"Question 1": Maine's Marriage Documentary Review‏

For publication, with my express permission:

 

I went to Waterville's Railroad Square theater Wednesday, November 2nd, for the 7pm showing of "Question 1" documentary film (www.q1-themovie.com).

 

This is only an average film, by most most measures; not as ham-fisted as one might anticipate, but also not as compelling.  It could have been very easily 30 minutes shorter than its 90+ minutes run time.

 

There were only a dozen people in the theater, which could have held ten times that number.  There were no previews prior to the movie.  The first images one sees of the film are of a home video of EqualityMaine's 'out' lesbian Darlene Huntress from 1986 when she was the maid of honor at her (straight) sister's wedding (was there any other kind of wedding in 1986?).  It sets up the movie as a sympathy plea for the plight now of those not being able to marry within their gender.

 

Huntress and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Maine's Public Policy Director, Marc Mutty, are the people most extensively interviewed for the film.  There are supporting role interviews with Robert K. Emrich (Stand for Marriage Maine), Jessie Connolly ('No on 1' Campaign Director), and volunteers for both sides.

 

The documentary begins in the Spring of 2009 at the Augusta (Maine) Civic Center Judiciary Committee public hearing where the marriage bill was considered and moves to the People's Veto campaign rapidly.  The several months between Gov. Baldacci's signing of the bill into law and the collection of the 100,000 signatures to get the People's Veto on the ballot take all of just a minute or two of the film's time.  The film lurches from spring to late summer in an instant.

 

The People's Veto campaign is broken into stages: 30 days out, 15 days out, two days before the vote, Election Day, and the aftermath of the vote (spoiler alert!) to uphold traditional marriage.   I thought the filmmakers strong suit was detailing the vote on Election Day.  Both sides have intimate details and interviews from the principals involved; real behind-the-scene observations.

 

The images that stayed with me are the contrast between the blur of activity and action the 'No on 1' campaign had (raising $3.8 million in donations, tens of thousands of calls, thousands of volunteers, etc) in the weeks prior to the vote versus the quiet, almost serene, atmosphere of the 'Yes on 1' side.  You could hear a pin drop in the 'Yes on 1' campaign offices; the hum of office copier is the only thing breaking the silence.  The 'No on 1' campaign offices have young people  talking over each other in large phone banks, and the din is broken by loud announcements of their progress in the hundreds of calls they've made just that day.

 

Ultimately, though, the documentary degenerates in the last 20 minutes into a sob-fest for the 'No on 1' side, with late Election-night emotions running on and on for what seems forever.  Really, it's overkill, bordering on emotional pornography.  Lots of f-bombs, too, are heard night of the vote from the 'No on 1' side, especially from the campaign leaders. 

 

It's jarring, because the rest of the film is largely family-friendly.  It's also unnecessary because the film goes to incredible lengths throughout to show the viewer that the 'No on 1' side is more heavily invested in the outcome of the vote.  Why the gratuitous language at the end of the film?

 

Additionally, what is with Mutty and his incessent drinking?  The movie documents three extensive scenes with him with a hard liquor drink or beer bottle in his hand.  There are two additional scenes where he references buying a six-pack of beer or getting a drink (of alcohol) with Rev. Emrich.  I understand Catholics generally have only minor prohibitions against excessive alcohol drinking, but it's noticible throughout how lax Mutty is on that front.  The guy clearly has a drinking problem; enough said, perhaps.  

 

A prophetic moment is offered by Emrich toward the end of the film where he states off-camera that the results of this vote to affirm traditional marriage will move Maine to be more conservative in the upcoming few years.  Just a year after he said that, Maine voted to change control of its House and Senate and Governor from Democrats to Republicans for the first time in decades.  Rarely is such a prediction so clearly borne out so quickly.  

 

"Question 1" is only about Stand for Marriage Maine vs. No on 1/EqualityMaine.  No other groups are represented or interviewed.  Even Roman Catholic Bishop of Portland, Maine Richard Malone gets practically shut out of the film.  An important press conference by Americans for Truth's Peter LaBarbera, MassResistance's Brian Camenker, and Maine Grassroots Coalition's Paul Madore late in the campaign (just a few days prior to the vote) goes completely unnoted. 

 

However, an underattended 'No on 1' rally in Portland held in ideal weather conditions at noon on the day before the vote gets extensive coverage in two pivotal scenes toward the end of the film.  It's as though no other groups existed on either side that had anything to say on the matter.

 

Overall, I'd tepidly recommend the movie, but only for posterity.  I would not pay money to see it again, though.  I suspect the very limited release in Maine this year (a one week in Waterville, one show in South Portland, one show in Portland for the whole month of November) is to generate 'buzz' for it to be released on DVD next year. 

 

Copies of the film then will, most likely, be given out liberally as campaign promotional items to voters (potential EqualityMaine supporters) since the measure will be on the ballot again for November, 2012.  Like it or not, Mainers will be asked to re-consider their decision from just two short years ago.

 

Mike Hein

Augusta