5 Reasons Why Pride Is One of the Best Films of the 21st Century

3. ‘God I Miss Disco’ – The Soundtrack

Pride’s soundtrack is a standalone gem even without its connection to the film.

The soundtrack signposts themes of the film without being corny, and is a considered mix of disco classics and iconic pop hits of the era, with socialist folk peppered throughout and memorable strike ballad “Bread and Roses” sung by the cast.

One moment, when the music is best used, is when Jonathan shows off his dance moves to the locals in Wales…

Prior to this moment, the locals and members of LGSM have very much kept to themselves, and Jonathan has been told to be “less flamboyant”. Of course, Jonathan does not listen to such advice and is the only man on the dance floor. When the Welsh women point this out, he decides to give them a real show.

Jonathan and the women dance to “Shame Shame Shame” by Shirley and Company. This gets the attention of everyone in the pub.

Dominic West dancing down a row of tables is one of the highlights of the film.

This moment helps to bridge the gap between the two groups – after seeing the reaction of the women, some of the Welsh men even ask Jonathan to teach them how to dance.

4. The Cast (Particularly Mena Trussler as Gwen)

The cast of Pride is a perfect coming together of old and new; full of industry veterans and rising stars. It is hard to pick a best character in a film full of greats, but one standout character is Gwen (Mena Trussler), who facilitates the two groups coming together by answering the phone to LGSM and inviting them to visit the miners’ town.

When LGSM arrive in Wales, Gwen shouts “Dai, your gays are here”.

Gwen is unfiltered and honest. The film subverts the expectation of uncomfortable personal questions all too often demanded of LGBTQ+ people, Gwen instead asking silly questions that we don’t expect, like: “are all lesbians vegetarians?”. She forms a bond with the girls of LGSM and provides comic relief in moments of tension between the two groups.

Gwen is fun and dives in head first when the Welsh girls head on a night out in London. She says she wants to see everything… especially the rubber scene.

During the finale, Gwen gets out of the mini bus from Wales and shouts “where are my lesbians? Where are my lesbians?” – one of the most memorable and uplifting moments of the entire film.

5. The Ending

The finale of Pride presents LGSM one year later, celebrating Bromley (MacKay) finally being “legal”. LGSM are ready to march across London amongst other LGBTQ+ groups, when suddenly a mini bus from Wales arrives to march in solidarity with their cause.

An organiser runs to tell LGSM that they will have to lead the march because there are “too many of them”, the camera panning across the field to show a whole fleet of buses full of other mining communities who have turned up to march in support of the LGBTQ+ community.

This is the most heart-warming moment of the film; the sheer volume of people that turned up to support Pride is beautiful to see.

As they march, Billy Bragg’s “There Is Power In A Union” plays and we learn what happens next for the characters. Sian (Jessica Gunning) becomes the first woman to be elected as an MP in her constituency, though this is sadly contrasted by Mark Aston’s untimely death from complications with AIDS 2 years after this event. One key uplifting fact is that Jonathan Blake (West) was the 2nd person in the UK to be diagnosed with HIV, and he is still alive and dancing to this day.

The ending of Pride is political and uplifting in equal measure, the perfect climax to the story of LGSM and their journey with the miners; one of the best closes to a movie ever.

Recommended for you: 5 British and Irish Films That Don’t ‘Bury Their Gays’

Why don’t you spread the joy in the comments below by letting us know about why you love Pride (2014)? Tell us your favourite moments, your favourite songs, and of any positivity you may feel when watching this great film.

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