tlavideo.com

Amos Lassen wrote on 02/06/2011:

“Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement”
A Very Important Film
Amos Lassen
It only took 42 years for lesbian couple, Edie and Thea, to get married. They had been community activists since the 1960’s and the tome finally allowed them to legalize their union. Their story is a love story and their tale of commitment to each other. When we first meet them they are young women setting off to New York in the 1950’s. They found each other and they found love. They became engaged, they loved, the advocated, they marched and they carried the burden of homophobia. We see a lot through Edie and Thea as they witnessed changing politics and changing sexual mores. Directors Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir bring us their story and it is an inspiration. Thea and Edie hold nothing back—they speak openly about themselves and what they lived through—politically, emotionally, family wise and sexually.


Most of us had never heard of Edith Windsor and Thea Spyer until this movie came out and even if we had, we would not have thought of them as fodder for a documentary. They were lovers who experienced the entire gay rights movement themselves and while you may not know them when you sit down to watch this movie by the time it is over you will have two new friends and heroes.


Before they first met, the two women were totally different. Edie was a lesbian who had affairs with men (and even married one) because she was expected to behave in a certain way. Thea was more in your face and defiant; she understood she as a lesbian and lived her life accordingly. When they met in the 60’s, the attraction was instant and their love for each other allowed them to grow and show their pride. We see their past via a slide show and they slowly let their secret life emerge. They traveled the world, relaxed who they were and eager to share their ideas.


However Thea was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and her body began a period of deterioration. Her mind stayed clear but she was forced to use a wheelchair. This did not deter the women or change their love for each other even though it meant changing the way they did certain things. They are strong advocates of gay pride and they involved themselves in the gay liberation movement. This, however, is not a political movie but a look at a couple in love. They went to Canada to marry and what we get here is a look at a love that is above all.
When they married in 2009, Thea was 75 and Edie was 77 after having been engaged since 1967. Two years after their wedding, Thea died. What a loss that is for us.
I have read a few negative reviews of the film and I was surprised of the reaction. This is a story of history in action and while it may not be as filled with action as some would like, it serves a very important purpose by making history live.