Seeing Heaven

Description

Seeing Heaven The summer of 2010 will be remembered as initiating the renaissance of lesbian cinema, especially with the mainstream lesbian Brokeback, The Kids are All Right, opening this July to unanimous approval from critics as well as both general and LGBT-friendly audiences. One of the most promising films hitting this year s circuit is the documentary Edie and Thea: A Very Long Engagement. The documentary offers an intimate lens into the lives of Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer, who have been together for over forty years, and who, after a very long engagement spanning most of that duration, were finally able to marry in Toronto in 2008. The film begins with an aged Edie and Thea commenting upon photographic stills that are being projected onto a wall in their home. The images consist of their collective travels around the world, from New York to Venice, from the Hamptons to a small little African village, in a manner that intimates how much, and how extensively, the two have lived together, through time and around the globe. The images Edie on the beach in her pink bikini, seemingly straight out of a mid-century Vogue; black and white portraits of Thea that frame her beautiful jaw-line and very sexy eyebrows are glamorous and offer an intimacy into the history of their partnership. The overarching theme of a very long engagement shapes the narrative form of the documentary, whereby the two are determined to marry, even though Thea s MS has become increasingly debilitating in her advanced age. Regardless of the fact that she has been in a wheelchair since her mid-20s, Thea takes immense pleasure in dancing with Edie. Echoing the traditional emphasis placed on the first dance, and on dancing at a marriage reception in general, the two speak gleefully at length about how much they have always loved to dance together so much so that, during one of their first dances, they danced so long together that Edie had holes in the bottom of her stockings by the end of the night. Devoid of an overbearing, politically correct agenda, Edie and Thea is a love story that transcends politics, cultures, and identities. Sure, they reminisce about experiencing pre-Stonewall New York, and there are brief scenes that skim the surface of their work on behalf of civil rights throughout the decades. But, at its heart, this film is about creating a life with another person and committing to that person fully, with all your body, mind and spirit in sickness, and in health. It s lovely, and heartwarming, and their love made me cry with joy just to think that this kind of life-long love is possible. --cherrygrrl.com I don't know why I was drawn to Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement. A documentary about two old fuddy-duddy lesbians, the film seemed to promise the shock and awe of the oppressive '60s to someone who gasped at and thoroughly enjoyed Mad Men's lesbian scene. But Edie & Thea is so much more than that. You can blame the heightened levels of estrogen in the film's audience for your watering eyes, but the truth is that this film about a love that spans several decades is honest and heartfelt without being saccharine. Edie, who was present at the Frameline screening, was an absolute character (and still a bombshell in all her years). Both her and Thea's personalities had the audience in stitches as they shuffled through their memories from the years. Despite appearances otherwise, the focus here is the relationship rather than the history. You could say that Edie and Thea mated for life, having been together for 40 some odd years before Thea died earlier this year. Even though Thea started showing symptoms of MS at age 45, their love for dancing (and each other) never faltered. Their secret? Never let joy escape. Oh, and "keep it hot!," as Edie said Thea had put it. --sfappeal.com/ Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer s very long engagement began back in 1965, at Greenwich Village restaurant Portofino... where all the lesbians went for dinner. They spent the whole night dancing and Edie wore a hole in her stockings. It was two years before they met again in the Hamptons and this time they didn t say goodnight at the end of the evening. Directors/producers Gréta Ólafsdóttir and Susan Muska with support from the Sundance Channel have crafted a truly poignant and inspiring film about love, engagement and commitment. Gentle and unobtrusive, Edie and Thea s story is told via their own conversations, against a photographic slide show from infancy, to the day they met and their marriage in 2007. Two soul mates that fell in love and danced with each other through four decades of work, life, loss and love and plenty of great sex, apparently! Lesbian life in Sixties New York was one lived firmly in the closet; meeting other women was often a clandestine affair in rough, Mafia-operated bars where police raids were common. It wasn t until the Stonewall riots stormed along Christopher Street in 1969, and into the public consciousness, that the gay rights movement was born. In addition to societal pressures, both Edie and Thea had families that were less than supportive of their choice to be together. Yet despite many obstacles, the couple made an enduring success of their relationship. Thea worked from home as a clinical psychologist, while Edie was a computer systems analyst at IBM. Both women were also committed to gay rights and regularly participated in protest marches. Even after Thea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in her mid-forties and soon confined to a wheelchair, they made their partnership work. It s the unspoken words that are the most moving. A touch, a look, a smile. A celebratory scene where the couple take the floor at the ESPA Hampton s Tea Dance says everything about their relationship. As Edie says: I didn t want a life without love . Acknowledging that time was not on their side, they decided to get married in Toronto in 2007 by Canada s first openly gay judge, Harvey Brownstone. Canada offers civil marriage to same sex couples without residency requirements. The wedding service footage brought me to tears. As Edie proclaims: Marriage represents the ultimate expression of love and commitment between two people. Everyone understands that! And the secret of their successful relationship? Clearly an enduring physical attraction, and a profound love and respect for each other. If I look at Edie now, she looks exactly the same to me, says Thea. This movie will touch your heart, whatever your gender or sexuality. Thank you Edie, Thea, Greta and Susan for making such a beautiful film. A love story that has helped me to understand the real meaning of engagement. And how richly rewarding and magical life can be when we open our hearts to fully give and receive love. As Edie so rightly says: Don t postpone joy. --divamag.co.uk Review: Good Mixed Disturbing - This movie, I originally viewed online and well, it's one of those movies that I can't really describe. It is one that I would enjoy watching, for the sex scenes and otherwise. However I do remember the ending being quite disturbing to me at first watch. I suggest trying to view it online before you buy, but it's a good movie in my opinion. Review: Two Stars - second rate acting and plot