When Sarah (Sarah Wharton) is sorting through boxes at her mother’s house she comes across her father’s wedding ring that he left when he walked out several years ago. Without thinking she shows her find to her girlfriend Kristen (Nicole Pursell) when they meet up later in Provincetown on the beach for a picnic, who naturally assumes that Sarah is proposing they get wed. This is the last thing on her mind as Sarah has a very definite phobia about marriage in general so she is horrified and Kristen, realizing the mistake, is now totally distraught.
Back home in Boston clearly unnerved by the realization that they both have different concepts of the form that their relationship should take, they throw themselves back into work to avoid having to address the elephant in the room. Kristen is the producer of a local TV cooking show, and she and the star are getting concerned about the program’s newest Executive Producer who they expect will demand changes. Sarah works as a freelance film editor alongside Gary (Matthew Connolly) who has his own distraction as is currently in the middle of separating from his husband.
Sarah is also in urgent need of some health insurance and when it seems that the most expedient option would be to claim off Kristen’s policy provided by her employers, but the only way is that is the two of them are registered domestic partners. It is a step that Sarah is willing to take as a means to an end, but when push comes to shove, Kristen cannot get beyond the fact that such a move to her is a serious commitment that she knows that she is the only one ready to make.
Sarah’s morbid fear of marriage is essentially a result of the deep unhappiness caused by her parents divorce which she simply cannot get over. Somehow she works out that the only way forward in dealing with this would, with Gary’s help, to make a documentary about same-sex marriage. The footage she actually shoots and edits is in fact from real-life LGBT couples and transforms what was originally a drama about a personal issue, into a fairly big investigation on film of the state of gay marriages. It makes for an interesting hybrid of a movie especially as it puts through some very salient points on the whole topic that may (or may not) impress Sarah, but will nevertheless resound with audiences regardless.
Whether the finished documentary will help Sarah be able to move forward with her relationship becomes even more urgent than she thought as Kristen who has since found contentment and happiness at work by becoming a Chef, is now offered a very tempting new job that will mean moving to Seattle. Both women now have to take stock about their future and make decisions, even those that mean confronting demons.
This intriguing introspective drama comes from the same team who made That’s Not Us a rather annoying dramedy about three couples who spend a weekend away just constantly squabbling. However this new collaboration is a much more enjoyable affair, and not only reunites Wharton and Pursell playing a happier couple than before, but Wharton also serves as Producer, whilst Pursell is credited with Production Design. The whole movie is very much a team effort as it is directed, co-written and edited by William Sullivan, and the other co-writer is Derek Dodge who is also the cinematographer.
Wharton and Pursell had great chemistry together and both gave very credible and convincing performances of a couple that could have been torn apart by their rather intense love. On niggling point however, the series of flashbacks which were only discernible by the changes in hair color and style were confusing to say the least .
The Ring Thing may not have anything much new to say about the LGBT communities adjustment to legalized marriage and divorce, but the drama that the two women is very real and is atypical of some couples who will always think that our right to marry is hardly a freedom at all.
Highly recommended
