Inspired by the viral video and funded by numerous supporters of the Kickstarter, Bridegroom is a feature-length film about an unwed gay couple. It’s not only a story of love, but also a story of death. This documentary features the life of Shane Crone after his partner, Tom Bridegroom, dies.
After reaching festival audiences over the course of a summer, during which it won awards at Tribeca, the touching documentary opened on Oct. 4th 2013 in New York. From its humble beginnings to its internet fame, Bridegroom represents how technology can empower the voices of the outcast and help share the stories we rarely get to hear.
The documentary exposes the lives of the two young men who grew up in small towns and had to work out their sexuality on their own. After meeting in Los Angeles, Crone and Bridegroom built a life together. They had a shared mortgage. They had an entertainment business. They made video diaries that depict the happy home they built.
Eventually, both men became brave enough to come out to their parents. Crone found support and acceptance. Bridegroom was not as fortunate. He grew up in conservative Indiana, and his parents were angry and bitter; they never accepted their son or his sexuality. This became more apparent in 2011 when Bridegroom died in an accident.
The aftermath of his death fuels the documentary’s dramatic element. With no legal marriage, Crone had no lawful, authorized standing in the relationship. Crone’s family was compassionate, but Bridegroom’s family shut him out. He was kept from seeing Bridegroom in the hospital until some of the nurses were sympathetic. He was kept from the funeral. He was being erased from his partner’s life. He couldn’t do anything about it.
Crone’s grief comes across profoundly and clearly. The moments when he describes his final farewell (I won’t spoil anything) are what shatter the audience. The moments of misery are paired with memories of happier times. The video diaries and interviews share parts of their lives together that are intimate and honest.
Bridegroom is more than some heartbreaking young love story with a tragic ending. The documentary is a compelling plea for equal rights for same-sex partners within a marriage. This grassroots film creates sympathy and anger but overall leaves the audience inspired. It acknowledges the blissful relationship and the strong survivor, Crone, who is shaped by his experiences.
