Thanks for the memories!

Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

Captivating movie !

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

PRIDE is one of those films which makes you realize that the cinema as an art form can still be highly political without sacrificing other qualities such as story, plot, and characterization.In terms of subject-matter it resembles Mark Harmon's BRASSED OFF (1996), as it tells of the effect of the miners' strike of 1985-6 on a local community threatened with pit closures. In the earlier film the subject centered on a brass band; in PRIDE director Matthew Warchus looks at the ways in which a South Welsh community reacts to the help offered them by a London-based group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners.The initial reaction might be to recall Matt Lucas's classic running gag in the television comedy LITTLE Britain, where he played Dafydd Thomas, "the only gay in the village." Perhaps, predictably the Welsh villagers resent the group's presence among them - especially the aggressively masculine miners who feel that gays somehow threaten their status as opinion-formers. Yet such opinions soon change, due in no small part to the efforts of the wives, led by Hefina (Imelda Staunton) and supported by closet gay Cliff (Bill Nighy). In the end everyone comes together in a show of support for the miners, even though their cause is ultimately hopeless.While the feelgood factor is obviously high, as director Matthew Warchus shows how people of different socio-economic backgrounds learn to accommodate one another in a show of solidarity, we cannot help but feel angry at what happened to the mining communities as a result of Prime Minister Thatcher's policies. Coal-mining as an industry might have been expensive to maintain, but there was really no excuse to impose such a swingeing program of pit-closures that destroyed individuals' lives. The motivation was entirely political: the Conservative government wanted to extinguish the power of the trade unions, especially the National Union of Mineworkers led by Arthur Scargill, and were prepared to go to any lengths to achieve their aims. By doing so they helped to create the social and regional inequalities that persist in contemporary British society.In hindsight films such as PRIDE show how pointless such policies actually were. The only real result was to deprive working people of their livelihoods and destroy long-established communities. And that is not really much of a legacy for any government.

Having viewed this film the day after the events of the Orlando shooting, the story and characters left a scarring view of the continued struggles of the LGBT community. This film was truly mastered with pride and a willingness to discover the truth in danger, but not allow it to destroy the humor in life. These upbeat characters live in a time of Thatcher's reign and oppression, but the love for life is never truly gone. The message behind the story is more than a memoir, it is a respectful approach to the efforts of men to support the very community it had been repressed by.The actors do a wonderful job of approaching these characters with open arms, heart, and all the while displaying the emotional duress that this community still suffers from today. Bill Nighy's reserved character shines through, his development of a closeted man to a openly enthusiastic supporter is something I'm sure some may relate to. Even Joe Gilgun's quite Mike is an important supporting actor and character. His presence is enjoyable and quite frankly relatable to me. As he stands on the sidelines, he still does his part. Every community member's personality type seems to be represented in this wonderful film. The ending is heartfelt and certainly tugged a bit at my heart after seeing Sian's success, and knowing of Mark's loss. This movie is inspiring and everyone should view it. It may open the eyes of the ignorant, and inspire the supporting. Overall, I highly recommend this film especially after the mass shooting in Orlando and keeping those events in mind.

Wow. This was such a beautiful movie.It is a true story but it's not a story I knew anything about. While politics is a big part of the reason for the events of the film, it is nowhere near a political film.This movie is very story and character orientated and it not at all flashy, over the top or too Hollywood.I can't even begin to say how brilliant the cast is with the likes of Andrew Scott (Sherlock), Joseph Gilgun (Misfits), Dominic West (The Affair), Paddy Considine (The World's End), Imelda Staunton (Harry Potter) and Bill Nighy (Love Actually) but the one person who always drew my attention was Jessica Gunning, who played Sian. There was just something about her adorable, feisty, good-hearted character that was just captivating to watch.Just an amazing beautifully scripted and acted with both happy and sad moments. Wouldn't be something I watch regularly but will absolutely watch again sometime.Definitely give it a watch.

Writing a light-hearted comedy-drama based around the homophobic politics of the 1980s and the UK miners' strike might sound like a concept doomed to failure. But Pride miraculously pulls it off, and in spectacular fashion at that. Directed by Matthew Warchus and written by Stephen Beresford, the film derives from the factual story of a group of lesbians and gay men in the 1980s, who raised funds for Welsh miners in an attempt to achieve solidarity. Surprisingly, despite the air of negativity that was prevalent during the decade in which it is set, Pride manages to maintain an upbeat and inspiring tone, without conveying itself to be preachy, which is something of an accomplishment. The feature centres on 20-year-old closet homosexual Joe (George MacKay). During his first visit to a gay pride march in 1984, he becomes inaugurated into a group of gay and lesbian activists led by Mark Ashton (Ben Schnetzer), who decide to support Welsh miners in an attempt to persuade them that they are on the same side, thereby forming 'LGSM': Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners. Before long, the group members find themselves in a traditional Welsh village to convince the local community that they demand similar from the government. However, events take an awry turn as one bigoted member of the community is hell bent on sabotaging their efforts. The majority of the comedy derives from the interactions between the gay characters and the villagers. Menna Trussler is particularly memorable as Gwen, an elderly lady whose interactions with the lesbian characters are not only hilarious but also strangely endearing. Needless to say, of course, Imelda Staunton and Bill Nighy shine in their roles, but it is the younger, main lesbian and gay ensemble that shines the brightest. MacKay and Schnetzer are perfect in their leading roles, and the acting, on the whole, is near-flawless. Pride is particularly commendable for its even-handed delivery of what is essentially a comedy on one hand, and a profoundly emotional drama on the other. It surprisingly refrains from enforcing a preachy one-sided anti-Thatcher commentary, essentially avoiding the subject of politics altogether. Instead, Beresford focuses predominantly on the personal and interpersonal exploits of the mostly fictionalised ensemble and, for the most part, succeeds. Gethin's (Andrew Scott) storyline, which involves his reuniting with his mother, is especially noteworthy in this respect, though it could be argued that it relies too heavily on a common 'gay-themed' plot to induce an emotional response. Likewise, Joe's clichéd 'coming out' storyline feels somewhat old and tired, but Beresford's varied and compelling use of characters, combined with Warchus' fast-paced direction, enables the film to maintain a semblance of freshness. It's nothing unique, but it's well-written, thoroughly engaging and ultimately uplifting. However, for a film that relies heavily on its characters and their circumstances to convey a touching and uplifting story, the emotional aspects of the film are at times surprisingly underplayed. The character of Joe, for example, though presented initially as the protagonist, is disappointingly obscured and overshadowed by the LGSM ensemble throughout the majority of the film, despite his particular storyline bearing the most potential in terms of poignancy. Consequently, this poignancy is never truly realised and his overall underuse makes the film's angle appear uncertain from the outset. Despite this, the film nonetheless maintains a feel-good tone that's full of heart, and makes a profound statement as a firm indication of the progression we've witnessed in the acceptance of LGBT people and their rights since the source basis of this feature. Sadly, the film's few shortcomings preclude it from being regarded as a masterpiece. That said, in spite of its flaws, Warchus' home-grown feel-good feature is undoubtedly a film to be proud of.