Oscar-Nominated: Best Actress. "Richard and Mildred Loving (Joel Edgerton and Ruth Negga) aren’t much different from other married couples struggling to get by in rural Virginia in the 1950s. About the only unusual thing about their relationship, considering the time and place, is that Mildred is black and Richard is white. As far as they’re concerned, that’s not even worth talking about. But the state of Virginia has other ideas.
"Dragged out of bed and later shoved in front of a judge, the Lovings — who took their vows in Washington, D.C. — are reminded that Virginia neither sanctions nor tolerates interracial marriage. The couple is forced to leave the state or face imprisonment.
"Years go by as Mildred watches the progress of the civil rights movement and wonders what it might mean for her. At the urging of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Lovings successfully challenge Virginia’s stance against interracial marriage in a landmark Supreme Court case.
"'Loving' is an enthralling, fact-based drama about two people who just want to spend their lives together, but are called upon to fight for the right to do so. Working from his own screenplay, director Jeff Nichols ('Take Shelter') avoids sentimentality, opting instead for an approach as down to earth as the couple around which the film revolves.
"Edgerton is terrific as a man who can’t understand why society is so opposed to his happiness. And Negga is outstanding as Mildred, whose soft-spoken demeanor belies an inner strength that allows her to take on the biggest challenge of her life.
"Far from being preachy, 'Loving' is a beautiful film about daring to love, without fear or compromise." - Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch