Bridegroom

It's unfortunate this is presented as a "gay" title. This is about the power of love and unfathomable hate. Absolutely a "must see".... watch it. You'll learn the shameful depths of hatred and blatant ignorance. But also the beauty of true love. Without question, I'll watch it again! From the book of Samuel: For the Lord sees not as man sees. For man looks at the outward appearance and the Lord looks upon the heart (not perfect quote). But you can get my point. A lesson for the unknowing. I was truely moved. Powerful!

Amazing, see this movie! [Spoiler Alert!] This is a love story of Tom Bridegroom and Shane Bitney Crone. Tom is fascinated with Shane's great-Grandma Pat's snake killing prowess. "I'm always after a snake, I don't want them around here." So goes the plot. And she kills forty in a season - impressive. Revered Grandma Pat is the matriarch of this clan and she's one tough old bird. "My mind is gone," she laments, but clearly, her strength of character is intact. She declares of Shane and Toms' relationship, "It's Romeo and Romeo, get over it." Like Grandma Pat before him, Shane is called on to confront a bunch of snakes, first at Flathead High School (you can't make this stuff up), and again, almost a decade later in Knox, Indiana, with the likes of Tom's mom and dad. In the first encounter, Shane is too young and inexperienced to defend himself from these vipers and his soul and spirit are ruthlessly torn apart in collective acts of unimaginable cruelty, by high school classmates, parents, and a high school principal. He contemplates suicide - all this the consequence of a love note sent to a school-boy crush. But he survives, is patched back together by his loving mother and sisters, and at 18 he sets off for Hollywood. The family is afraid, but they have to let him go. Shane, the shy and unsophisticated high-school grad finds Tom, the Hollywood groomed, incredibly talented and popular, Culver Military/Vassar educated, too-handsome guy. It's not so surprising that they fall in love, hormones work that way, but the terms of the relationship are eye-opening. Tom positively thrives on Shane's emotional depth, no doubt a familial legacy of Grandma Pat. Shane finds in Tom his knight in shining armor, his protector, his first true love - his everything. Then tragedy. As if the camera lens connects him to the spirit world, Shane pleads with Tom, "Is this really happening?" It is. And it hurts. A lot.The most satisfying moment is the second time Shane confronts the snakes. It's Tom's family this time, an emotionally challenged clan that substitutes homophobic Bible verses for family values. The Bridegroom's attempt to sanitize their son Tom's legacy of any mention of the couple's six years together, to deny Shane any hint of consolation or compassion, colossal acts of cruelty and deceit. Unlike the Flathead disaster, and despite incredible odds, Shane is no longer a boy incapable of defending himself, and he has learned well the lessons of his elders. Most importantly, Tom has infused in Shane everything that he was - Shane is a force to be reckoned with. Even in the depths of despair, he plots his strategy with great skill, then engages battle on the first anniversary of Tom's death - defining the terms of engagement in his YouTube video, "It Could Happen to You." And it goes viral. And it is amplified in this documentary. Shane overwhelms the incredibly mean spirited snakes in Tom's family, yet in victory he is not hateful, even if the vanquished feel the sting of his victory. Nevertheless, all that remains is Tom's memory - enough perhaps to make Shane's life bearable, but that's all there is. And it still hurts. As a postscript, Flathead has not seen the last of Shane, he's scheduled speaking engagements there this November. Don't you wonder what the snakes think?

This movie is this generation's "Brian's Song" — a guaranteed tear-jerker. The story is so tragic and underscores why granting the right to marry to everyone above the age of consent is so important. To be in love with and committed to another person is deeply fulfilling but, if tragedy should strike (as it did in this instance), means absolutely nothing in the eyes of the law. It is truly sad that Tom's family felt and acted the way they did but the law says they were completely permitted to do so. Anyone watching this movie cannot help but see the love that Shane and Tom shared and the wrenching grief Shane felt at Tom's death. To then have Tom's family try to shut him out and act as if he had never been a part of Tom's life is almost beyond comprehension. Shane proved himself a man of honor and principles by trying to respect the family's feelings even though they had disregarded his. I think he really displayed that whole "turn the other cheek" thing.The movie is beautifully done and, hopefully, should be nominated for an Oscar for Best Documentary. And it *is* a documentary — none of it is made up. This is the reality faced when two people (no matter what gender combination) are forbidden to marry. I hope as many people as possible see this movie — especially those that don't understand why marriage equality is so important. I can see no valid reason why the law cannot be applied equally to any two people who wish to marry. I believe that marriage equality is coming but it can't happen too quickly for other couples like Shane and Tom. Unfortunately, their story is far from unique. This kind of emotional agony is experienced every day by people whose only "mistake" was to fall in love with someone who comes from a family that cannot or will not understand.

This is by far one of the most powerful films since Tom Hanks in Philadelphia. This movie brought me to tears hearing how Tom's family basically cut Shane off from the source of his love, comfort, and really everything they shared in the 6 years they were together. It just shows that Christians who fight so hard for this to not be, but what good Christian that has faith would want to wish that upon someone, or just Barr a person to say their final goodbye. This just shows that the world needs to open their eyes. Put yourself in Shane's shoes and live what he had to live through because of Tom's parents non acceptance of tom being gay. For the fact that Tom's mom connected to shane and his family and then turned a complete 180. I know people mourn in different ways but someone who lives by faith everyday in their lives, would god want you to deny someone the chance to say goodbye to the person they have loved for the past 6 years? I don't think that is god's message. This movie is just by far one of the best movies I have seen based off the LGBT world. We are all human, we all deserve love, but what toms mom did to shane was just uncalled for. I hope shane continues to live on the memory of Tom and hopefully he has found happiness and peace regardless of not having Tom here. Shane you are an inspiration to many young and old. This movie definitely gets an A in my book.

Oh my gosh, I spent most of the afternoon in tears after watching this. Although the documentary is upsetting, I also found it to be inspiring in the sense of the strength/intensity of Shane and Tom's love. But what is also highly significant is that so many people stood by them and wanted to see the world in a fair, open and even-handed way (a sign that humanity has come such a long way). I am so pleased this documentary was made as it creates an active monument to honour Tom (who seems such a lovely person) and also sets a sign-post for the way we need to go.

I knew this would make me cry but it also made me smile. So many contributed to this and I so glad each and everyone did. It's sure to become a mark on the history of the whole fight for equal marriage in the US - that has moved so at a ferious pace since that fateful day.

What fantastic, romantic, happy but also sad non fiction story about a man who has lost his true love cause of an accident.It shows no matter in life and death the heart can break but it will go on.All the happy memories remembered for life.

An incredible film.

This is a first-rate and very moving documentary. Tom and Shane are a remarkable pair, and they have remarkable and sympathetic friends too.