Last night Smarty & I sat down and watched Milk and let me just say "Holy Crap, that was a fantastic, powerful, brilliant, enlightening, heroic, beautiful movie." Sean Penn was completely transformed into this character; he was so believable and sincere, he was amazing. James DeFranco, Wow - what a great role for him too. There was no awkwardness or stiffness in their scenes, they felt very real and kind. Even Smarty didn't have that typical straight male discomfort when watching two men kiss. I think because it was portrayed so naturally without the typical Hollywood pure sex focus that it was easy to get lost in their love and their lives. And the ending was beautifully done. The long parade of people walking with their lit candles just took my breath away.
I hope this movie educated people about the inequalities in our country and how important it is to stand up & be heard. I know sometimes it is hard to buck the system and much easier to go with the status quo but as this movie highlighted, it is those few brave souls who are willing to stand up, peacefully organize and become champions for a cause that make it possible for so many to enjoy equality.
