The Case Against 8

It was simple. Kristin and Sandra wanted to get married for the same reason as their parents: because they loved each other. The same goes for Paul and Jeff. But with California’s Proposition 8 banning same-sex marriages, the two couples were denied their pursuit of happiness. The couples were picked to be the public face of opposition to Prop 8 by an unlikely duo of attorneys working together: progressive David Boies and ultraconservative Ted Olson (opposing sides during the legendary Bush v. Gore). It didn’t take long for the two attorneys’ political motives to take a backseat to their common cause: championing fundamental human rights. In THE CASE AGAINST 8, we get the inside scoop of the landmark case that finally allowed same-sex couples in California the right to marry; a decision that is currently sweeping the United States in a firestorm of much-needed social reform. By focusing on the faces of the plaintiffs, this revealing documentary deftly balances two stories: the strategy of a ground-breaking case and two families uniting to make it happen. —C.P.