FREEHELD | FAMILY MOVIE REVIEW INFORMATION FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

"FREEHELD"
(2015) (Julianne Moore, Ellen Page) (PG-13)

QUICK TAKE:: Drama: A cancer stricken cop must contend with the county where she works not wanting to grant her pension to her same-sex domestic partner.

PLOT:

It's the early 2000s and Laurel Hester (JULIANNE MOORE) is a detective in Seaside Heights, New Jersey. Along with her cop partner Dane Wells (MICHAEL SHANNON), she works to arrest drug dealers and such, and is currently working on a related double homicide. But she leads a secret life in that she's a lesbian, something she can't disclose to Dane or any other cops for fear of that likely putting an end to any work promotions. Accordingly, she travels long distances to meet other women, and does just that at a women's volleyball practice where auto mechanic Stacie Andree (ELLEN PAGE) is instantly smitten with Laurel and vice-versa.

The two become lovers and eventually buy a house together, with Laurel still keeping that secret from everyone. That is, until she's stricken with stage four lung cancer and learns that the county she works for won't allow her pension, should she die, to go to Stacie who's now her legal domestic partner. Dane is outraged, but he doesn't get much support from any other cops, or those who sit on the county council such as Bill Johnson (TOM McGOWAN) and Pat Gerry (DENNIS BOUTSIKARIS) who've forced the council's lone supporter of Laurel's case, Bryan Kelder (JOSH CHARLES), to side with them.

Enter Steven Goldstein (STEVE CARELL), a gay Jewish activist who wants gay marriage legalized and sees that Laurel and Stacie's problem could work well for furthering his cause. As Laurel gets sicker from the disease and treatment, Steven, Dane and others race against time to change the minds of the council before it's too late.

WILL KIDS WANT TO SEE IT?: Unless the subject matter interests them or they're a fan of someone in the cast, it doesn't seem too likely.

WHY THE MPAA RATED IT: PG-13: For some thematic elements, language and sexuality.

To continue reading the review and all of the highly detailed, scene-by-scene listings of the sex, nudity, profanity, violence and more (15 categories):

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