The critically acclaimed documentary that chronicled gay and lesbian history in the making, Saving Marriage is now available on DVD.

Release Date: July 13, 2010
Rating: PG-13
Running Time: 90 Minutes

As Massachusetts became the first state to recognize same sex marriage, the eyes of the nation turned to this historic vote. Three years in the making, SAVING MARRIAGE captures the struggle as it actually unfolded, documenting the true personal stories of politicians, lobbyists and the every day American fighting to shape the future.

In a historic decision, on May 17, 2004, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court makes that state the first in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage, putting Massachusetts at the front lines in a war now raging throughout America. On one side are those who believe marriage is a civil right that all couples should have. On the other are people who believe it is a sacred institution reserved for a man and a woman. Both sides believe they are right. And both sides believe they are saving marriage – but who will eventually emerge victorious?

“They’re giving out more than a marriage license in there today. They’re giving out dignity.”

This was quite an eye opening documentary to watch. In 2004, when Massachusetts became the first state to legalize same sex marriage, this victory made the national news but the struggle was not as well documented as it is here. This documentary follows the struggle every step of the way through various eyes of the public. Prior to watching this documentary, I was uneducated about 25 year old, Carl Sciortino running in the re-election and the personal reason he had for running. He is the Massachusetts State Representative today. Prior to watching this documentary, I knew that even though the gay community won the right to marry, the legislature votes were not in favor the first time around. But I did not take the time to think about the consequences of the voting, the uncertainty the gay community faced for 18 months in regards to their rights that they just won being taken away. So that was very eye opening.

Regardless of how you feel about voting on this issue, the future of people’s lives hung in the balance. “Will I get health coverage? Will I be able to raise a family?” These are just two of the many questions that were left unanswered and out of their control for over a year! This is America and these are rights everyone deserves and yet the voting continued. If you want to see people’s civil rights being challenged in this decade in America, this is the DVD to watch.

Now I must say that while it was fascinating to watch history unfold, the documentary did seem biased. It is called, “Saving Marriage” and details how both sides are determined to save their definition of marriage…but only one is clearly outlined in the film. This film follows an openly gay political candidate, a young lesbian couple, and others in the community but does not follow one anti-gay person throughout the entire course of the film. But that’s history right? Not every side is ever told. The documentary should be called, “Amending Marriage.”

Regardless, there was no negativity shown towards the opposing side and for that, I am grateful. In the end, it was a well edited and very well detailed documentary that will definitely give viewers clarity into all that went into the state of Massachusetts granting its citizens the right to marry who they please. Definitely check it out if you haven’t seen it already.

Bonus Feature:
Deleted Scenes (6:25 Minutes) – There are 4 deleted scenes, “H.S. Students” which shows a class debate…those are always fun, aren’t they? “Defeated Activists” shows a speech given after the legislature votes were lost. It was more inspiring than it was, “Ah, well, we tried.” So that was nice to see. “Marriage Licensees” follows a couple getting their marriage license in a courtroom, as those standing by sing their own version of “Here Comes the Bride.” I am glad this was deleted from the film because this can spark debate. “Why?” you ask. Well, one might say that for a group of people who are just asking for equal rights…if they want to be equal, if they don’t want to stand out as outcasts in society, why change the lyrics of a perfectly acceptable song to put the spotlight on the fact that they are gay? Hence the reason it was deleted presumably. Lastly, there is the scene, “Engagement Ring Jitters” which focuses on a big conflict for 2 ladies. There seems to be a double standard of disclosing the engagement for one mate even though they both are proud to be lesbian. Both have solid arguments but the struggle they face doesn’t make life any easier. The deleted scenes are definitely worth checking out, especially if you want to spark a debate amongst the people around you!

Own Saving Marriage on DVD July 13, 2010.