IN MARGARET THATCHER'S shitty England, a lot of people had it rough. "I can't change my style," she snidely croaks during the opening credits of Pride, making clear that you're going to hate her from the word go. So wouldn't it make sense that oppressed groups would join forces against her?

Pride is the story of one of these unions. Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners (LGSM), was a real-life group of gay activists who organized to support the coal miners' strike of 1984. Using their networks in London, LGSM became a huge asset to strikers' families. This unanticipated ally compelled a lot of working-class men to either get cool with gays or let their families starve. As you can imagine, it was tricky.

LGSM focused their efforts on a specific village in Wales. While the townspeople were initially hesitant of this tamely flamboyant crew, they were won over through the magic of dancing, drinking, and tolerance. These people never even knew they wanted gay best friends, but then they couldn't live without them.

While Pride relies heavily on montages, limp wrists, and predictable Elton John jokes—seriously, nothing in Pride is subtle—it's also completely wonderful. "Heartwarming" isn't strong enough of a word. Pride will "melt your heart." Your heart will be hot like coal. It will be hot like coal that has been mined by progressive Welsh miners and then lit up by the kinetic energy of drag queens.

Featuring a cast of England's finest (Bill Nighy, Dominic "McNulty" West, and Imelda Staunton), and one of the best and gayest soundtracks in recent memory, Pride delivers a level of joy that most of us are too cynical to admit that we can appreciate. It's the best movie about class warfare, AIDS, and revolution that you can (and should) see with your grandmother. Margaret Thatcher was a hater; don't you be one, too.