Based on a true story, 'Freeheld' tells the tale of two people in love, fighting for equality and standing up for what is right in a David and Goliath-type battle of politics and archaic belief systems.
Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore) is an esteemed detective, who for 22 years, has dedicated her life to the New Jersey police force and has made a name for herself as a tough-as-nails, impressive policewoman.
With her aim to be appointed as the first-ever woman promoted to lieutenant in her county, Laurel must constantly prove her worth as a woman and fight for her place in a male dominated, chauvinistic world.
In addition to the gender inequality she experiences on a daily basis, Laurel is also a lesbian. And it’s because of this she is forced to conceal her true identity and live a double life to ensure she maintains her status and standing within the force.
Laurel’s world is spun on its head when she meets Stacie Andree (Ellen Page) at a social volleyball event and it is love at first sight for both women. Despite their very large age-gap and rocky start to their relationship, the pair is smitten and totally inseparable moving forward.Just like any other couple in love, Laurel and Stacie start to build a life together, albeit under the guise of 'room mates' and even file for a domestic partnership, which provides them with limited legal rights as a legally recognised couple under the eyes of the law.
Despite having to conceal their relationship to Laurel’s colleagues, the couple are deliriously happy, until one fateful day Laurel is diagnosed with cancer and must literally start the fight of her life to ensure the wellbeing of Stacie’s future and more importantly, fight for what should be afforded to all people – equality and justice.
'Freeheld' is in cinemas 5 November.
