Salesian High School initially allowed the filmmakers to shoot a key scene there but later overturned their decision.
- Oct 22, 2014
AceShowbiz - While the times have changed for the LGBT community, some doors are still shut for them. It has been reported that "Freeheld", a lesbian movie starring Julianne Moore and Ellen Page, was banned from filming on a Catholic school.
Salesian High School became the subject of scrutiny after it overturned its decision to let the film be shot on its campus. The all-boys school in New Rochelle, N.Y. was initially available for an afternoon filming of a key scene but the school's administrators later changed their mind over "subject matter."
"Freeheld" sees Moore's character as police detective Laurel Hester and the domestic partner of Stacee Andree, played by Page. After being diagnosed with cancer, she takes on county officials to make sure that her pension benefits can be transferred to Andree. The film is based on the 2007 documentary of the same name.
The filmmakers were due to shoot a key scene at Salesian High School which was to stand in for the town hall of Ocean County, N.J. The location managers were allowed to take photos of the building and the school's principal John Flaherty approved the shooting before reversing the decision. "They turned us down because of the subject matter," Shamberg told THR.
According to BuzzFeed News, the film's producer Michael Shamberg later appealed to Flaherty who then told him to send an email addressed to the school's president, Father John Serio. However, Shamberg never got the reply and he was forced to move the shooting location elsewhere. "I respect their right to say no," Shamberg said. "But it's sad."
Flaherty dodged addressing the matter directly, saying in a statement to BuzzFeed, "All are welcomed at Salesian High School. Our school chooses to embrace the social issues such as hunger, homelessness, poverty and helping the less fortunate."
