Major movie studios are in the business of making money, not creating art. Sometimes the two overlap. That is why, when creating niche stories about historically marginalized communities, most movies use a standard character (read: white male) as the prism from which to see the drama unfold. Examples include Kevin Coster in "Dances with Wolves," or Tom Cruise in "The Last Samurai."
So it's frankly not all that surprising that Hollywood has apparently decided to create a fictional character as the vessel to tell the story of the 1969 riots in NYC. This character is white, male, cisgender, and from the Midwest: in effect, about as mainstream as one can be and still be a part of the movement. As a marketing tool it is standard fair, but it's one more disappointing example of trying to mainstream a story for a larger audience rather than sticking with a more historically representative lead, which would have likely included a person of color, drag queen, or transgender woman.
While currently only a trailer is out, there are many already in the Queer community who are concerned about how the film will portray this crucial event (a growing number of people are calling for a boycott). Trailers are tricky to interpret, because they function more as a marketing device than as a thematic summary of a film.
At least for me, this trailer theologically reflects what we could call a "salvation history" model. In Christian salvation history, there is Creation, the Fall, God's work with Israel, Jesus' ministry, resurrection, the birth of the Church, and the final redemption. Things that don't fit in this linear history are left out; many theologians have rightfully criticized that narrow narrative.
The trailer implies that Stonewall is part of another linear story: the slow but steady implementation of American ideals. Following the triumphs in women's suffrage, the Civil Rights movement, Women's Liberation, and the election of an African American president, marriage equality is the implied culmination of progressive American history. Like the Christian version, this salvation story cuts out and sweeps away what doesn't fit (particularly, the on-going oppression of people of color and the trans community). If that's the actual message of the film, in contrast to the more radical critique that the movement presented, and many activists still demand today, I cannot say I will be surprised, though still disappointed. I wouldn't expect much from Roland Emmerich, director of such "hits" as the 1998 "Godzilla" remake and the disaster film "2012." This might be yet one more (cultural-theological) disaster (of a) film.
Watching "Happy Birthday, Marsha!" instead,
Timothy Murphy
Executive Director