Thanks to a whole slew of out, up-and-coming directors, plus Hollywood’s increasing willingness to make movies with meaningful gay themes, it’s not nearly as difficult as it once was to find lesbians in movies. Seeking out quality lesbian movies, however, is just as tricky as finding any kind of good flick.
The following list should make it a little bit easier for you the next time you’re hunting for something a bit more substantial while surfing Netflix or the aisles of your local movie store. It is by no means comprehensive, but does represent a sampling of lesbian films that are at turns funny, deep, intense, sexy-and every one of them good.
Ten – “Loving Annabelle” (2006)
Director Katherine Brooks’ first major full-length release, “Loving Annabelle,” is the somewhat controversial story of a love affair between a teenaged student (Erin Kelly) and her conflicted teacher, Simone (Diane Gaidry). Set in the predictably sexually-charged world of an all-girls boarding school, the movie follows Annabelle’s efforts to win over the brooding, reluctant teacher still heartbroken over a lost love. While sections of the film suffer from melodrama, as in the scene when Annabelle serenades Simone at a school dance, it’s notable for tackling sensitive subject matter with some skill. Plus, it features one of the more well-shot, acted, and scripted lesbian sex scenes of any movie.
Nine – “Imagine Me & You” (2005)
Not by any means the most substantive movie of all time, “Imagine Me & You” still manages to be entertaining without becoming banal. It’s essentially the story of Rachel (Piper Perabo), a vivacious young Briton who marries her “best friend,” Heck (Matthew Goode), only to find herself inexplicably attracted to the florist hired for their wedding. Luce, the florist (Lena Headey), is already out and proud, but majorly conflicted over her attraction toward the married Rachel. Their friendship develops as Rachel finds herself less and less romantically interested in her otherwise lovely husband. This sort of scenario could easily become the tired cliché of the asshole husband being left by his newly assertive wife. Happily, however, the writing and acting allow Heck to remain very likeable, and the crappy, unlucky situation to be seen for just what it is. They don’t make it easy for Rachel and Luce to get together, and that makes for a movie that manages to balance the joy of new romance with the reality on the ground, as it were.
Somewhere in the sleepy Yorkshire countryside, Mona (Nathalie Press) is living an uninspired, working-class life, filled with smoking and almost perfunctory boy screwing. That is, of course, until she meets the well-off Tasmin (Emily Blunt), who has been given the run of the house for the summer while her parents are away. The two start off their interaction with cool regard, but over the course of the season, it morphs into a deep fascination and attraction. While we slowly see Mona’s blooming intelligence and yearning for a more interesting life, we also begin to get the sense that all is not well with Tasmin. The movie does a good job of presenting the tantalizing mix of summer dreaminess, young attraction, and a creeping sense of dread, all while offering up an intriguing plot twist or two along the way.
This classic of modern cinema is based on the book of the same name. Sadly, however, much of the more overt lesbian themes featured in the written version are relegated to subtext on the screen. Still, “Fried Green Tomatoes” is a well-crafted film, with superb acting and great sense of place. Though several colorful supporting characters keep things interesting, the story is all about no-nonsense tomboy Idgie (Mary Stuart Masterson) and the strong-willed but quiet Ruth (Mary-Louise Parker). Told in flashback, we follow the two from when they meet as children up until adulthood, when they open a small café together and face the trials and tribulations of small town, southern life in the 1920’s. Featuring engaging, convincing acting from all of the leads (including the always delightful Kathy Bates), this is one of the most multi-faceted, intense relationships ever presented on screen.
Six – “High Art” (1998)
Featuring Ally Sheedy’s rather triumphant return to film after a long hiatus, “High Art” is out director Lisa Cholodenko’s beautiful exploration of art, ambition, and human relations. Aspiring photography critic Syd (Radha Mitchell) stumbles onto taciturn but brilliant photographer Lucy (Sheedy) after a broken pipe leads them to discover each other as neighbors. Their at-first awkward friendship slowly evolves into something like obsession based in their mutual love of aesthetics. Scenes are played out achingly slowly, their mood resembling the heroin-haze in which Lucy and her friends exist. Lovingly directed and written, with great acting across the board and one all-too brief but brilliantly tantalizing sex scene, this is a movie worthy of the many accolades it’s won ever since its release.
The most hilarious of the films on this list, “But I’m A Cheerleader” is that rare creature that manages to combine pointed, satirical humor with genuine emotion. Set in a hyper-realistic ex-gay camp run by the prickly Mary (Mink Stole) and her delightfully very-gay-though-mom-won’t-admit-it son (Eddie Cibrian), we’re treated to the story of happy cheerleader Megan (Natasha Lyonne) and her rocky road to self-acceptance. Sent to the camp against her will by concerned parents and fellow students, Megan meets the obstinate and morose Graham (Clea DuVall). In the midst of a plan for fellow campers to break out and go to a nearby gay dance club, trying to “pass” in order not to be disowned by her family and other drama, Megan and Graham develop their relationship (which leads to a steamy encounter in the “punishment house”). A hilariously straight performance by RuPaul rounds out the movie, as well as several other great cameos. Ultimately a story of self-reliance and acceptance, the movie has several choice moments of utterly absurd humor.
Four – “All Over Me” (1997)
Set in the middle of a hardscrabble neighborhood in mid-90’s New York City, “All Over Me” is one of the few coming-of-age movies that gets all of the awkward, seemingly life-or-death situations of being a teenager right. Claude (Alison Folland) and Ellen (Tara Subkoff) are best friends, but while Ellen is off cavorting with her thuggish boyfriend, Claude works alongside openly gay Jesse (Wilson Cruz) at a local pizzeria and starts to realize that her feelings for Ellen are more than just friendly. Some serious neighborhood drama involving a homophobic gang and a hate crime drives a wedge between the two, leading to a series of love you/hate you confrontations. Their paths eventually take them in different directions, as they have to, but the film presents their story with the sort of realism, compassion, and care often lacking in these kinds of movies.
A period drama set in 1950’s apartheid South Africa about the budding relationship between two women of Indian descent, “The World Unseen” has all the elements for an engaging, ground-breaking piece. Both written and directed by Shamim Sarif, herself a lesbian, the film has the markings of a serious labor-of-love. With an obvious nod to “Fried Green Tomatoes,” the feisty, independent character of Amina (Sheetal Sheth) runs the Locomotion Café, where she meets the reserved, married Miriam (Lisa Ray). The two develop a friendship even as they come up against the racism of the time and place, plus the expectations of family and friends. This sense of high-drama coupled with intense romance could easily succumb to clichéd melodrama, but thanks to talented performances and deft writing, the film rises above to become something altogether enjoyable.
Two – “Boys Don’t Cry” (1999)
Well-recognized both for being an excellent movie and a tour-de-force performance by Hilary Swank, “Boys Don’t Cry” deserves every bit of praise heaped upon it. Based on the true story of Brandon Teena, a transgendered teen trying to live life in rural Texas, it’s a powerful, jarring, and ultimately moving story of people’s capacity both to overcome and understand, and their ability to go beyond the limits of cruelty. Swank is, of course, brilliant as Teena, all swagger and vulnerability. There’s not much else to say about this film except that if you haven’t yet seen it, you owe it to yourself to get it now.
One – “Bound” (1996)
The top pick on this list, “Bound” is here because it transcends being a “lesbian film” entirely and just becomes a really great movie. Yes, it includes one of the hottest, most well-done sex scenes ever, straight or gay, but at its core, “Bound” is all about redemption, ambition, and the ways people screw other people over. With excellent performances by Gina Gershon, Jennifer Tilly and Joe Pantoliano, this early Wachowski brothers film packs a real wallop.
