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Foreshadowing can be a bitch. Two weeks ago, Focus Features held an afterparty at San Francisco City Hall for the world premiere of "Milk," Gus Van Sant's new biopic on pioneering gay politician Harvey Milk. It was a celebratory affair, but an uncomfortable topic kept creeping into my conversations with the mostly non-entertainment-industry guests who had just seen the film at the famed Castro Theater, a few feet from where Milk began his political career. "Don't you think this movie should have come out before next week's election?" "It really could help the No on Prop 8 campaign," and, disarmingly, "Harvey would not be happy this film wasn't out before the vote."

The vote in question was on Proposition 8, an amendment banning gay marriage that Californians narrowly approved after the state's Supreme Court overturned a previous ban earlier this year. So, while many Americans were euphoric over the change signaled by Barack Obama's election as president last week, millions of Californians were disheartened by a setback in equal rights within their own state.

Now, I'm sure you're asking: "What does this have to do with 'Milk'?" Strikingly, the drama's key narrative depicts how in 1978 the newly elected San Francisco city supervisor spearheaded a coalition to defeat a similarly unfair campaign, Proposition 6, a measure that would have banned gay teachers from California schools. The picture accurately depicts Milk's passion for the cause and how he was brave enough to debate one of its key backers in front of hostile crowds all across the state. In fact, the film's most moving moment isn't Milk's tragic assassination at the hands of a former city supervisor , it's the startling defeat of Proposition 6 on election night. It was a dramatic win that pushed Milk into the national spotlight, and a historic moment in the gay rights movement. It is not hard to argue that, based on what happened during this year's election and the polling before it, if Milk were alive today he would have been screaming from the rafters to get this movie in theaters beforehand.

Some suggest that the movie would just have been preaching to the converted, but that's a ludicrous justification. At the least, the film's publicity campaign would have put the debate squarely in the public consciousness and should have been a wakeup call to a "No" campaign that appeared passive and tepid in beating back the lies and mistruths the pro-Proposition 8 ads spread on California airwaves. Plus, it would have been a poignant reminder to senior Californians of the bold steps they had taken 30 years before when citizens rights were on the line.

Unfortunately, someone in the senior management of Focus was more concerned with a stigma affecting the film's potential Oscar campaign (Lord knows we can't get wild card Sean Penn in front of the press before an election) than doing the right thing. The studio has said the movie wasn't ready in time, but that's extremely questionable. I have it on good authority that the film was ready three weeks before the election. Even if that were not the case, Proposition 8 was announced in June; there was more than enough time to plan for a limited release in October, even two weeks before the election.

But, sadly, this is the movie "business," and a senior exec at Focus no doubt saw the box office potential of critical acclaim surrounding Penn's fantastic performance driving ticket sales all the way up until the Academy Awards. And yet, this isn't a biopic in the line of "Ray," "Kinsey" or "A Beautiful Mind." It's "Milk." It's a political film; yes, a political film about a man who put everything on the line for his beliefs. To cut its impact at the knees when it could have contributed positively to an outcome now causing thousands to march daily in the streets is a crime. A true crime.

In the four years I have written the Hitlist, I can't remember a moment when I have used this forum as a bully pulpit for anything other than the most trivial of entertainment matters. However, my own personal anger about this outcome prompted me to act in the best way I know how: writing about this travesty and punishing the studio that made this decision. What made this even more frustrating is my sincere admiration for the film itself. An appreciation seemingly stronger than that of most of my peers.

Therefore, while I had originally hoped to sit down for interviews with James Franco and Emile Hirsch, both actors who give great performances in the film, I couldn't do it. I couldn't attend the movie's press day and listen to the fabricated spin and talking points the cast and filmmakers were no doubt provided for the obvious question on why this film was delayed until after the vote.

A small act for sure, but something tells me it's what Harvey would have wanted.

Next column: A sneak peek from the set of "Sherlock Holmes" with Robert Downey Jr. and Jude Law; one "Last Chance" for Dustin Hoffman and Emma Thompson; and more.

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