Redbox rentals of ‘Bridegroom’ documentary will benefit Freedom to Marry
February 03, 2014
For the past month, Redbox users have been moved by the touching film Bridegroom, a documentary by Linda Bloodworth Thomason featuring the story of Shane Bitney Crone and the love of his life, Thomas Lee Bridegroom, whose life was cut tragically short by a fatal accident. The documentary tracks how the men fell in love, how they planned to travel the world together, and what happened in the months following Tom's untimely death. It demonstrates how Shane was excluded from Tom's funeral, erased from his life, and denied any form of recognition for the relationship he shared with Tom over the course of six years.
For the next few months, Bridegroom will be available to rent in more than 44,000 Redbox kiosks across the country. And 5% of the revenue from Redbox rentals will benefit five organizations committed to ensuring that what happened to Shane doesn't happen again in the United States. Freedom to Marry is proud to receive funds from Bridegroom rentals, along with GLAAD, PFLAG, and GLSEN. Reserve the documentary at a Redbox kiosk near you HERE.
Since its release, Bridegroom: A Love Story, Unequaled has received dozens of accolades - from opening at the Tribeca film festival in 2013 (including an introduction by President Bill Clinton) to winning the Dorian Award for Documentary of the Year to making its television debut on Oprah Winfrey's OWN Network.
The documentary stemmed from a video that Shane posted on the one-year anniversary of Tom's death. The video, titled "It Could Happen To You," featured Shane telling his story about losing Tom and the terrible fallout after his death. It went viral, garnering 4.5 million views and inspiring millions of people across the country into action about why marriage matters - and why all couples should be treated equally.
The site for the film explains, "The story of what happened after this accidental death – of how people without the legal protections of marriage can find themselves completely shut out and ostracized – is poignant, enraging and opens a window onto the issue of marriage equality like no speech or lecture ever will."