Gay rights documentary Stonewall
Uprising opened Friday in select cities to mixed reviews.
The film officially premiered in April
at the Full Frame Documentary Film Festival in Durham, North
Carolina.
Based on the book Stonewall: The
Riots That Sparked the Gay Revolution by David Carter, the film
digs deep into the gay community's “Rosa Parks moment,” the
now-famous three-day riots in June 1969 when gay patrons – many of
whom were drag queens – of the Stonewall Inn in New York City
fought back against a police raid, refusing to be hauled away in
paddy wagons.
But in its review, the Washington
Post said: “For a movie about a groundbreaking gay rebellion,
Stonewall Uprising plays it much too straight.”
“Historical context, archival image,
talking head; lather, rinse, repeat,” reviewer Dan Kois offered.
And D.C.
gay weekly Metro
Weekly was uninspired as well. It said the film offered “a
lot of historical backwash” in awarding it only two stars.
“While Stonewall remains a turning
point for the LGBT movement, Stonewall Uprising doesn't
represent a turning point for our insights into that fateful
weekend,” reviewer Tim Plant wrote.
Variety, however, praised the
movie's directors, veteran filmmakers Kate Davis and David
Heilbroner, for their “cohesive” and “well-structured”
documentary.
And a poster at the Washington Post
disagreed with the paper's review, saying: “I saw this film
last weekend and found it totally engrossing. … Go see it and be
amazed at how far our society has come and how important it is that
we continue to fight for our rights and prevent a return to those
dark days.”