A miner work
The mid-80s miners’ strike has already become British movie shorthand for a particular romanticised view of working-class struggles. As governments change, and the economic situation moves further and further from those days of nationalised industries and union dominance, it’s now reached the status of noble last skirmish in a class war long since crushed under the furry Ugg boot of capitalism. Based on a true story (aren’t they all), Pride is the latest in a line of UK comedies-with-political-overtones, a curiously British phenomenon which, if done well, results in Full Monty-style feelgood warmth. Conversely, failure to marry the humour and the darker stuff ends up in more uneven Brassed Off territory. Pride veers slightly more towards the latter. The setup is dealt with zippily – a group of young politically aware gays and lesbians decide during a march to raise money for the striking miners, a group now victims of even greater persecution than themselves. Rebuffed by ...