Stonewall

It's Danny's first day in New York City. It's 1969 and he's traveled far from home in fear of the persecution he's facing from the small town bigots that keep spreading the anti-homosexual propaganda - the scourge of all that is right and pure in America. Stay away from darkened alleys and don't let them follow you alone into the public restroom! It was a different time with different rules and there was a fire brewing deep within the community.

Seen through the eyes of Jeremy Irvine's "Danny" who arrives on the corner of 7th Avenue and Christopher Street "Stonewall," is entitled for where the city's gay community gather most, but often faced constant prejudice, violence and arrests because gays were not allowed to "gather" or "be served alcohol." The film is transportive and a reminder that it wasn't so long ago.

Danny meets Ray (Jonny Beauchamp) and is instantly taken under his wing, helping Danny to form a new family in the midst of discovering his true identity as a gay man, living in a time where being gay was brutally dangerous.

Director Roland Emmerich evolves the story mixing in textured narrative with factual history leading up to the most significant moment - the raid of the Stonewall Inn - that would ultimately give rise to the Gay Civil Rights movement and inspire pride in a community that was fighting for equality. It was a personal journey of Emmerich's to bring this film to light, and is richly explored pulling no punches to depict the struggles these brave pioneers faced daily.

Often times these types of films that take a sojourn into LGBTQ history and are tailored to attract a mainstream audience hold back as to appeal more broadly and generally avoid shocking. But "Stonewall" sticks to task and delivers. It captures the fear, the anger and the movement that leads us to the present and a world where in the United States of America we now have equality.

DVD disc bonus features reveal the rich history behind the actual riots at the Stonewall Inn that inspired the modern era's Gay Civil Rights Movement and the national Gay Pride celebration. Additional looks at two of the film's cast help texturize Jonny Beauchamp's "Ray" and the character of "Marsha P" as personified by Otoja Abit. With a cast that includes "The Tudors" Jonathyn Rhys Meyers and Ron Perlman of "Sons of Anarchy" this powerful film is revelatory.

"Stonewall"
available on DVD and Digital HD download
$14.99
www.lionsgate.com