w-43156
Bridegroom is the most wonderful homosexual documentary film I have seen.When I saw the part where Shane was soliloquizing in front of the video after Tom's death,I could not resist crying sorrowfully.Not only Tom's death,but their true love really touches my heart.The movie tell us a truth:"Deeply love the person who loves you deeply,otherwise you wil get in endless bitterness when you lose him or her.
hjames-97822
As an older gay man I have learned to to emotionally stuff my feelings down a long dark hole. I never even cried at my father's funeral. And felt guilty for it. But frankly, I wept and wept repeatedly after watching this documentary.You will first be angry at the cruelty and inhumanity shown to Shane (the surviving partner of this gay couple) by the family of his dead lover. Their inability to come to terms with both the sexuality and the death of their child is a living horror story. You will want to reach through the screen and smack Tom's mother right in the head. Then you will rethink.You can not escape ultimately feeling sorry for them. So bitter, so cruel, so filled with hate for what their son really was they are coming apart emotionally at the seams. And they will do--anything--to try and erase reality and history.I watched it a second time. What a lesson in living, the shortness of life and the need to say over and over to those who matter that you love them.Tap-Tap-Tap. Gotta go. I'll start crying again...and then I'll be inspired. Again.
MacTheMovieguy
Interestingly, Bridegroom I think serves as a reminder that the MPAA ratings system is a little challenged these days. When I saw the R rating, I was baffled. I don't really remember there being any profanity, maybe one F-bomb. I find it so bizarre when documentaries are held to the same language standards as narrative features, because often those words are taken from actual events, or interviews. Most documentaries have a very strong learning aspect to them, and to rate a documentary R simply because of a few curse words seems extreme to me.Bridegroom refers to the last name of the subject of the documentary, Tom Bridegroom, a young gay man who tragically fell to his death on May 7th, 2011, leaving behind his partner Shane. This tragedy has already gotten a lot of media attention, mainly due to a 10 minute video that went viral ahead of this documentary being made. People instantly resonated with Shane's story, about not being able to really say goodbye, and being prevented from attending the funeral of his partner. Gay or straight, to already have to lose the most important person in your life, and then have this unnecessary hate compounding on top, is infuriating. I'd imagine Martha Bridegroom and her husband get nasty looks on a daily basis.I think I would have appreciated Bridegroom more had I not seen the 10 minute version prior to this. Honestly, there's a ton of filler regarding Shane's life growing up, and Tom's life growing up. The most interesting part of the story isn't that, it's the details about how Tom's family handled his death, and prevented Shane from being a part of the funeral. While it is nice to hear anecdotal comments about Shane and Tom, and knowing that Shane's family accepted him for who he was, I feel like we skimped on the gut wrenching details of Shane's dangerous journey to Tom's funeral.It's like the director believed we needed the first hour of the film to really believe that Shane and Tom were in love, and that the rest would just fall into place. I needed a better balance, because I realize what their ace in the hole is. The fact is, if Tom had died, and Tom's family let Shane come to the funeral and treated him like a normal human being, we'd never have heard of this story. Shane would have never been a viral hit, and this movie would have never been made. As insensitive as it may seem to say this, we want to see the good stuff.That being said, I think it is still an effective documentary, especially for those who are totally unfamiliar with this story. I think it does a good job of presenting the facts, and establishes Shane as an incredibly likable guy early on. That's important, because this is all his side of the story. The Bridegroom Brood is never on screen with their rebuttal. In fact, I can't even find anything online from them saying that this stuff isn't true.I know that the producers of Bridegroom are hoping for a Best Documentary nomination this year, but I just don't think it'll happen. It'll do fairly well on Netflix, and it will help with the overall cause of marriage equality. It lacks the gravitas needed to compete against a lot of the heavier films that are typically nominated for an Oscar.
maria rum
I watched Bridegroom tonight in Netflix. I have to admit I cried my eyes out. I highly recommend everyone to watch this documentary. Toms and Shanes love is so pure you can just see it through their videos and photos. Its the type of love that everyone wants. Hopefully this documentary will open up the eyes and the hearts of many people and they will learn to accept who they are and who their friends and family members are. Doesn't matter if you are gay or straight. Life is too short. Love the people that love you back and enjoy your life. Get a camera and record all your amazing moments. Thank you Shane and Tom for showing the world what true love is like.
