One Nation Under God is a 1993 documentary by Teodoro Maniaci, an American cinematographer and director. Of all the films he has worked on, One Nation Under God, about the ex-gay movement, in particular the Exodus movement, is the one Maniaci is best known for. He was both co-producer and co-director for the documentary.
Synopsis[]
This film is about how lesbians and gay men try to become "ex-gay". The film focuses on one ex-ex-gay male couple, but also shows how through such techniques as the women wearing make-up and the men doing butch or macho mannerisms. It also includes black and white archival footage.[1] It also goes in some historical background, for context.[2]
Yahoo describes it as "A documentary about the contemporary struggle for gay and lesbian civil rights, focusing on the religious, right-wing proliferation of curative therapies for homosexuality." [3] "Judge" Patrick Bromley at DVD Verdict gives a fuller synopsis.[4]
Critical response[]
In 1993, Maniaci shared the Audience Award at the San Francisco Lesbian & Gay Film Festival for One Nation Under God.[5][6][7]
Variety positively reviewed the film,[8] and Yahoo films gives it an A-minus rating.[9] PlanetOut Inc. gave it four stars, and described as a "riveting documentary (that) offers the most dynamic historical overview of gays and lesbians in modern American society since Before Stonewall."[10] DVD Verdict and DVD Talk also gave positive reviews.[11][12]
The documentary was shown on the PBS television show, P.O.V. in 1994. The New York Times reviewed that showing on Channel 13 for the New York City market, giving a mixed blessing. The reviewer liked many parts, but demurred, "Unfortunately, One Nation Under God has a patchy, jumpy, overdone quality. The producers can't bear to leave bad enough alone: suddenly you find yourself watching homosexuals being rounded up by German Nazis. Nor can the producers resist some mushy proselytizing."[2] In concluding, he wrote, "A significant argument is advanced here that opinions about homosexuality have less to do with science than with religion, morals and politics. If the producers had been able to contain themselves, develop that argument in a more coherent way and make their case without decoration, One Nation Under God might have been a considerably more consequential work."[2]
In her dissertation, Nancy Dawn Wadsworth called One Nation Under God the "best treatment I have seen on Christian ex-gay movements".[13]
Cultural impact[]
One Nation Under God has become part of some academia studies in film studies.[14][15][16]
In an article entitled Bullets, Ballots and Bibles: Documenting the History of the Gay and Lesbian Struggle in America, scholar Bruce R. Brasell states the film "explores the recycling by religious fundamentalists of discredited psychiatric treatments from the Sixties, reparative theory, to 'cure' homosexuals today."[17]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ Rotten Tomatoes synopsis of One Nation Under God Template:Webarchive
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ DVD Verdict review of One Nation Under God Template:Webarchive
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedCinematographers web site - ↑ [International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival San Francisco, California www.frameline.org]
- ↑ PopcornQ - Planet Out web site Template:Webarchive
- ↑ Template:Cite magazine
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ PopcornQ review Template:Webarchive
- ↑ Template:Cite web
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- ↑ Template:Cite book
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- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Template:Cite web
- ↑ Bruce R. Brasell, Bullets, Ballots and Bibles: Documenting the History of the Gay and Lesbian Struggle in America Cineaste v21, n4 (Fall, 1995):17 at Berkeley web site