Love and loss are universal themes that resonate throughout the documentary film “Bridegroom,” and it’s exactly the message Kalispell native Shane Bitney Crone had hoped his poignant personal story would convey.

The documentary tells the emotional story of Crone, 27, and his partner, Tom Bridegroom, who died two years ago when he accidentally stepped off the roof of a four-story building during a photo shoot. Crone’s YouTube video, “It Could Happen to You,” posted a year after Bridegroom’s death, received more than 4 million views as he described his struggles in the aftermath of his partner’s death.

That video was the springboard for the film that premiered last week at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, Calif. It was a star-studded event that kicked off a limited release of the film in major cities across the United States.

“It’s been pretty remarkable to see everyone connecting with the story,” Crone said in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles home Monday. “Loss is loss and love is love regardless of sexual orientation. We all experience these human emotions the same.”

After his partner’s tragic death, Crone was astounded when Bridegroom’s family in Indiana threatened him with physical violence if he dared attend the funeral.

Although the two men owned a social media consulting business and a home together, they had no will, and Crone was unable to get information from the hospital in the aftermath of the accident. 

The rejection from Bridegroom’s family was pivotal in Crone’s decision to take a public stand in favor of same-sex marriage. In the YouTube video, he pleads with viewers to support equality and promote tolerance.

It was cathartic for him to tell his story on YouTube, but more than anything Crone wanted it to bring attention to what can happen when two people are legally barred from having equal rights and equal protections under the law.

After the video went viral, Crone was approached by well-known producer Linda Bloodsworth Thomason about making a documentary. An online crowd-funding campaign via Kickstarter raised $385,000, making it the most successful online film fundraising campaign to date.

“Bridegroom” premiered in May at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the audience award for best documentary. Since then, the film has won the audience award in the documentary category at seven other film festivals.

The film shows a vast amount of personal video footage and photographs, giving the movie an intensely personal perspective. Crone said during an earlier interview that Thomason was surprised by the volume of videotape Crone and Bridegroom had amassed during their relationship.

Now Crone, who co-produced the documentary with Thomason, is in the middle of a whirlwind public relations campaign as the film is in theaters and set to premiere on television’s Oprah Winfrey Channel.

“Life has gotten pretty crazy,” Crone said. “I’ve been traveling and doing interviews. They have me doing a lot of publicity.

“You’d think it would get easier and easier, but it makes me nervous each time,” he said about the myriad media interviews scheduled throughout the coming days. “But it’s all about getting the message out there.”

Crone had an entourage of Montana supporters at the recent premiere, including his mother, Cindy Bitney, of Kalispell, other family members and a group of classmates from Flathead High School. He’s a 2004 Flathead graduate.

When Crone was on stage and thanked his mother, the crowd responded by giving her a two-minute-long standing ovation.

“It was a special moment,” she said.

Crone’s family was accepting of his sexual orientation when he came out to them about six years ago. They are featured in the documentary.

Bitney said the experiences of attending the premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year, and last week’s broader premiere — where stars such as Cuba Gooding Jr., Fran Drescher and Adam Lambert attended — have been surreal. She’s proud of her son and the message he’s already brought to so many people across the world.

“We’re not used to this Hollywood stuff,” Crone said with a laugh as he talked about being on the red carpet. “For me and Mom on the carpet, it was a little awkward, but I’m glad she was there for me.”

Melissa Richardson, one of Shane’s classmates at Flathead, said she remembers how difficult high school was for him.

“We all knew it was hard for him,” she said. “I couldn’t be more proud of what he’s done with the situation.”

Crone said having support from his peers means a lot.

“Some people who were really mean to me [in high school] have reached out and apologized,” he said. “I’m proud to be from Montana, and it’s been surprising to some people that there’s a lot of support coming from Montana. That makes me feel really good.”

Crone has been asked to speak at several colleges, and he has partnered with human rights organizations in an effort to further his message of human and civil rights.

“So many things have happened that I couldn’t have predicted,” he said. “I’m trying to be in the moment and trust it will work out as it’s supposed to.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.