Five years ago the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court ruled that same-sex couples could marry. It had never been legal in the United States, but now Massachusetts was set to be the first state in which such a union could take place. Almost immediately that state became the focus of the debate over same-sex marriage. Opponents to gay marriage immediately began to try to nullify this with a constitutional amendment. Supporters of gay rights immediately went to work to keep what they saw as a key achievement in their struggle for acceptance and equal rights.

Saving Marriage is a chronicle of the struggle of the gay community and many others to save the right of people who love each other and are committed to being family to be able to share fully in one of our culture's most basic institutions. It follows the whole legal process—constitutional conventions, issuing the first licenses, elections, lobbying. The LGBT community had ups and downs along the way.

The film definitely has a focus on those working to protect the right of gays and lesbians to marry. Opponents and their views are included from time to help clarify the issues, but there is no attempt to provide equal time. Instead the film becomes in some ways a civics lesson, but beneath that is a more powerful look at the personal issues involved. The film isn't interested in addressing the question from religious points of view. While there are some places where churches and religious language are involved, theological and biblical issues are outside the scope of this film.

The film opens with scenes of heterosexual weddings interspersed with comments from gays and lesbians. The first words in the film are, "You live your whole life going to weddings and being invited to celebrations and events that you will never be able to participate in. I think many of us just go, and it can be kind of painful and wistful to sit there and, as happy as you are for whatever friend or relative is having the most important day of their life, to know that you can't have the most important day of your life." That sets the tone that this is not an abstract discussion, but one that grows out of personal experiences and feelings—sometimes feelings that only came to the surface when marriage became a possibility.

Later in the film, this same woman remembers how she had thought that those who had been pushing for marriage equality were fighting a futile battle. "But," she goes on to say, "there's nothing like sitting across the desk with a legislator that tells you 'Marriage is between a man and a woman. I'm married; I don't think you should be.'"

An opponent to gay marriage (who said the day of the court decision was as traumatic as the day JFK was killed) makes his feelings known. "Same-sex marriage degrades the value of my marriage. It says to me that my uniqueness as a man and as a husband and as a father is irrelevant. . . . We're having disorder and confusion being cast into the homes of Massachusetts by this decision."

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