Review: Milk

[Editor's note] Few film experiences have spoken so much to who I wish I was. Fewer still have dared me to find the courage and conviction in myself (albeit through a megaphone) like in Gus Van Sant's Milk.

Set in the 1970s, this film traces the roots of the Gay Civil Rights movement from Anita Bryant to the activists of San Francisco's Castro Street. It's a film that pits the political establishment against a grassroots organization fighting for equality. At the center of it all, Sean Penn brings to life California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk. Recounting the last eight years of his life, Penn weaves an extraordinary tale of love and loss, of hope and change-- of a dream still fighting to be realized.

Without giving away too much of the plot, I can say that Milk goes beyond a period piece, beyond a biopic even. While it exquisitely captures the life and times of a great man, it also holds up a mirror to our lives. Its basic themes of gay rights and equality for all reverberate loudly in a post-Prop 8 world. It's a film that shows us how we started and points us at how far we have to go. In its own way, it passes the baton from the old fighting guard to a generation who's reaped the rewards of those fights. A generation whose fights are just beginning.

I encourage you to see Milk. It's not a gay movie or a biography. It's a call to arms for anyone who believes in the innate right to love who you wish.