Pride

In 1984 a group of gay activists in London decide to raise money for the miners' strike. The problem is that the unions do not want it. Eventually the village of Onllwyn in Wales accepts, and two communities have to get to know each other. The story is real: Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners, or LGSM. Mark Ashton in the film founded the group. Matthew Warchus directed, with Bill Nighy, Imelda Staunton and Dominic West in the cast. It won the Queer Palm at Cannes. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 92 percent, with a consensus calling it earnest without being didactic and uplifting without stooping to sentimentality. Golden Globe and BAFTA nominations followed and it grossed 19 million dollars worldwide. There was also a marketing argument. The US home video release stripped gay references from the packaging, replacing gay and lesbian activists with generic language. That the film carried a 15 certificate in the UK and an R in the United States raised its own questions about bias. A stage musical adaptation is due at the National Theatre in London in 2026. Who it is for: viewers who like stories of solidarity and the politics of eighties Britain. Who it is not for: anyone wanting complexity. The film settles its conflicts quickly and several characters change their minds too easily.