critics consensus

Expansive in scope yet steady in focus, The Case Against 8 offers impassioned social advocacy as well as gripping viewing. Read critic reviews

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The Case Against 8 Photos

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Movie Info

Filmmakers Ben Cotner and Ryan White examine the landmark Supreme Court case that overturned California's Proposition 8 and its ban on same-sex marriage.

Genre:

gay and lesbian, documentary
Original Language:

English
Director:

Ben Cotner, Ryan White
Producer:

Ben Cotner, Ryan White
Writer:

Ben Cotner, Ryan White
Release Date (Theaters):

Jun 6, 2014 limited
Release Date (Streaming):

May 23, 2016
Runtime:

1h 52m
Production Co:

Tripod Media, LLC

Cast & Crew

Ted Olson
Self

Christopher D. Dusseault
Self

Jeffrey J. Zarrillo
Self

Paul T. Katami
Self

Kristin M. Perry
Self

Sandra B. Stier
Self

Show all Cast & Crew

News & Interviews for The Case Against 8

Critics Consensus: Edge of Tomorrow is Certified Fresh

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Critic Reviews for The Case Against 8

All Critics (43) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (4)

The film skillfully blends legalese with a humane portrait of the couples who are willing to fight the state for the right to wed.

January 21, 2021 | Full Review…

Sarah Mirk
Bitch Media
Ben Cotner and Ryan White treat us to a riveting, satisfying journey, thanks to incredible access to the plaintiffs and lawyers from the earliest stages of the lawsuit.

June 30, 2020 | Full Review…

David Lewis
San Francisco Chronicle
What's most compelling about The Case Against 8 is that it is not a partisan procedural.

November 14, 2014 | Rating: 5/5 | Full Review…

Tara Brady
Irish Times
An accomplished and well-told piece of documentary journalism.

November 13, 2014 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Cormac O'Brien
Little White Lies
The Case Against 8 is a documentary on the Californian repeal of same-sex marriage laws and has the tension of a legal thriller as well as being surprisingly moving in its final scenes.

November 7, 2014 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review…

Kate Muir
Times (UK)
As passionate and wide-ranging as you'd hope, but disappointingly mistrusting of its audience's interest in the finer points of the case.

November 3, 2014 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Patrick Peters
Empire Magazine
The Case Against 8 is surprisingly involving despite its well-known outcome.

June 20, 2019 | Full Review…

C.J. Prince
Way Too Indie
The Case Against 8, or at least its content, is far too important to be depicted as an overly long reality television sob-story.

June 11, 2019 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Christopher Preston
One Room With A View
The film is a powerful evocation of the permanent revolution of the battle for equality and human rights, but ultimately The Case Against 8 is stymied by the reversal of the legal decision not to allow the legal case to be filmed.

April 3, 2019 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

D.W. Mault
CineVue
The narrative is dense, but understandably so, and not without its light moments. A richly informative investigation, it pulls viewers along on a political and legal thrill ride that will have you cheering the central couples on scene after scene.

October 25, 2016 | Full Review…

Amy Carlberg
Bust Magazine
While the film doesn't get very deep into these various court cases, it does a good job of humanizing the lawyers and the four defendants in the case. It is about real people, families and consequences.

December 9, 2014 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
This may be a relatively straightforward documentary about a lengthy legal case, but it carries such a powerful emotional kick that it forces the audience to see the bigger picture.

November 6, 2014 | Rating: 4.5/5 | Full Review…

Rich Cline
Contactmusic.com

View All Critic Reviews (43)

Audience Reviews for The Case Against 8

Apr 24, 2014

One of the best executed documentaries on a court case that I have seen. Focusing the proceedings on the two political opposites who united behind a cause is fascinating stuff to watch.You could have taken a million angles to tell the story of this case but this one is uniquely special.

John B Super Reviewer