Movie: Loving

Loving: a true life love story.  This is the story of Richard and Mildred Loving, the individuals who challenged Virginia’s law banning Blacks and Whites from marrying each other.  In 1967, by ruling in favor of the Lovings, the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated state laws prohibiting interracial marriage.  Virginia passed its first anti-miscegenation law in 1691.  This film, however, does not focus on the law’s 276 year history nor is it a legal drama.  Rather, Loving is a story about the relationship between Richard (Joel Edgerton) and Mildred (Ruth Negga).  The movie opens in 1956 with Mildred telling Richard she is pregnant.  Richard is very pleased and, in a subsequent scene, asks Mildred to marry him.  Knowing that such a marriage was banned in Virginia, the couple drives to Washington D. C.  Upon their return, Richard proudly hangs their marriage license in the home they share with Mildred’s family.  Richard’s mother, who lives in a neighboring house, is the midwife to this rural Virginia community.   A short while later, the local sheriff (Marton Csokas) arrests the Lovings in the middle of the night.  It is from the sheriff that we learn about the community where Richard and Mildred have spent most of their lives.  It is racially mixed with considerable Native American bloodlines, which explains in part why Mildred identified herself as Indian on the marriage license.  Because the community is self-contained and located in an insular rural area, it did not seem unreasonable for Mildred and Richard to believe they could live together in peace despite Virginia’s anti-miscegenation statute.  The film tracks the Lovings’ personal life from 1956 until the 1967 Supreme Court decision, including their time living in D. C.  Both the court scenes and the meetings with the ACLU lawyers Bernie Cohen (Nick Kroll) and Phil Hirschkop (Jon Bass as) are brief.   Jeff Nichols directed this 123 minute film and also wrote the screenplay.  His telling of Richard and Mildred’s story affords you a full understanding of their deep love for each other and their children.  Nichols relies significantly on the 2011 documentary, The Loving Story, which is also worth seeing.  Nichols clearly understands rural America (see his 2012 film Mud with Matthew McConaughey).   The acting throughout this film is first rate.  Edgerton totally nails Richard and you will be blown away by his performance.  Also, of special note, is Michael Shannon’s brief appearance as the Life magazine photographer.  I thoroughly enjoyed this film and highly recommend it.