Milk

I finally saw the great Gus Van Sant's biopic today of the late Harvey Milk. It has taken me a while to see this film because of the insanity of the holiday season...and because I knew that I would need to be emotionally prepared for this movie. Unlike Brokeback Mountain, this is a non-fiction movie and I knew what the ending would be.

Some have said that it would have been better for the gay rights movement had Milk been released before November 4th, perhaps Prop 8 would not have passed. I choose to not look retrospectively and rather embrace Harvey's great activist spirit as a message for those of us living unhappily in a post-Prop 8 California. Milk invites the gay community and all our supporters to take stock of the strides that we have made since the late 70s. But more than that, Milk guides our actions to not only re-obtain our right to marry in California, but to spread that right to our nation. When opposition grows strong, we must dig in our heals and fight back.

As far as the movie, Sean Penn's performance is every bit as legendary as has been publicized. However, I would wager that his creation of the character of Harvey Milk is only one example of many great character creations in this fine film. James Franco wonderfully moved from intoxicating, young, rights fighter to stately, sweet activist. However, my favorite performance may have been turned in by Emile Hirsch. From the moment he flounced on screen with the exact air and flamboyance of a cocky yet scared-shitless gaybie he had nailed a character. Can I say whether or not it was truly Cleve Jones, I was not alive to know the man and haven't met him in his older age, but I did believe Hirsch's character throughout the film. In fact, when I did finally cry, it was not during the the actual shooting scene, but when Anne an Scotty walk out towards castro street from the practically empty memorial at City Hall to see the epic candle procession coming up from market street. It was exactly as the camera focused on Cleve's (Hirsch's) face with a perfectly displayed mix between utter despair and stoic leadership that my eyes began to well up.

Alison Pill, who played Anne Kronenberg, was also quite wonderful as the strong lesbian who came in to revitalize Milk's campaign. Her character absolutely moderated the tone of the story in the way only a woman's spirit could.

I am also quite thankful for this film as a very important piece of coming gay history textbook. Everyone who has worked with a minority group is well aware of the fact that as individuals come to find their place in their community they ache to know about the struggles that their people have endured. In high school, I learned about White History, and Black History, and to less of an extent Latino and Asian History, but there was no Gay History. My knowledge of my people has been pieced together over years of researching small bits and pieces of events. I know that there is still a lot for me to learn. What Milk has done for us is bring Gay History to the general public. Now my peoples history can be included in our history. And what I think is most exciting about this history is that some of these icons are still alive. Cleve Jones and Anne Kronenberg are still fighting today. It is not out of the realm of possibility to meet them and work with these giants. When TR Knight went on Ellen's show after coming otu to the public, he thanked Ellen for her bravery coming out in the 90s. Everyone in the audience "awwwww"ed appropriately, but I wonder how much they truly understood that one of the great strengths that the gay community can draw from, is that a lot of the heros of the gay rights movement that our history will immortalize are still alive and readily available to us.

Everyone who I know has seen it has said that they've left the theater feeling empowered and hopeful. This was to be Milk's legacy. The final quote on the previews for this movie is "You gotta give them hope," and it seems that Milk has done just that by wonderfully capturing a man who continues to be an inspiration for young LGBT people everywhere and is finally becoming a hero to those who are not a part of that community.