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
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