Film Review - Pride

Based on a true story, the film depicts a group of lesbian and gay activists who raised money to help families affected by the British Miner's Strike in 1984, at the outset of what would become the Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners campaign. The National Union of Mineworkers was reluctant to accept the group's support due to the union's public relations' worries about being openly associated with a gay group, so the activists instead decided to take their donations directly to a small mining village in Wales — resulting in an alliance between the two communities. The alliance was unlike any seen before but was successful.

Pride is a very heart-warming and emotional film. Seeing how a movement, not so long ago effected many people. In a sense, almost everything has changed since then: 30 years on, the coal is gone, and same-sex marriage has been enshrined in UK law. By focusing the struggle on a small, but distinct circle of people, the audience can connect to the intimate human drama that played out in the much larger public arena. The lightness of tone when dealing with heavy issues is appreciated. In the process it sidesteps the pitfalls that could've made this account preachy or didactic. This might alienate some seeking more hard hitting controversy, but the script fashions a narrative much in the way a powerful sports movie works. It creates a David and Goliath story and invites you to cheer for the underdog.