Tears, laughter, embarrassing confessions... and that was just putting the top 10 together! It's all here in this definitive list. Of course what really matters is... which is your favourite? Let us know.
- But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
- Gia (1998)
- My Summer of Love (2004)
- Bound (1996)
- Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007)
- Boy's Don't Cry (1999)
- If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)
- Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)
- D.E.B.S (2004)
- Imagine Me & You (2005)
1. But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
This satirical romantic comedy film is directed by Jamie Babbit and written by Brian Wayne Peterson. Natasha Lyonne stars as Megan Bloomfield, an apparently happily heterosexual high school cheerleader. However, her friends and family are convinced that she is a homosexual and arrange an intervention, sending her to a residential inpatient reparative therapy camp to cure her lesbianism. At camp, Megan soon realizes that she is indeed a lesbian and, despite the therapy, gradually comes to embrace this fact. The film was inspired by an article about conversion therapy and the director's experience of rehabilitation programs. She used the story of a young woman finding her sexual identity to explore the social construction of gender roles and heteronormativity. The costume and set design of the film highlighted these themes using artificial textures in intense blues and pinks.
The film received mixed reviews with critics comparing it unfavourably to the films of John Waters and criticized the colorful production design. Whilst the lead actors were praised for their performances, some of the characters were described as stereotypical.
2. Gia (1998)
Although originally a movie made for television, it stands out from the rest of the films in this list due to the tragic nature of the story. This film, based on the short life of Gia Carangi a top model from the 1970's; is played to perfection by a young Angelina Jolie in a performance that must have inspired her later characterisation of ‘Lisa Rowe' in Girl Interrupted.
This brooding young model with boundless amounts of talent moves from small town USA to the Big Apple. After being ‘spotted' by a model agency she transcends from the small town rebel to international model. The sapphic nature of this film is probably what it is best known for, but in reality this is just a sub genre of the film. The real story is of the drug riddled life of Gia. Her story ended far too soon as her dabbling in recreational drugs soon develops into a full on heroin addiction. Soon after contracting the HIV virus she became one of America's first women to die from AIDS. The shocking nature of this story is that she was only 26.
3. My Summer of Love (2004)
My Summer of Love is a 2004 British film directed by Pawel Pawlikowski and co-written by Pawel Pawlikowski and Michael Wynne. Based on a novel by Helen Cross, the film explores the relationship between two young women from different classes and backgrounds. Working class Mona, whose once-hotheaded brother became a born again Christian in prison, meets upper middle class Tamsin who suffers from a lack of love in her family.
The two end up spending much of the summer together and eventually declare their love for each other. All appears to be well until several lies that Tamsin has told Mona come to the fore and Tamsin announces that she never really loved Mona, and just saw Mona as a summer project and way of amusing herself whilst back in the boring backwaters away from her life at boarding school.
This beautifully shot and sometimes tender; faux coming of age movie is definitely worth renting if not owning for Natalie Press and Emily Blunt's outstanding performances.
4. Bound (1996)
The Wachowski Brothers make their directorial debut with this film-noir thriller. Bound is the classic tale of a gangster's moll named Violet (Jennifer Tilly) wanting to escape the business and her mob boyfriend Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) and enlists the help of her new love interest (Gina Gershon) to do it.
Except this movie has a twist. The "handyman" next door, Corky, is a butch dyke who's just got out of prison for the "redistribution of wealth" and redecorating the apartment next to Violet and Ceasar's. Violet, pouty-lipped and husky-voiced, seduces Corky and the two come up with a plan to steal 2 million dollars that Caesar is holding for his mob boss, and escape from mob life.
There are numerous twists and surprises to keep you engaged. Not to mention a steamy love scene between Corky and Violet, supervised by real-life sexpert Susie Bright (who also had a cameo in the film) to make sure the lesbian scene was accurate.
Whilst spellbinding, Bound is not for the squeamish. There are a few violent scenes. However if you are a fan 40s-50s gangster movies, Tarantino or The Coen Brothers, you'll love Bound.
5. Itty Bitty Titty Committee (2007)
This is the second film in this list directed by But I'm a Cheerleader's Jamie Babbit. It follows Anna a young lesbian high school graduate who still lives with her parents, and works as a receptionist in a plastic surgeon's office. She embarks on a wild ride when she hooks up with a cadre of ultra-radical feminist lesbians hell-bent on raising hell. But things get even more complicated when Anna falls in love with Sadie, the radical group's leader who's already involved with an older woman named Courtney.
Whilst being an award winner, this film couldn't be much further from But I'm a Cheerleader, this isn't a coming out story, and sometimes appears to be a little over the top and filled with clichés. But it's worth a watch for the lesbian cultural references and lesbian cameos; Guinevere Turner, Clea DuVall and Daniella Sea all have appearances.
6. Boy's Don't Cry (1999)
Based on actual events. Brandon Teena is the popular new guy in a tiny Nebraska town. He hangs out with the guys, drinking and swearing and he charms the young women, who've never met a more sensitive and considerate young man. Life is good for Brandon, now that he's one of the guys and dating hometown beauty Lana. However, he's forgotten to mention one important detail. It's not that he's wanted in another town for stealing cars and other assorted crimes, but that Brandon Teena was actually born a woman named Teena Brandon. When his best friends make this discovery, Brandon's life is ripped apart.
This is an emotional tearjerker, with the lead character being brilliantly portrayed by Hilary Swank. This is definitely worth renting, but be prepared with tissues.
7. If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)
Semi-follow up of the first "If These Walls Could Talk" with three segments set in the same house, but with different occupants, which spans nearly 40 years. While the first film dealt with women and the topic of abortion, this deals with women and the topic of lesbianism.
1961: When Abby dies of a stroke, her surviving partner of 50 years, Edith, must silently face heartbreak and the denial of her status as "family" by the hospital and Abby's heirs. 1972: Linda, a feminist, out, college student is ousted, along with her lesbian cohorts, from the on-campus womens' group: the cause of feminism comes first, apparently. In an attempt to forget their troubles, the friends go to the only lesbian bar in town, where Linda meets Amy, who is too butch to pass the standards of Linda's friends. Intrigued, despite her friends' disapproval, Linda comes to understand and fall in love with Amy while learning about her own prejudices. 2000: Fran and Kal want to have a baby. But they want the baby to be theirs and theirs alone, so to the sperm bank they go. But the decisions to be made! Ordering over the internet? Which donor? What race? What gender? And what if the sperm bank is out of that particular perfect donor? And above all, is it right to bring a baby into a world that will undoubtedly be prejudiced? Or will love and laughter see them through?
This is a film that spans all emotions, from a widely recognised cast. Ellen makes an appearance alongside Sharon Stone as the modern lesbian couple. It's not a film that will challenge you mentally, but it's certainly interesting to see how lesbianism has been tackled throughout the last 40 years.
8. Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)
28 year-old Jessica Stein, a Jewish copy editor living and working in New York City, is plagued by failed blind dates with men, and decides to answer a newspaper's personal advertisement containing a quote from Rilke that she had read and admired earlier. ‘Lesbian-curious' Helen Cooper, a thirtysomething art gallerist who is dissatisfied by her meaningless sex with men, has placed the advertisement. As nervous as Jessica is about dating Helen, she realizes after a surprise kiss that even a different experience can be good. Through the early part of their relationship, Jessica finds in Helen everything she'd dreamed of finding in a man. They are compatible, they like many of the same things, and they are caring for one another. Even when Helen gets sick — which she says earlier in the film never happens to her — Jessica is there to care for her.
This is funny, quirky and light hearted and doesn't take the subject matter to seriously. For that matter alone, it makes it into this list, for it's uplifting spirit.
9. D.E.B.S (2004)
D.E.B.S. is a 2004 action-comedy film written and directed by L Word writer Angela Robinson. It is an expansion of a short film of the same name that made the festival circuit (including the Sundance Film Festival). The film is both a parody and an emulation of the Charlie's Angels format. It features a lesbian love story between one of the heroes and the villain.
Recruited by the U.S. government for their unique ability to lie, cheat and fight, Amy, Max, Janet and Dominique join an underground academy of secret agents known only as D.E.B.S. These crime fighting hotties set out to save the world and keep their lipstick perfectly applied while doing so. Now the girls must combine their skills for their most important mission- to capture vexing vixen Lucy Diamond, the deadliest criminal the world has ever known. When D.E.B.S. star player, Amy, falls for Lucy, chaos erupts and the D.E.B.S. loyalty is put to the test.
D.E.B.S. has the same exuberance as the Austin Powers films without the gross-out humor and the characters neatly blend action genre and teen-movie stereotypes. However, the introduction of a girl-girl romance slyly subverts rather than rehashes the material in a way that is fresh and consistently funny. The supporting characters are fabulous - every line deadpanned by the gauloise-puffing sexoholic Dominique is a gem, and Jimmi Simpson's evil-henchman/romantic confidant steals most of the scenes he appears in.
10. Imagine Me & You (2005)
Rachel and Heck, long time friends and lovers, finally tie the knot, and during the celebration, Rachel starts a friendship with their florist, Luce. And while Rachel originally intended to match her new friend, Luce, up with her husband's friend, Cooper, she soon finds out that Luce is a lesbian. During the course of their friendship, Rachel starts to question her own sexuality. And though she comes to realize she may have feelings for her new friend, Rachel must decide who she will ultimately find the most happiness with: Heck, her new husband who is also adored by her family, or Luce, who has turned her life and everything she thought she new about love upside down.
This movie is very entertaining, the acting is excellent and the lead actresses are completely captivating. It is a pleasure to be able to see a lesbian-themed movie with a storyline that parallels any straight love story; with all the sexual tension, sexual chemistry, and positive presentation that straight people have been given from the dawn of cinematic history.
Article by Laura Walkerdine