Broken Heart Land

When tragedy befalls a conservative family in the Bible Belt, their political indifference is transformed into political activism. Broken Heart Land shows the oversimplification of the red state/blue state dichotomy. It is set in archconservative Oklahoma, but—here is the first complication—in the liberal college town of Norman. A seemingly innocuous city council bill to recognize an LGBT awareness month draws out the misinformed homophobia lurking beneath the surface. The heroes of the film are Tea Party Republicans whose values are challenged after their gay son commits suicide. The mother hesitantly becomes involved with a parents' support group and soon finds herself an unexpected advocate for gay rights, supporting a lesbian for town council and confronting the intolerance in her own party. Meanwhile, the "villain" of the piece (an opponent of LGBT "special treatment," who is running against the lesbian candidate) is a not-unappealing family values pastor who comes from a multicultural, multiracial family. Nothing is simple or straightforward here, which is the story of today's America, connected and divided among multiple, conflicting lines.