Stonewall **** (2015, Jeremy Irvine, Jonny Beauchamp, Joey King, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Ron Perlman, Matt Craven) – Classic Movie Review 11,344

Emmerich’s entertaining, effective and informative film, set crucially during the months leading up to the 1969 Stonewall Riots, is a straightforward and simple-seeming but complicated and complex mix of coming of age drama, a coming-out story, a political awakening tale and a historical drama, an important reminder of the reasons for the violent clash that started the gay rights movement in New York City.

Jeremy Irvine stars in the 2015 coming-of-age, coming-out film Stonewall.

The screenplay concentrates more on the hero’s personal tale, making the film appealing and sympathetic, as well as universal, and the film is perhaps most effective as a coming-out tale, but there is still plenty to challenge and to think about, and a whole gay history and variety of characters to consider. For example, the Stonewall is shown to be being run by the Italian Mafia, and for the bar’s survival, and for his own, Ed Murphy is shown colluding with corrupt police and exploiting homeless youth.

The film is ambitious, and takes risks. It pays off nicely. Held back by its need for a wide audience and a careful budget, it might not be historically accurate, or entirely politically correct, but it satisfyingly captures the 1969 zeitgeist and the meaning and significance of Stonewall. It makes no attempt to put Stonewall in the context of the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, but that is too wide a remit. There is some clunky dialogue as the screenplay tries to explain events, characters and feelings, but much of it is good, credible and involving. And it manages to pull a lot in in its 129 minutes.

Yes, Cambridge, England, born, squeaky clean Jeremy Irvine is an odd choice for the all-American hero, but he does well. He’s so darned nice and charming that you are always on his side. Yes, perhaps Stonewall is the wrong title. Indiana Boy in New York might say it better. But the film celebrates LGBT Pride loud and strong.

It is filmed in Canada, and had a fair-sized budget $13,500,000, though re-creating 1969 New York is a costly tall order. A lot of gay people did not like it. And not a lot of people paid to go see it. Its US gross was only $187,674 and its cumulative worldwide gross was only $292,669.

It is hard to underestimate the significance of Stonewall. Those were the Dark Ages. Fifty years on, change has been enormous, but crucially, at the end, the film reminds us that homosexuality is still illegal in 72 countries.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,344

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Jeremy Irvine stars in the 2014 thriller film Beyond the Reach.