Category: LGBT Discussion
I've seen Love And Suicide and Loving Annabelle. Does anyone know of any others that they liked?
There was a series of short films called the Liebesperlen Power Up Special. I believe they aired on Logo or perhaps HBO. One of the shorts was gay male oriented, but the rest were more lesbian oriented. If you have access to torrents, you'll find it by typing in the word Liebesperlen. It's not for sale as far as I know which is why the torrents are your best bet.
Monster is another good one. Boys don't cry isn't really lesbian oriented, since the girl wanted to be a guy.
I saw this subject and I couldn't believe the only lesbian movie I could remember was Desert Hearts which must have come out in the '80's. So, poking around the Internet to jog mymemory I did recall the lesbian content in the Color Purple although most of it didn't make it past the book to the movie, as neither did Fried Green Tomatos which still managed to be a sweet film. And I have a vague memory of Cher playing a lesbian with unrequitted love for someone - was it Karen Silkwood? I've seen references to about a dozen filmsI've never heard of and a few I saw but only vaguely remember like Kissing Jessica Stein and Go Fish so they must not have been so amazing
and a few where I read the book but haven't seen the movies like Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith and Amy and Jaguar
Of course, there is also that old movie whose name I can't remember where teachers at a school for girls are found out and, my memory is really vague about it now but I think one of them commits suicide after they lose everything. If I am remembering it rong it was something just as awful
That is a really depressing list.
There are quite a few references on-line to a thriller called "Bound" that I don't remember hearing about and, based on the reviews, really want to see, but besides that, it seems we've done a lot better in literature.
Also going back to the '80's, I remember how we flocked to see Barbara Streisand kiss Amy Irving in Yentl and then see it again. Probably more sensual than any of the kisses shared by women portrayed as actually loving women. Remembering the not-too original comment of a roommate of mine on how many of us were waiting with baited breath for that kiss - - "if we weren't starving, this wouldn't be food".
Fingersmith was pretty good, though I enjoyed the book more.
I did not like Bound at all!
Kissing Jessica Stine was pretty cute. If I remember correctly, the music in it was pretty cool as well.
Better than Chocolate was a kick!
I sort of remember that girls boarding school movie. Drawing a blank on the title though.
Life Time channel has had some good tv movies.
One with Brook Shields and Whoopie Goldburg. Brook Shields plays a woman who is fighting for the rights to her daughter. Her partner has passed away and that partner's parents want the little girl. It was based on a true story.
The other one was the truth about Jane. Teanager girl coming out story. It was pretty good as well.
Just a little side question, is anyone watching the Bianca and Reese storyline on All My Children?
Well this was made into a movie, but the musical Rent is involving lesbians, and gays, if you haven't seen it, you should.
Ah too bad you can't remember the name of the one with Brooke Shields in it - that sounds good. "Out at the Wedding is very good and is available at Blockbuster. I know a lot more but it's too late to think right now lol. I'll post more titles at a later point. :)
Oh yeah and I did watch the Bianca Reese story on AMC - I loved the first half of that sl. they made it so real and gave them scenes that seemed equal. I loved Reese's proposal! I loved that they showed Reese and Bianca acting like a happy loving normal and committed couple. Well until the crap with zack but anyway.
Guiding Light has had a lesbian sl going for awhile now between Olivia and Natalia. It's been a slow build but I think they will finally be togehter now that the show is ending next Friday.
V for vendetta has some lesbianism in it, its certainly not based on it by any means, but it has them in it. good movie too if you don't like government.
Oh yeah I have heard that V for Vendetta was a great movie generally.
I thought of a great resource for any of you gals looking for info on pop culture as it relates to lesbians. www.afterellen.com is a website contstantly being updated with the latest news about lesbians on tv, in movies, books, actresses, etc. If you want you can log in and comment on articles also. It also does recaps of shows with lesbian characters such as The L Word recaps or South of Nowhere, guiding Light etc.
Thanks for the website.
Movies I have seen:
Better Than Chocolate
Out At The Wedding
The Truth About Jane
Serving In Silence
did you like Out at the Wedding?
Another film:
Running on Empty Dreams
Loving Annabell I heard is a really good movie
Let's see. I've seen:
The Truth About Jane, (a number of times)
a littl of the one wi Brooke Shields, (which was awesome, and which I wish I could remember the title of)
Monster,
And I think that's it...
Did someone say lesbian movies? I own a good deal of them, most embarrassingly cheesie, but here goes.
Personal Best: man did I want to slap Muriel Hemmingway!!
Bar Girls: It's pretty awful, but I didn't know that at the time.
Claire of the Moon: only good for the commentary on how straight girls hug and the sex on the beach scene.
If These Walls Could Talk II: Love love love! I laughed, I cried, it's amazing.
But I'm a Cheerleader: of course it's campy: that's the point.
Tipping the Velvet: Amazing, hot, I highly recommend as a date movie.
Fingersmith: I read the book and had a really hard time getting through the movie. Love Sarah Waters, though!
If you want subtext, Fried Green Tomatoes, and I'm a fan of Boys on the Side. Whoopie is the lesbian, and the soundtrack is excellent.
Imagine Me and You: I saw that recently and loved it.
People love the Watermellon Woman, though unfortunately, my download of it is stuck at about 96%.
Lost and Delirious may be the suicide movie people are referring to.
The Children's Hour is apparently one of the first movies with lesbians, and I'm pretty sure it is set in a girls' boarding school. I haven't seen it, though.
People like D.E.B.S., sort of a lesbian Charlie's Angels, but I haven't seen that.
Go Fish
Better than Chocolate
All Over Me with Leisha Hailey: Alice from the L Word and the Murmurs
Saving Face, though there is a lot of subtitles, so you will need someone sighted.
Incredibly True Adventures of 2 Girls in Love: Extreme cheese, but it was my first lesbian movie, and hello Laurel Holloman/Tina from L Word!
The Truth about Jane
The British show Skins has a lesbian story in the second or third season.
Stolen Moments: It's an older documentary that explores the history of lesbian culture from art to the bars, butch/femme culture, Stonewall, and of course, music festivals like Michigan.
I just went and looked through what I have, and for now, that's all I can think of.
Hi, I'm Jess, and I'm a lesbian movieholic.
wow there are so many. am gay but never even watched a lesbian movie before ha. all my movies I own are adam sandler or sandra bullik lol. anyways, am downloading most of them on this list so I can get with the program.
When was Stolen Moments made? May have to look it up.
got some questions about go fish. at times there was just weird music and stuff. what was going on? also another time the lady was in a room talking to friends about being with a guy. did I miss something?
In the last few months, we rented "I can't think straight." Below is the plot summery, but be warned, it truly tells you nearly everything. *Smile,* I liked the movie though.
In the upper echelons of traditional Middle Eastern society, Reema and Omar prepare
for the marriage of their daughter Tala. But back at work in London, Tala encounters
Leyla, a young British Indian woman who is dating Tala's best friend Ali. Tala sees
something unique in the artless, clumsy, sensitive Leyla who secretly works to become
a writer. And Tala's forthright challenges to Leyla's beliefs begins a journey of
self-awareness for Leyla. As the women fall in love, Tala's own sense of duty and
cultural restraint cause her to pull away from Leyla and fly back to Jordan where
the preparations for an ostentatious wedding are well under way. As family members
descend and the wedding day approaches, the pressure mounts until Tala finally cracks
and extricates herself. Back in London, Leyla is heartbroken but learns to break
free of her own self-doubt and her mother's expectations, ditching Ali and being
honest with her parents about her sexuality. When Ali and Leyla's feisty sister Zara
help throw Tala and Leyla together again, Tala finds that her own preconceptions
of what love can be is the final hurdle she must jump to win Leyla back.
I'm pretty sure Stolen Moments is from the mid 80's, though I'm not positive. Try looking it up on IMDB or Ebay. That's where I bought my VHS copy a few years back. Unless it has been reprinted, (highly unlikely) it is still not available on dvd.
As for Go Fish, I haven't watched it in years. Unfortunately, I'm no help with the music, though I know I watched it with sighted people. In the end though, let's say that one woman clips the others' fingernails, of all things, to lead them to bed. Personally, I don't think that's exactly sexy or aluring, but call it self preservation or protection from impending injury! Ouch!
Ohmygall, lol IndigoJess!
i'll have to look for some of these movies.. squeee.
wonder if i can find, I can't think straight in descriptive on blind mice mart's movie vault...
I can't believe this is all that has been said about lesbian movies. I absolutely adore
Desert Hearts its my all time favorite and Donna Deitch claims there will be a
sequel. Can't wait for that. I love, love, love lesbian films no matter how cheesy they are And the BBC does an amazing job making Sarah Waters books into movies.
yeah agree with you about the Sarah Waters addaptations! they are very sexy! not watched Desert hearts but just finished reading the book so might go and track that one down! saw a pretty good one called better than chocolate a while ago-that was pretty funny-quite a good overview of the queer scene in general and lots of separate strands to it and I like films like that!
I tried replying to the prior post but it got deleted so let me try again. I'm halfway through reading Desert of The Heart and I don't know if I like it or not. Let me say that even though the movie is based on the book they are 2 different animals. It's rare for me
to like the movie better than the book but it happened in this case. The movie is great very thought out and the story becomes believable. I do hope that a younger generation learns to appreciate this movie especially when you learned that it was made at a time when a lesbian subject matter was not something that could be sold very easily. The director/producer had to raise all the money to make her movie, her vision and I'm so thankful that she did. Desert Hearts is a romantic movie in the same rank with the greatests love stories. Onto Sarah Waters I adore her books and the adaptation to Tipping the Velvet was done very well I prefer the movie ending to the book but I think the book ending can be an alternate. I love the actors who play gay characters and do a
formidable job of telling our story. I wonder if they will ever make a
movie version of Ruby Fruit Jungle? First lesbian book I ever read.
I was not all that keen on the book iether really, (desert of the heart) I thought it was kind of slow and I just got exasperated by the lengthy drawn out process in which the characters came to realize that they had fallen for each other. What I did like about it however was that it had a happy ending! I think before the 60s or there abouts anything whether it was book or film that involved a lesbian storyline never had a happy ending! I guess this would have been sending out a highly subversive message in patriarchal hetro normative society so this is why I am fond of anything however slushy where the female characters are at least prepared to make a go of things at the end of the book/film. yes I think a film addaptation of Rubyfruit jungle could potentially be really ground breaking! I hear they are also making a film version of Jeanette Winterson's the passion which I am very excited about as that was the first book I read where a lesbian relationship was depicted in a positive light.
Oh my goodness I so glad you just gave me a new book to read I am always looking for new lesbian books I love them. I just finished Desert of the Heart and although the ending was happy (and I hope they stayed together) it took forever for them to realize how much they loved watch other but you're right it is groundbreaking work. I can't wait to see if Donna Deitch does come through and makes the sequel to Desert Hearts it would be nice to see what happens to the characters 20yrs later. The actors are willing to reprise their role and I love Helen Shaver and Patricia Charbonneau they still look so good. I might love this movie because it explores the younger/older relationship. Anyway, thank you for responding to my post it feels good to talk to someone about this topic it's very hard to find people who are interested in the same thing. Any other suggestions for books or movies?
well if you do read the passion or for that matter anything by Jeanette Winterson do get back to me and let me know if it has changed your life! reading
the passion at 18 that's certainly how it felt for me! with regard to desert hearts it would be interesting to revisit the characters 20 years on, for
a start lesbian relationships are thankfully so much more normalized in our society and it would be interesting to trace their relationship alongside all
the cultural changes. lol I should just write the siquil myself! if your interested in the dynamics of the lesbian relationship between a younger and older
woman like desert of the heart I think you might like the price of salt by Patricia Highsmith, if I ever get the opportunity I would like to write a comparison
of this book with desert of the heart, because in both books the relationships are depicted as mutual and positive, in both cases the younger women are
very clear about what they want. again this was fairly groundbreaking stuff for the 50s and 60s because any previous literature that explored this set
up such as pulp fiction and even Radcliffe Hall's work kind of assumed that the older woman was the one who was the true lesbian and was predatory towards
the younger woman and of course these books really turn that on its head. this was the only book of Highsmith's that was focused on the lesbian relationship
but you might recognize her because she was responsible for the books behind the films the talented MR ripley and strangers on a train, both very gritty
but intriguing psychological thrillers. I havn't watched too many lesbian movies but on the back of this topic I think I will go to my movie rental shop
and just ask if they've got any of these movies, way to reveal my preferences lol!! but thanks so much for indulging and humouring my geekyness on this
topic and any more suggestions are very welcome! :)
I will definitely order the books as soon as I can so we can chat about them. Well you can always downloaded the lesbian movies or get them off of eBay. There are great lesbian movies out there I really like The Gymnast, Bound, Run Lola Run and Unveiled, Aimee and Jaguar and Unveiled the last one is one of my all time favorites because it allowed me to see Lesbianism from a different perspective. It's about a lesbian from the middle east fleeing her country because of her sexual preference. If you do ever write the comparison between the 2 books let me know I will definitely read it. Also there is a totally geeky movie called But I'm A Cheerleader that's extremely funny. I find that sometimes indie movies or projects not done by Hollywood tend to be better maybe not special effects better but generally story wise better. I don't know maybe I'm crazy. A long time ago I read this book about 2 lesbian vampires but I can't remember the name I'm going to try to find it especially since I do like vampires. What else? How do you feel about lesbian characters on tv? And do you like Kitty Hawes in Tipping the Velvet? I can't for the life of me remember the other actors name but I have a slight crush on her... I do love the BBC.
hi, I'm with you on the indi films! I agree that often the storylines are so much better a lot of the time, I really like quirky films things like napolion
dynamite and the squid and the whale-two indi films off the top of my head that I really enjoyed. and of course not being able to see I'm not too bothered
about the special effects so it is all about the dialogue and the music! I'd really like to see but I'm a cheerleader actually I had heard of it because
my housemate has this theory that it is such an obscure film that anyone who has ever come across it must be a lesbian lol! I havn't watched Amee and Jaguar
but I did read the book fairly recently, lol its not a happy story is it! although I was pleased that I persevered with it! what did you think of Rubyfruit
Jungle? I liked it up until the last few chapters, although the premis for it was quite sad it had enough wit and humour to avoid being any kind of misery
narritive but then in the last few chapters you just got the feeling that she was just being used and abused by everyone she was involved with so I was
kind of left with mixed feelings about it! to be honest I havn't watched the tipping the velvet addaptation for around 10 years ago when it was first televised
here! but maybe I will treat myself and revisit that! I will let you know! and I'm delighted that you like the BBC and its offerings! I'm surprised that
anything from the BBC would make it state side so that's quite nice to hear really. I think when it comes to how lesbians are portrayed on tv or even
in movies I'm just so pleased to see them represented at all that I just lap up all I can get really! there was a british drama that was on recently called
Lip Service, critics refered to it as the british version of the L word but really it was nothing like it! I really liked it though! it recieved some criticism
from people who said it was just trying to titilate a male audience but it was just nice to see the lives of gay and lesbians represented at all even if
it did not have any bearing on the lives of the majority of us. A few more book recommendations for you if you can handle any more lol! Oranges are not
the only fruit by Jeanette Winterson, Rotary Spokes by Fiona Cooper and Zami: a new spelling of my name by Audre Lorde. I don't mean to sound like an
authority on any of this stuff because really I'm not-its just nice to share and discuss books and movies which most people would not have heard of!
It's awesome that you posted *villanelle from Wales* I read Ruby Fruit Jungle like 10 yrs ago or something of the sort and I remember thinking how awesome that someone else has the same feelings as me. And well u know back then everyone was embracing the whole gayness thing in a way that wasnt seem before. I know the main character had SD with men and that really threw me off and her relationship with the woman she loved was kind of strange to me because they didn't need each other but it's been too long and I really must read it again. Lots of people have heard of the BBC they produce some pretty awesome things like Planet Earth one of the most amazing nature shows out there. But I really like how they take lesbian/gay themes and put them out there and no one throws a fit overall I think the British seem to be more open minded. I'm reading The Passion as you suggested (I think u did in an earlier post) and the first part was hard to get through and kind of boring but now I just met Villanelle (hey look at that, same as you) the woman with the webbed feet and now I'm enjoying it. Ill let you know what I think. I didn't know Aimee and Jaguar was based on a book... But of course I should have known better. I just bought a book called Palomino (I forgot the authors name) and of course The Price Of Salt so keep recommending books to me I will read them as long as I can find them. I want to own as many lesbian books/movies as I can. Have you seen Little Miss Sunshine, Lars and the Real Girl and Muriels Wedding? those are funny witty movies that I think u would like... I like dry, sarcastic, witty humor and there is very little of it out there but this is only another reason I like you English/British (European) people.
So glad you are enjoying the passion. There's just something so beautiful and poignant about Villanelle's relationship with the married woman in the novel.
I think I just love it because there is no social commentary or judgement it is just focused on love and desire without all the clutter which all too
often becomes the leading force in a lot of lesbian fiction. That book just left such a lasting impression on me! the prose and the way its written is
just so poetic in places! and of course I still want to visit Venice after reading it! have you red anything by Karin Kallmaker? I'm not sure if you would
like her-its kind of like chick lit for lesbians and kind of resembles the classic romance plot in terms of structure. In terms of literary value they
are nothing special but I am quite fond of them! maybe because they are so celebratory of love and desire between women, when I first discovered her I
was just like waw! oh waw! all these years of struggling through mainstream chick lit! lol! she is quite a prolific writer so if you do like her then
there should be enough to keep you going! I watched Muriel's wedding fairly recently and really enjoyed that so I will definitely check out the other films
you mentioned! recently I've also watched Snow Cakes and 500 days of summer which you might enjoy. Do let me know what you thought of the passion when
you have finished it! its great to chat to someone who is as much a sucker for lesbian books and films as I am! happy reading! :)
Villanelle, I finished readind The Passion and The Price of Salt and all I have to say is what the hell? I liked both books but really Villanelle turned the older woman down even after it was ok for them to be together? I like how she had Henri sneak in and steal back her heart and please tell me your interpretation of the ending cause it seems to me Henri was "just" telling stories. Did he make it up? He was crazy after all. I felt bad for him because he loved Villanelle so much but she could only see him as a brother (talk about incest) so many of the quotes in this book are memorable. They just have a certain ring of truth to them. If the live of my life came back to me and said let's try it again I would say yes because even if it didn't work out I wouldn't have to ask what "if" later on...so The Passion is not my favorite book but worth reading. The Price Of Salt is probably my new favorite book even if it took more than half the book for the women to realize they loved each other. Seriously??? Though I understand the hesitation. I like how Therese met the older woman so classic. The book had in it's grip the whole time and I recognized so many of those moments. All I know is that if I was seeing someone married or in a relationship I would not be ok with running into their significant other. Been there. Done that. Uncomfortable but that's what I love about these lesbian books they have a way of making one connect with past experiences. I was almost disappointed with the ending of ThePOS until I read the last lines and realized it's a happy ending. I did get a tremendous joy out of the younger/older women relationship. I might write more about this subject later. I watched a lesbian movie last night called Room In Rome watch it. It's weird but good even if there is a lot of sex in it...
Lololol! I remember feeling really sad that Villanelle did not return to continue the relationship with the married woman. I suppose she could have gone back to her-it was such a beautiful and passionate relationship that she could have been happy! And yet ¡K as she puts it herself ¡§never waste love on someone you can only wake up to by chance¡¨ and your rite, it was just excruciating when she was watching the woman and her husband kissing with the ease and familiarity that her and Villanelle could not share. But yes, I think I would have gone back, that quote you picked out just says it all! I would never want to think "what if" even if it did not work out! if only she had gone back! *sigh* that scenario always makes me feel really sad if I dwell on it too long. As for Henri, yes, I think the suggestion was meant to be that it was all in his own head, even Villanelle could have been a figment of his imagination, did you notice the inconsistency of the diary entries? But that¡¦s one of the characteristics of Wintersons writing in general that exploration of the liminal space and overlap between history and fantasy, myth and reality, truth and fiction, ¡§trust me! I¡¦m telling you stories!¡¨ another of hers I think you might like is a book called ¡§Oranges are not the only fruit¡¨ it is semi autobiographical and I think you might get on with this one a lot better because its got so much humour and sarcasm in it! especially if you are interested in british culture! It captures the sense of place and people just perfectly!
I¡¦m really pleased you liked the price of salt, I have conflicting feelings about this book, I found Carol to be quite cold and hard and honestly couldn¡¦t understand why Therese was attracted to her! She always seemed to be mocking therese because she was introverted and sensitive, she just seemed really critical of her and if I was therese I would have been quite pissed off if someone was constantly telling me how I was meant to be thinking and feeling! When it came to men Carol couldn¡¦t grasp that Therese had no desire for them and just kept probing her and suggesting that the way she was feeling was not valid. And I really felt for Therese when she asks Carol why she came to her till that first time in the store and she replies, ¡§it was such a dull reason really, you were the only casheer that was available¡¨. Carol never seemed to say why she was attracted to Therese until rite at the end when after flirting with the actress and Therese returns to her and Carol just smiles! I did very much like the ending! Another thing I think the book captures really well is that noooooo!!! feeling that Therese experiences when she is trying to make it with a guy and however hard she tries it just does not feel rite, sorry, I know that wasn¡¦t a very coherent way of putting it! lol! Both Richard and Dannie were fairly decent men and I quite liked that aspect because it was demonstrating that the attraction between the women was not based on bad experiences with men and I¡¦m quite glad that Highsmith made the effort to explore and clarify that point. Another book you might enjoy: ¡§Zami: a new spelling of my name¡¨ by audre Lorde this is also semi autobiographical and is a very honest and thought provoking account of her life in the 1940s and 50s, how she is marginalized because of her race and because she is visually impaired and it is very honest and insightfull about relationships between women. I really recommend it if you can find it!
I am going to track down some of those movies you recommended, I think that will be a very pleasant way to spend my Saturday evening! Do keep the thoughts and suggestions coming! ļ
So I responded with a very long post but for whatever reason I wasn't able to actually post it so I'm screwed now I have to rewrite so what I basically said is that Carol does come off cold and stand offish but it is a wall and a way for her to protect herself. I mean here's a 30yr old woman who has fallen in love with a child because yes that is what Therese is. Plus Therese doesn't have that much experiene with men either so Carol has to be very careful. She pushes Therese towards the arms of men as a defense mechanism. I wouldn't want to be some girls first lesbian experience only to have her turn around and tell me it was a mistake and she was just experimenting. That's how I see Carols character she has built walls around herself for protection plus she has to deal with that husband of hers plus his family and they want her to comform... To be the woman that throws tea parties and serves their son hand and foot. Have you noticed how Carols character becomes more loving once they set off on their trip?? Also when Carol tells Therese she went to her till that afternoon simply because she was the only clerk who wasn't busy she's lying through her teeth. Carols actions are so transparent but hard to see if your a newbie in the lesbian world. This is interesting because I can be both characters I see myself as Therese when I was that age and as Carol now that I am almost 30 and can choose to be with someone younger or older. I absolutely love the way they meet and isn't it always the best way to meet people?? When you're not looking for them and they just happen to appear in your life as if you were destined to meet. Can you tell I'm a romantic?? I agree with you I am glad the writer chose to portray men in a positive light so that we as the reader realize that Therese didn't fall for Carol simply because the men in her life had been abusive. Though I get the sense that Carol messes around with Abby for that reason because her husband is a dick and because she was bored with her life and suddenly there's this woman who has loved her all her life. I guess it doesn't matter how Carol discovers she enjoys women as long as she got there and was more perceptive to the fact that love between 2 women was possible. Abby was the door Carol had to go through to find Therese. I think that at he beginning of the book we are led to believe that Carol is the stronger woman what with her money and position in life but once they start off on the trip and Carol opens up emotionally I see that Therese is really the strong one although it took the whole book for that strength to come through. Its in the way Therese refuses to take Carols money and pays for things as much as she can so in that sense Carol isn't buying her off...also Carol asks for things from Therese in a cold detached way because she's afraid of rejection (aren't we all) so if she asks Therese to go to coffee or on a trip Carol has to make it seem that it doesn't matter either way on the off chance that Therese will say no that way Carol can pretend to not be hurt. I do this all the time I ask for things I really want in a cold detached way in case I don't get the answer I want. I'm glad Therese chides to not stay with Richard I think that he would have been the death of her because they would have gotten married and had kids and Therese would have been locked in conventionality hence Carols constant pushing Therese into the arms of men. How does Therese really know does not what she wants? Remember it took Carol a marriage and a child to figure out that was not what she wanted but Carol couldn't make that decision for Therese. Did you notice that Therese was feeling attracted towards Danny? I'm glad Highsmith chose to put that in the book because it shows that not all lesbians hate men. I myself am 100% gay but I do find men attractive now sleeping win them is a whole different deal and something I wouldn't do simply because I would be betraying myself. So even though Therese will not find out what could have been with Danny I think she knew all along from her relationship with Richard and the only one for her was Carol. Ok, I am going to re-read this book and I'll let you know if I find anything new. Oh, and j think you're right you do have to be gay in order to know about the movie But I'm A Cheerleader it is kind of obscure but thank goodness for the gay channel (LOGO) in the U.S they manage to play these movies and get the exposed to a bigger audience. I can say no more on The Passion the boom frustrated me to no end but I love 99% ofthe quotes "it might be that you're happy leading a life but your first love will always have the last word" (something like that) that is so true the person you love first and madly will
always rule your heart and mind. I feel sorry for anyone that comes after... Here too I speak from experience. Hope you found more movies let me know what you get a chance to find.
I agree with you that halfway through the book the tables are turned and it is therese that replaces Carol as the more emotionally stronger of the two women. I get your point about Carol pushing Therese in to the arms of men as a deffence mechanism but I red that more as Carol projecting all her own anxiety and shame on to Therese. Although Therese is the younger of the two she really does embrace the possibility that she is attracted to women. At one point on their trip she asks Carol, "is it anything to be ashamed of?" Carol responds along the lines of "yes, in the eyes of the world it is an abomination" and therese then says "Harge and his family they are not the hole world" and then Carol again, "no but we have to live in this world". So I think Threse's questioning of Carol reveals Carol's reluctance to let go of what she knows rather than Therese's own naivety. Carol is much more affectionate and loving towards Therese when they are on their road trip because she is free from all the societal pressures that haunt her whereas Therese loves Carol whenever and wherever they are. When Therese first visits Carol at her house Carol can not settle in any one room because Therese just does not fit in with that environment. Although I was overjoyed at the ending and I loved those lines, " it would always be Carol in a thousand cities" I remain very sceptical of her. Just that she seems to have Therese on a string the whole time constantly pulling back and forth without telling her why. There's just that sense of frustration when Therese is following Carol round her house and Carol is pretending not to notice her and then there's her refusal to let therese kiss her, I honestly think that for at least the first half of the book Therese is just a novelty to Carol, Carol does not need Therese! its only when Carol Smiles at her from a distance at the end that we made aware of how things have changed. And yes I am totally with you! the way they met was very romantic-and that gesture of therese sending the card like that! its kind of like a development of what can happen when two strangers act on that spark of attraction that exists between them! and actually I think that was the inspiration for the book itself-the premis for it was that Highsmigh herself was working in a store and was attracted to a certain woman that she waited on! and I watched a room in rome the other night and loved it! kind of the same idea in a way! but that's definitely one of my favourite films now! I also really liked the soundtrack! it was by an artist called Russian Red who I already really like and the song is called Loving Strangers! so anyway its late and I'm rambling! keep the thoughts and recommendations coming!
I didn't really have a chance to pay attention to the movie Room in Rome it wad more like background noise I'm not very good at multi tasking. As for the book I think the trip is what changes it all but I'm still on Carols side remember she was from a different age and in her world the worst thing you could be was gay. Look at how Harges famy reacted and used Carols represssed sexuality to harm her. I'm just glad Carol didnt give in and libe a miserable life just to make them happy. Ok, so now I'm reading a book called Palomino and I don't know how I feel about it just yet. Also I will look for other films. I'm going to try to rematch Water Lilies I saw it once but didn't really get it because it was in French with german subtitles neither languages that I can speak. I was only able to pick out certain French words but only thanks to my Spanish. Ok, gotta run but will write more later. Are you reading anything new?? Watch Water Lillies with me and tell me what you think.
my final word on the book! I just couldn't imagine being attracted to someone so materialistic as Carol because she does seem to cling to that lifestyle. Also if I was Therese and was just coming to terms with my sexuality I would want to be with someone who was as happy to be a lesbian as I was! and I hate to say it but as an older woman Carol does need to take a bit of responsibility where Therese's feelings are concerned. That said it is a very well written book, I like all the subtle references to american society and culture, you know that paranoia about communism and anything that is opposed to the american dream? I think their road trip was quite a good way of putting some of that across. So is Waterlilies available in English then? my french is ok but no where near good enough to follow an entire film! and since I can't read subtitles I thought I might check that with you! although I am going to Belgium in a couple of weeks and need desperately to brush up on my french so maybe I could kind of incorporate it in to the learning process! lol!
Ohhhh, mmmmmmm. I actually dont know probably but it might be hard to find...just started watching a new movie last night called The tiny itty bikini committee and it's pretty fun at least the first part of of I've yet to watch the rest. I really do love Netflix and my playstation 3 they can make life so easy. Ok, back to the book sometimes when you meet a person and you strike a connection you forget about their flaws I mean you see them but choose to ignore them because the attraction is so powerful. I've been there I was a 19 year old kid in love with a 39 year old woman. Those have been 2 very interesting years of my life. Our relationship was a lot like Thereses and Carols but again I say it's harder for older gay people to accept their sexuality because of the world they grew up in. They had to guide in closets and if they for the chance to experience love with a same sex partner they were risking a lot. I think that sometimes gays of our generation and definitely the ones after us forget how difficult it used to be gay. The time we live in now is so different than it was 20/30 years ago. The book does a good job of giving us a window into that world. This is why Desert Of The Heart is an amazing book because it ends so happily but the relationship between the 2 women is so different and even though the professor tries to fight the attraction she ends up giving into it without questioning her sexuality that is a rare thing especially for the time frame the book was set in. God, I love that movie. Alright so I am going to go find other movies and I will keep you posted.
If you're in the US, there are an awful lot of books in the lgbt category of bookshare. Apologies to Villlanelle and anyone who isn't. That really is a big issue that needs addressing - the way blind people are limited in terms of geography and reading matter. I do find a lot of the writing in this category to not be terribly exciting, but then I do read it anyway. After Sara Waters who is such a truely incredible writer, I think Jeanette Winterson is one of the better lesbian fiction writers.
There's a detective series by Pat Welch (think I'm spelling that correctly), which is well-written enough but where the detective/protagonist has such a depressing life as it evolves from book to book, including alcoholism, going to prison, etc., well, certainly others include that subject matter, and I'm not at all fond of books where everything is just happy happpy, but I find myself getting way too depressed reading her books. There's another mystery series with a lesbian protagonist which I like a lot better, I believe written by a straight author, which I'll post if scratching my head finally causes her name to fall out of it.
I thought of another movie. Leanna. I'm thinking it was the first lesbian movie I'd ever seen. Nothing exciting but I'm remembering it being a really big deal because we just never saw lesbian experience in movies. A white middle class mother of two, theoretically straight, takes a class with a lesbian instructor, develops a crush on the teacher who turns out to already have a partner and not be available, but Leanna comes out in the process, I think leaves her husband, etc. etc. Like I said, nothing exciting but I certainlyfound it exciting at the time, just for existing.
Did any one mention "The Kids are all Right" which was in the theaters last year? It was about a lesbian couple with two children.
I liked The Kids Are Alright and also just watched a Lifetime movie Unexpected Love.
book bout lesbian vampires? oo if someone can find the name of the book i wants lol. lesbian me who likes vampires yeah. will stop being wierd now.
oh wait, too late. always wierd.
can you handle me? lol
i promise i won't bite. unless i'm asked that is.
I want too. :)
Ok, three lesbian themed movies that are all available on blind mice mart. First of all: Heavenly Creatures, about 2 school girls falling in love at the turn of the twentieth century. At first everything is idyllic and lovely and then they meet with extreme adversity from their families and things turn nasty as they are a pair of fantacists-its not a happy ending! and unfortunately it perpetuates the old steriotype of lesbians being insane. I liked it most of all because it was set in New Zealand and I always like movies that creat a sense of place-its also a true story. Second: My summer of Love, a british movie about 2 teenage girls falling in love who are from very different classes. I liked the movie there was some parts of it that were quite funny and I thought the characters were quite well developed. Unfortunately this movie has a rather unsatisfactory ending! insane lesbians again! I am definitely seeing a trend here! Third movie: the kids are all rite. This was in my opinion a very good movie! there was a lot of controversy when it first came out because one of the women in the lesbian couple falls for the sperm donor of her teenage children. Some people said that was not a very favorable plotline given that the depiction of positive lesbian relationships are so scarce in the movie industry. Others felt that the movie offered an open minded look at the fluidity of sexuality. anyway that's my very brief commentary!
Does any one know of any porn leaven movies
Also on Blind Mice is "The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister". I loved it, and may watch it a second time, which I rarely do, with movies.
I'm a big fan of historical novels, so this was almost as exciting as a new Sarah Waters book.
Speaking of, does anyone know about when her next one will be out? I read that it will be set in the 1920s; can't wait for that!
As for books, no one's mentioned Elizabeth Ridley's "The Remarkable Journey of Miss Tranby Quirke".
And "Pembroke Park" by Michelle Martin. I have a scan of it, but haven't finished reading. Noteworthy I guess because it's a lesbian regency romance.
Apologies... I've gotten off the topic of movies; I know more about books. Maybe we should start a topic just for the books.
the secret diary of miss Anne Lister is fantastic! thanks for the book recommendations-those are two that I've not heard of before! no idea when Sarah Waters next book is out but I'm curious myself so hopefully someone might know. I think this topic has become a bit of a mish mash between books and movies now anyway! let me know if you come across any others-I devour a good lesbian storyline!