Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement is a heartwarming documentary film that brings to the screen the enduring love story of Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer. Windsor and Spyer were pioneers of civil rights and among the first same-sex couples to marry legally in the United States. This film, which is characteristic of a witty and poignant analysis, delves into their lives, their relationship, and the monumental legal history they would eventually make.

Susan Muska and Greta Olafsdottir directed this 2009 documentary, which tells a story more deserving of attention than most fictional narratives. These directors began their project with the notion of merely telling an intriguing tale about longtime partners Edie and Thea. However, shortly after the project began, it grew in importance due to Thea's failing health and their consequential decision to marry in Canada, their story effectively capturing the spirit of the gay rights movement's struggle for legal recognition of same-sex marriages.

The narrative is told primarily through the words of Edie and Thea, with interjections of home videos, archival footages, photographs, and taped conversations. We begin in the past, over 40 years before this documentary was made, when Edie and Thea first met. The two women's love story is as fairy-tale as they come, with an immediate connection, a bond that instantly surpasses the societal constraints and stigmas of their time. The shared stories and memories provide a wholesome picture of two lives filled with joy, constant challenges, tragedy, perseverance, and endless love.

Edie's charisma and Thea's infectious zest for life made them an irresistible couple, as shown in their fun and sometimes mischievous anecdotes from early in their relationship. The on-screen chemistry between them is undeniable and serves to humanize the LGBTQ+ rights struggle through their story.

We then journey through Thea's diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis in the late 70s to their engagement in 1967, which lasted more than 40 years. This time period showcases their struggle with Thea's declining health and how it impacted their relationship, lifestyle, and brought an urgency to their fight for the legal recognition of their partnership.

The courage demonstrated by Edie and Thea as they face the harsh realities of Thea's condition is captivating. Their fight against adversities individually and socially as a couple, epitomizes their unflinching determination and profound love. The film captures this quietly beautiful love story as an emblematic narrative of the LGBT community's fight for equal rights.

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement organically draws a parallel between their 'very long engagement' and the 'very long struggle' the LGBTQ+ community had for its rights and acceptance. The film redefines the meaning of marriage and love and challenges the audience's preconceived notions towards these terms.

Muska and Olafsdottir, through their careful and empathetic storytelling, manage to weave a narrative that's as unique as it is universal. It is an intimate portrayal of two remarkable women, whose struggle for marriage equality would change the course of legal history in America. The movie proficiently intertwines the personal elements of their romance and struggle with larger metaphorical and momentous societal issues.

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement is a powerful and tender portrayal of commitment that transcends time and societal perceptions. It's a celebration of love and devotion, and a tribute to a couple that dared to live and love openly, challenging societal norms and prejudices. The film is a lesson on the power of love to overcome adversity and serves as an important historical record of the struggle for LGBTQ+ civil rights.

In conclusion, it is a film steeped in history, drama, struggle, and perseverance, presenting an intimate portrait of an extraordinary couple's undying love and determination. Their story resonates far beyond the boundaries of a love story, extending to realms of social justice, activism, and a chronicle of significant chapters in the fight for LGBTQ+ civil rights. It is through the journey of Edie and Thea that we are shown a love that stands the test of time, challenges the law, and changes the world.