionally touching but never overly sentimental. Plenty of comedic moments. Each character, even relatively minor ones, is nuanced and goes through some kind of personal growth, which was great to see.
But what I found most compelling was the reminder of how powerful alliances can be in a time of need-particularly those unusual ones that don’t necessarily seem to fit naturally together, like a gay and lesbian group championing the rights of striking miners. Organizations (or even entire nations) stepping up and being friends to others in a time of crisis can have moving and far-reaching effects. You never forget those who help you when you need it the most.
Highly recommended!
More Andrew Scott reviews here. :)
The movie takes place during the 1984-1985 coal miners’ union strike in response to PM Margaret Thatcher's pit closures. A London gay and lesbian group unexpectedly steps in to raise funds for the miners in a show of solidarity.
Andrew has a subtle but significant role as Gethin, an emotionally traumatized Welsh man running a gay-themed bookshop in London. There’s also Dominic West (who plays Andrew’s partner), Bill Nighy (another great subtle role), Imelda Staunton (always a delight), Joseph Gilgun (I remember him from later seasons of Misfits)-and Russell Tovey (from Being Human and Sherlock!) even makes an appearance. Newcomers (to me, anyway) Jessica Gunning (who plays Sian James), George MacKay (Joe/Bromley), Faye Marsay (Steph), and Ben Schnetzer (Mark, the leader of Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) were all solid and enjoyable, particularly Jessica Gunning, whom I felt stole the show.
The ground this film covers is remarkable but somehow never overwhelming: Thatcher and the mining crisis, the importance of unions, being gay in the 80s, championing the civil rights of several groups, being closeted, dealing with unsupportive parents, learning what it means to have friendship and pride. The movie also touches on gay bashing, the HIV/AIDS crisis, and even veganism.
It’s almost too much, really, and I felt that the feminist lesbian group were given short shrift. This is particularly odd because the movie is great at showing the power that women have in a community and also what a positive effect women’s rights and education can have. The primarily female committee members, mainly Welsh miners’ wives, acted as the heart of the movie, both hysterical and moving.
The film managed to walk the line between being emotionally touching but never overly sentimental. Plenty of comedic moments. Each character, even relatively minor ones, is nuanced and goes through some kind of personal growth, which was great to see.
But what I found most compelling was the reminder of how powerful alliances can be in a time of need-particularly those unusual ones that don’t necessarily seem to fit naturally together, like a gay and lesbian group championing the rights of striking miners. Organizations (or even entire nations) stepping up and being friends to others in a time of crisis can have moving and far-reaching effects. You never forget those who help you when you need it the most.
Highly recommended!
More Andrew Scott reviews here. :)