8: The Mormon Proposition (2010)

This controversial yet popular documentary focuses on the Mormon stance on gay marriage, gay youth, and the religion behind the political workings of Proposition 8. The presentation of the facts is pretty skewed in this film. Instead of looking at the entire process of the passing of Prop 8 after the takedown of Prop 22, including the other lobbyists, the presidential election happening at the exact same time, and the corruption of the California pundits, the makers of the film turned a blind eye and moved in on the Mormon Church. I can say without a doubt that this film showed me the full extent of the church's involvement and dereliction in Prop 8's history, but to put a stranglehold on the true story with propaganda isn't helping anyone. I also had problems with the reenactments which looked like America's Most Wanted. Even with all these unmistakable flaws, I will support this film to the death because it is one that is more stirring than you can imagine. It has the heat of infallible injustice and the fight to resurrect what was lost after so long a fight to make this country truly free. I don't care if your politics don't coincide with mine, or if you simply can't agree with me because of some moral ambiguity, but you can't tell me that the personal stories, and tributes, and loss in this film doesn't wrench you dry of tears. I myself cried at least three times while watching this, only once in joy. The film exhibits the biased hate, but goes into strange territory when it also covers reassignment at BYU and gay suicides. The suicides do tie-in, but aren't presented correctly. Instead of making this about the injustices of the actual legislation they became emotional and were overcome by a want to get to our sentiment. They did this with the heartbreak of ignorance, but this film could have done and been so much more if they thought more about what they had wanted to say and simply said it, instead of being so petty. It's a shame that more couldn't be taken out of this film because of sheer brevity.