Ellen Page is only 25, but she already has compiled an impressive resume of vastly different film projects, avoiding Hollywood’s desire to pigeonhole young talents along the way. In an ongoing effort to challenge herself by accepting inventive roles, Page has attached her name to the gay-rights drama Freeheld, which recently secured funding and appears ready to go before the cameras.
The narrative will take its cues from an Oscar-winning documentary short, according to Deadline. Page would play Stacie Andree, a lesbian who was denied the pension benefits of her partner, Laurel Hester, after Hester – a New Jersey police detective – became terminally ill. The story follows Andree’s fight for representation alongside Hester’s police partner, Dane Wells … a staunch conservative who was unaware of Hester’s sexual orientation.
Freeheld will be financed by Incognito Pictures, a new production company headed up by veteran producers Jack Selby and Scott Stone. It’s an admirable story to tell, though we’ll track the film’s progress with interest because it’s the latest in a line of mature roles Page seems to be seeking. She recently wrapped production on The East, where she plays the member of an anarchist organization. She recently was seen in Woody Allen’s latest, To Rome With Love.
But the fresh-faced Page continues to be associated with the teenage pregnancy comedy Juno, the X-Men sequel, or the terrifying Hard Candy until she outgrows her youthful features and proves she can convincingly carry a serious drama. Freeheld certainly sounds like it is going to give her the opportunity to prove she’s ready to take the next step as an evolving actress. We can’t wait to see how it plays out.
