Now that 8: The Mormon Proposition has hit the theaters, the reviews and responses are hitting the Internet!
Some found it too heavy-handed, and urge you to think twice about taking your kids. However, the gril from “ask a Mormon girl” found it quite accurate. And another friend on Religion Dispatches wrote an interesting discussion about the LDS connection between gay marriage and polygamy:
I heard an LDS lawyer state quietly that one reason the church was so anxious to institute bans on gay marriage, was that the leaders knew that if gay marriage ever became widely legal and accepted, polygamy would subsequently be brought before the courts for legitimation. The church hierarchy simply didnt want to deal with the difficulties and embarrassment that would provoke. […]
Few people would want a world in which 14-year-old girls frequently become the thirty-second wife of men old enough to be their grandfathers. But there are those who, though they see no appeal in polygamy, feel that legalizing it might actually protect and help the women who end up in these marriages. If the ceremonies are performed under the auspices of the state, the state could ensure that any brides involved are indeed old enough to give legal consent. Also, if a plural wife subsequently decides to leave a marriage, she would have recourses and rights granted and recognized by the state.
Couldn’t have said it better myself! (Though I did make the same points, perhaps less concisely, here, here, and in the discussion here. 😉 )
If you’ve seen “8” (or any reviews of it), please link them in the comments here!
Mark Paredes penned a review over at his “Jews and Mormons” blog: Mormons, Gays and Prop 8. My understanding is that Mark’s a designated philo-Semitic shill for the LDS church, and it’s interesting to follow the twists and turns of his convoluted review.
And, in line with the post, here’s a one-minute clip from 8:TMP that discusses polygamy:
I saw it the other day and, much to my surprise, really enjoyed it. I’ll post my review of the film to the SHAFT site later this week.
Actually, the gist of my post wasn’t that I regretted taking my son. I don’t. What I regret is that we live in a society where I have to teach him that being open about his beliefs and values is, and can be, dangerous. I believe he needed to see that movie and we’ve had several meaningful discussions since then.
Many people have called the movie “propaganda”. Yes, it was slightly dramatic and yes it was biased. What are documentaries? They are visual editorials. If people want to see a balanced view, then they should skip this movie. It tells the truth, and it leaves no wiggle room for the LDS Church. I believe that from my experience, there isn’t any wiggle room for them. Not in this fight.
I was kicked out and ostracized for being bisexual. Alternative sexuality frightens Mormons, that’s the bottom line. We don’t fit in their world view, and therefore, we have to go, one way or another. The movie was well-done and yes, dramatic with lots of violins and slightly demonized versions of LDS leaders. But they didn’t fabricate the WORDS these leaders said. IMO, they demonized themselves without any help from the producers of this film.
JulieAnn — Thanks for the clarification, very good points!
Here’s another excellent discussion of the film (found through exmormon reddit).
Also, Emily Pearson (who was involved in making the film), gives a touching explanation of Why We Made 8.
And check out this Cowan interview in Salon.