If anyone had told me you could make a great film about a group of gays and lesbians who supported the UK miners during the 1984 strike, I wouldn't have believed it. (NOTE: The pic is from reality, not from the film.)
What is it?
It’s a film that somebody should have told me about! I only found out about it by chance, while perusing the racks of DVDs at my local library—
Okay, John, calm down. What is the film and what’s it about?
It’s a 2014 British film (four years ago! and nobody told me about this film!). It’s the true story of a group of gay men and women from London who decide to take up the cause of the striking miners in 1984, and who more or less “adopt” a little Welsh mining village and raise money for them.
Right. ... Frankly, it doesn’t sound all that exciting. Why are you so exercised about the fact that nobody told you about this film’s existence?
Because it’s fabulous! This is one of the most perceptive, funny, moving films I’ve ever seen about gay folk. It touches on so many themes: coming out, the relationship between gay men and lesbians, the relationship between groups that are suffering oppression of one kind or another, homophobia, being in the closet, family dynamics for gay children. What I find especially moving about this film is that, even as the gays are helping the miners, one knows that the gay community is about to be engulfed by AIDS and will need help in its turn. This is an incredibly well written, beautifully acted, altogether wonderful film. It’s also funny as hell. And has a great soundtrack of ’80s hits.
So you liked it, then?
Yes! I just don’t understand why I’d never heard of it.
Well, it did win awards and got nominations. Maybe you need to pay more attention to what’s going on around you, and stop watching so many films from the 1960s—and from 1919!
Yeah, maybe you’re right.
Stars (using the Michelin system)?
Two. See this film!
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