Deciding Vote
{{Infobox film
| name = Deciding Vote
| image =
| alt =
| caption = Theatrical release poster
| director = {{Plainlist|
- Jeremy Workman
- Robert J. Lyons
}}
| screenplay =
| story =
| producer = {{Plainlist|
- Jeremy Workman
- Robert J. Lyons
- Doron Steger
- Sherry Steger
}}
| starring =
| cinematography = {{Plainlist|
- Gabriella Garcia-Pardo
- Karen Rodriguez
- Lynn Weissman
- Michael Lisnet
}}
| editing = Kristin Bye
| music = Olivier and Clare Manchon
| production_companies = {{Plainlist|
- Wheelhouse Creative
}}
| distributor = The New Yorker
| released = {{Film date|2023|11|29|}}
| runtime = 20 minutes
| country = United States
| language = English
| budget =
| gross =
}}Deciding Vote is a 2023 American short documentary film about Assemblyman George M. Michaels and his tie-breaking vote on the 1970 New York abortion bill. It was directed by Jeremy Workman and Robert J. Lyons.{{Citation |last=Lyons |first=Robert J. |title=Deciding Vote |date=2023-11-29 |type=Short |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27601146/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |others=George M. Michaels |publisher=Wheelhouse Creative |last2=Workman |first2=Jeremy}}
First presented at numerous film festivals, Deciding Vote was released by The New Yorker on November 29, 2023.{{Cite news |last=Yorker |first=The New |date=2023-11-29 |title=Revisiting New York’s Historic Abortion Law in “Deciding Vote” |url=https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/revisiting-new-yorks-historic-abortion-law-in-deciding-vote |access-date=2025-02-10 |work=The New Yorker |language=en-US |issn=0028-792X}} It was Oscar Shortlisted for Best Short Documentary and then subsequently nominated for Most Outstanding Short Documentary at the 45th News and Documentary Emmy Awards.{{Cite web |last=Montgomery |first=Daniel |date=2024-07-27 |title=2024 News and Documentary Emmy nominations: 45th annual contenders in all categories |url=https://www.goldderby.com/feature/2024-news-and-documentary-emmy-nominations-list-1205895545/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=GoldDerby |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Davis |first=Clayton |date=2023-12-21 |title=Oscar Shortlists Announced for 10 Categories: ‘Barbie’ Leads the Way |url=https://variety.com/2023/film/awards/2024-oscars-shortlist-barbie-1235843930/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Variety |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=96th Oscars Shortlists in 10 Award Categories Announced |url=https://press.oscars.org/news/96th-oscarsr-shortlists-10-award-categories-announced |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=press.oscars.org |language=en}}
Synopsis
More than 50 years ago, Assemblyman George M. Michaels cast a single vote on New York's abortion bill that changed the course of American history but destroyed his political career in the process. Representing a conservative Catholic district, he had switched his vote at the last minute, thus ensuring the passage of abortion rights in the state, leading to other developments nationwide including the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision by the United States Supreme Court.{{Cite web |last=Richard |first=Propes |date=May 15, 2003 |title=Movie Review: Deciding Date |url=https://theindependentcritic.com/deciding_vote |url-status= |access-date=February 10, 2025 |website=The Independent Critic}}
Reception
The film won several film festival awards and received positive reviews.{{Cite web |title=Indy Shorts International Film Festival Concludes with a Record-Breaking Year and Announces Academy Award®-Qualifying Winners |url=https://heartlandfilm.prowly.com/252828-indy-shorts-international-film-festival-concludes-with-a-record-breaking-year-and-announces-academy-award-qualifying-winners |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=heartlandfilm.prowly.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Award Winners from the 24th Annual Woodstock Film Festival |url=https://woodstockfilmfestival.org/blog/2023/10/2/24th-annual-woodstock-film-festival-announces-2023-award-winners-2hwkj |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Woodstock Film Festival |language=en-US}}{{Citation |last=Lyons |first=Robert J. |title=Deciding Vote |date=2023-11-29 |type=Short |url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt27601146/ |access-date=2025-02-10 |others=George M. Michaels |publisher=Wheelhouse Creative |last2=Workman |first2=Jeremy}}
Film critic Christopher Reed of Film Festival Today stated "In their powerful 20-minute documentary, directors Robert J. Lyons and Jeremy Workman offer an inspiring profile of a man unafraid to confront blowback."{{Cite web |last=Reed |first=Christopher Llewellyn |date=2023-06-21 |title=That’s a Wrap at DC/DOX 2023 {{!}} Film Festival Today |url=https://filmfestivaltoday.com/fft-festival-coverage/thats-a-wrap-at-dc-dox-2023 |access-date=2025-02-10 |language=en}}. Critic Jennie Kermode of Eye For Film called it "a vital piece of filmmaking."{{Cite web |title=Deciding Vote - Film Review |url=https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/deciding-vote-2023-film-review-by-jennie-kermode |access-date=2025-02-10 |website=Eye For Film |language=en}}
Film critic Richard Propes of The Independent Critic stated that "the film rather magnificently captures the relatively unsung story of George Michaels, a former New York Assemblyman who in 1970 represented a conservative Catholic district during a time when the pro-choice/abortion rights movement was growing."
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Official website|https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-documentary/revisiting-new-yorks-historic-abortion-law-in-deciding-vote}}
- {{IMDb title|tt27601146|Deciding Vote}}
Category:American documentary films
Category:2023 documentary films
Category:Documentary films about abortion
Category:Films directed by Jeremy Workman
Category:Abortion in the United States