‘Freeheld’ Will Cost You Some Tears

When detective Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) is diagnosed with terminal cancer, she discovers that the law won’t allow her domestic partner Stacie Andree (Ellen Page) to receive her pension benefits just because they are a same-sex couple. Based on a true story, the film documents Hester’s fight for justice. And judging from the trailer alone, it would be wise to pack some tissues.

Freeheld opens at Kahala Theatre Oct. 16.

JAIMIE: I absolutely want to watch this. Except I won’t. Because I have not cried in a movie for a very long time, and I would hate to break that streak. So, I guess I will just watch it, alone, in my room, where no one will ever know if I really cried or not.

CHRISTINA: Yeah, it looks like if you see this, you will pretty much be agreeing to cry before you walk into the theater. I don’t remember hearing about this case, but I was really surprised to find out that it was only in 2005. One, because it’s ridiculous that there were no rights for domestic partners prior to then. And two, Julianne Moore’s Farrah Fawcett hair.

PAIGE: The recent trend of Julianne Moore hooking up with way-younger co-stars in films has officially gotten weirder for me, as I saw her somehow beat out Scarlett Johansson for Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s porn-addicted love in Don Jon, inexplicably win Alexander Skarsgaard’s love for a short time in What Maisie Knew and now here she is with Ellen Page, who looks 15. I can’t. I cannot even. I mean, if we’re talking old ladies who should have major game, Helen Mirren should win them all.

NICOLE: It’s because she’s young at heart, Paige! She’s still beautiful (even sans makeup and sickly looking in the trailer).

CHRISTINA: I agree Julianne Moore is beautiful. Although, yeah, Ellen Page absolutely still looks 15. But Moore looks really good for her age, which I am assuming, because I am not sure what her age even is. But I also think it looks like they make a cute couple.

PAIGE: I’m the only Julianne Moore hater here, I see. I just can’t warm up to her in films. She’s a good actress, but I just derive no joy seeing her act.

CHRISTINA: Moore has had such an interesting career. She has been bad in some bad movies. But then she has also been really good in good ones. And lately, I feel like she’s been taking on her best roles yet. And I have always found Page to be really endearing.

NICOLE: I really admire Page for fighting for marriage equality.

PAIGE: All of these actors here are so famous for other things, I had a hard time buying all their small-town personae here. Was that General Zod talking with Michael Scott and that lawyer from The Good Wife? Yes it was. Surreal.

NICOLE: Steve Carrell, I cannot take him seriously. It’s too weird.

PAIGE: It looks very emotional, and I avoid movies where people have cancer or die tragically just to make me cry.

NICOLE: I love movies like this because it’s so real. Yes, it is sad. But you see how other people handle it and determine if that lines up with your own beliefs. I just can’t watch movies where pets die. That’s where I draw the line.

PAIGE: Sometimes manipulative and sad movies are nice, but in this case they’ve amped it up to over 9,000, and it actually seems almost unbearable in that sense.

JAIMIE: I find movies like this sometimes too heartbreaking to watch. In this case, it isn’t just a story of equal rights, but also of coming to terms with the death of someone you love. I cannot adult, guys. I absolutely cannot.