Freeheld

{{about|the feature film|the documentary short|Freeheld (2007 film)}}

{{Infobox film

| name = Freeheld

| image = Freeheld Movie Poster.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = Peter Sollett

| screenplay = Ron Nyswaner

| based_on = {{Based on|Freeheld|Cynthia Wade}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

Elliot Page{{efn|name=Elliot|Credited as Ellen Page; the film was released before Page came out as transgender.{{Cite web |last=Shoard |first=Catherine |date=December 1, 2020 |title=Elliot Page: star of Juno and X-Men announces he is transgender |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/01/elliot-page-star-of-juno-x-men-announces-he-is-transgender |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201183149/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/dec/01/elliot-page-star-of-juno-x-men-announces-he-is-transgender |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |access-date=December 27, 2022 |website=The Guardian}}}}
Michael Shamberg
Stacey Sher
James D. Stern
Cynthia Wade

}}

| starring = {{Plainlist|

Julianne Moore
Elliot Page{{efn|name=Elliot}}
Michael Shannon
Steve Carell

}}

| cinematography = Maryse Alberti

| editing = Andrew Mondshein

| music = {{Plainlist|

}}

| studio = {{unbulleted list|Summit Entertainment|Bankside Films|Endgame Entertainment|Head Gear Films|High Frequency Entertainment|Double Feature Films}}

| distributor = Lionsgate{{Mojo title|tomb|Freeheld}}

| released = {{Film date|2015|09|13|TIFF|2015|10|02|United States}}

| runtime = 103 minutes{{cite web | url=https://www.bbfc.co.uk/release/freeheld-q29sbgvjdglvbjpwwc0zody1ndy | title=FREEHELD (12A) | work=British Board of Film Classification | date=November 4, 2015 | access-date=November 4, 2015}}

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget = $7 million{{cite web|url=http://filmmakermagazine.com/95610-respect-and-integrity-in-27-days-peter-sollett-discusses-freeheld-at-bloombergifps-business-of-entertainment-breakfast/|title=Respect and Integrity in 27 Days: Peter Sollett Discusses Freeheld at Bloomberg/IFP's "Business of Entertainment" Breakfast - Filmmaker Magazine|first=Allan|last=Tong|date=September 13, 2015}}

| gross = $1.7 million{{cite web |url=http://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Freeheld#tab=summary |title=Freeheld (2015) |website=The Numbers |access-date=August 4, 2016}}

}}

Freeheld is a 2015 American drama film directed by Peter Sollett and written by Ron Nyswaner. The film stars Julianne Moore, Elliot Page,{{efn|name=Elliot}} Michael Shannon, Steve Carell, and Luke Grimes. It is based on the 2007 documentary short film of the same name about police officer Laurel Hester's fight against the Ocean County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders to allow her pension benefits to be transferred to her domestic partner after being diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Plot

The film is based on the true story of Laurel Hester (Moore), a police officer in Ocean County, New Jersey. The story narrates the difficulties faced by a lesbian police detective and her domestic partner, Stacie Andree (Page). Following her diagnosis with terminal lung cancer in 2005, Hester repeatedly appealed to the county's board of chosen freeholders to have her pension benefits passed on to her domestic partner; she was eventually successful.{{cite news|url=http://www.app.com/story/news/local/ocean-county/2014/09/16/hollywood-immortalize-ocean-county-gay-rights-battle/15735709/|title=Hollywood to immortalize Ocean County gay rights battle|work=Asbury Park Press|date=September 17, 2014|access-date=October 5, 2014|first=Erik|last=Larsen}}

Cast

Julianne Moore as Laurel Hester, a New Jersey police detective who is diagnosed with terminal cancer{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/julianne-moore-zach-galifianakis-star-679701|title=Julianne Moore, Zach Galifianakis to Star in Drama 'Freeheld' (Exclusive)|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=February 13, 2014|first=Tatiana|last=Siegel|access-date=October 5, 2014}}
Elliot Page{{efn|name=Elliot}} as Stacie Andree, a car mechanic and Hester's domestic partner{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2010/film/news/nyswaner-to-adapt-freeheld-for-ellen-page-1118019542/|title=Nyswaner to adapt 'Freeheld' for Ellen Page|first=Pamela|last=McClintock|date=May 18, 2010|work=Variety|access-date=October 5, 2014}}
Michael Shannon as Dane Wells, Hester's supportive police partner
Steve Carell as Steven Goldstein, founder and then-Chair of Garden State Equality
Luke Grimes as Todd Belkin, Hester's closeted gay colleague{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2014/film/news/fifty-shades-of-grey-luke-grimes-freeheld-1201304017/|first=Justin|last=Kroll|title='Fifty Shades of Grey' Actor Luke Grimes Joins Julianne Moore in 'Freeheld' (EXCLUSIVE)|date=September 11, 2014|work=Variety|access-date=October 5, 2014}}
Josh Charles as Bryan Kelder, a member of the Ocean County board of chosen freeholders and a lawyer
Mary Birdsong as Carol Andree, Stacie's mother
Kelly Deadmon as Lynda Hester D'Orio, Laurel's sister
Gabriel Luna as Quesada
Anthony DeSando as Toohey
Skipp Sudduth as Chief Reynolds
William Sadler as Peter Santucci
Dennis Boutsikaris as Pat Gerrity
Adam LeFevre as Don Bennett
Traci Hovel as Hannah

Production

=Development=

Screenwriter Ron Nyswaner announced his intention in 2010 to write a feature-length adaptation of Cynthia Wade's 2007 Oscar-winning short film Freeheld, a documentary about New Jersey police officer Laurel Hester's fight against the Ocean County, New Jersey Board of Chosen Freeholders to pass on her pension benefits to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree, after being diagnosed with terminal cancer. At that time, Elliot Page{{efn|name=Elliot}} had already agreed to star as Andree; he stated in 2014 that he had been involved in the project's development for almost six years.{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/x-mens-ellen-page-life-701414|title='X-Men's' Ellen Page on Life After Coming Out, the Bryan Singer Case and Her Battle With Depression|work=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Seth|last=Abramovitch|date=May 7, 2014|access-date=October 5, 2014}} He first became involved after two of the film's producers, Stacey Sher and Michael Shamberg, sent him a copy of Wade's documentary and asked if he was interested in starring in an adaptation, an offer which he accepted "right away".{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/4001823/ellen-page-freeheld/|magazine=Time|title=Ellen Page on Freeheld and Why She Came Out: 'I Was Just Depressed'|date=August 27, 2015|first=Daniel|last=D'Addario| access-date=September 14, 2015}} Catherine Hardwicke was attached to the project as director early in its development but later withdrew.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-gay-rights-doc-freeheld-thats-being-turned-into-feature-starring-ellen-page-financing-for-film-secured-20120823|publisher=Indiewire|title=Watch: Gay Rights Doc 'Freeheld' That's Being Turned Into A Feature Starring Ellen Page, Financing For Film Secured|date=August 23, 2012|first=Joe|last=Cunningham|access-date=October 5, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141006131944/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/watch-gay-rights-doc-freeheld-thats-being-turned-into-feature-starring-ellen-page-financing-for-film-secured-20120823|archive-date=October 6, 2014|url-status=dead}} Shortly after the film's financing was secured in August 2012, Peter Sollett signed on to replace Hardwicke as director.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/nick-and-norah-director-peter-sollett-to-helm-ellen-pages-equal-rights-drama-freeheld-20120906|date=September 6, 2012|title='Nick and Norah' Director Peter Sollett To Helm Ellen Page's Equal Rights Drama 'Freeheld'|first=Drew|last=Taylor|publisher=Indiewire|access-date=October 5, 2014|archive-date=October 1, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151001045304/http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/nick-and-norah-director-peter-sollett-to-helm-ellen-pages-equal-rights-drama-freeheld-20120906|url-status=dead}} Julianne Moore was cast as Hester in February 2014. Zach Galifianakis was cast as Steven Goldstein, the founder and then-Chair of Garden State Equality, but was later replaced by Steve Carell. Andree consulted with Page, Sollett and Nyswaner about the making of the film.{{cite news|url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/zurich-ellen-page-calls-for-more-diverse-stories/5094676.article?blocktitle=LATEST-FILM-NEWS-HEADLINES|first=Wendy|last=Mitchell|title=Zurich: Ellen Page calls for more diverse stories|date=September 26, 2015|work=Screen International|access-date=September 29, 2015}}

=Filming=

Although the film is set in New Jersey, it was filmed in New York due to its more generous tax incentives for filmmakers. Filming began in October 2014 in Queens. In late October, a scene that was supposed to be filmed at Salesian High School, a Catholic boys' school in New Rochelle, New York, had to be relocated after the school's principal reversed his decision to allow the crew to film on the school campus.{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/julianne-moore-ellen-pages-lesbian-742670|title=Julianne Moore and Ellen Page's Lesbian Drama Barred From Shooting at Catholic School|date=October 21, 2014|first=Seth|last=Abramovitch|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=October 24, 2014}} The shoot was later relocated to the city hall of Rye, New York, which stood in for the Ocean County Administration Building{{cite web|title=Map of County Complex|url=http://www.ocean.nj.us/GovtDirPage.aspx?ID=276|website=County of Ocean Government|access-date=30 September 2016}} in a scene where Hester and Andree apply for domestic partnership. Another scene, in which Hester lies ill in a hospital room, was filmed in the community center of Greenburgh, New York,{{cite news|url=http://greenburgh.dailyvoice.com/lifestyle/julianne-moore-steve-carell-film-freeheld-westchester|title=Julianne Moore, Steve Carell Film 'Freeheld' At Greenburgh Community Center|date=October 31, 2014|first=Dina Grace Zoe|last=Sciortino|work=The Greenburgh Daily Voice|access-date=November 2, 2014}} while the town board room of North Hempstead, New York stood in for the Ocean County Board of Freeholders' chambers.{{cite news|url=http://www.newsday.com/long-island/towns/steve-carell-ellen-page-julianne-moore-film-freeheld-at-north-hempstead-town-hall-1.9595442|title=Steve Carell films movie at North Hempstead Town Hall|work=Newsday|date=November 7, 2014|first=Scott|last=Eidler|access-date=November 8, 2014}}

=Soundtrack=

The soundtrack was composed by Hans Zimmer & Johnny Marr. It was released at WaterTower Music & iTunes and includes the following tracks.{{Cite web |title=WaterTower Music - Freeheld - Soundtrack Available Now |url=http://www.watertower-music.com/news/newsstory.php?title=561083 |access-date=2022-11-26 |website=www.watertower-music.com}}

"On The Case"
"Can I Have Your Number?"
"House Hunting"
"Can't Leave Her"
"The Decision"
"Justice"
"Remembering"

Release

In February 2015, Lionsgate acquired distribution rights to the film.[http://www.shewired.com/film/2015/02/11/ellen-page-and-julianne-moore-lgbt-rights-drama-freeheld-gets-picked "Ellen Page and Julianne Moore LGBT Rights Drama Freeheld Gets Picked Up"]. SheWired, February 11, 2015. It received a limited release on October 2, 2015.{{cite web|url=http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/the-great-gay-hope-of-ellen-page-and-julianne-moores-freeheld-20150508|first=Dorothy|last=Snarker|title=The Great Gay Hope of Ellen Page and Julianne Moore's "Freeheld"|publisher=Indiewire|date=May 8, 2015|access-date=June 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150727074420/http://blogs.indiewire.com/womenandhollywood/the-great-gay-hope-of-ellen-page-and-julianne-moores-freeheld-20150508|archive-date=July 27, 2015|url-status=dead}}

Reception

Freeheld received mixed reviews from critics. Review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reports a 49% rating based on 136 reviews, with an average rating of 5.62/10. The consensus states: "Freeheld certainly means well, but its cardboard characters and by-the-numbers drama undermine its noble intentions."{{cite web | url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/771417802/ | title=Freeheld (2015) | work=Rotten Tomatoes | publisher=Flixster | access-date=May 5, 2020}} On Metacritic, the film has a 50 out of 100 rating based on 30 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{cite web | url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/freeheld | title=Freeheld | work=Metacritic | publisher=CBS Interactive | access-date=May 5, 2020}}