Tag Archives: lesbian classic

17 Must-Watch LGBT Coming-Of-Age Movies We All Need To Watch

For many, it’s still not easy come to terms with your sexuality be it as a teen, a young adult or even if you’re in your late 40s.

But when you do, there is a moment of profound revelation (which is pretty awesome), and in cinema, these moments of realisation happens often in coming of age films.

There are some pressing questions which have been answered in the history of LGBT coming of age stories, which range from tragic to fabulous and everything in-between.

So we’ve rounded up the best of the best and found the words that make these movies special.

 

These LGBT themed films feature good writing, good acting, and good plots. So enjoy, and get yourself immersed in some significant LGBT cinema.

1. The Journey

In this powerful tale of forbidden love, beautiful young Kiran (Suhasini V. Nair) falls in love with her lifelong best friend, the effervescent Delilah (Shrruiti Menon). But in their idyllic Indian village, tradition still dictates that a girl marry a boy chosen by her family. With longing in her heart, Kiran refrains from expressing her love.When their neighbor Rajan (Syam Seethal) asks Kiran to compose his love letters to Delilah she decides this will serve as an outlet for her feelings and begins to write passionate, poetic love letters to Delilah in Rajan’s name. When Delilah discovers that Kiran is the true author, Kiran tells Delilah her real feelings.

2. Boy Meets Girl

Boy Meets Girl is a funny, tender, sex positive romantic comedy that explores what it means to be a real man or woman, and how important it is to live a courageous life not letting fear stand in the way of going after your dreams.

3. A Perfect Ending

Drop dead gorgeous Jessica Clark (True Blood’s Lilith) and TV icon Barbara Niven co-star in this glossy, sexy and fun romantic drama from writer-director Nicole Conn (Elena Undone, Claire of the Moon). When straight and married Rebecca (Niven) seeks out the sexual services of high-priced call girl Paris (Clark) she isn’t expecting to fall in love. A Perfect Ending is filled to the brink with aching desire, and the sexual chemistry between Niven and Clark is off the charts.

4. Tomboy 

From out lesbian director Celine Sciamma (Water Lilies), Tomboy tells the story of 10-year-old Laure (played by the amazing Zoe Heran) who moves to the suburbs and decides to pass as a boy amongst the pack of neighbourhood kids. As “Mikael” she catches the attention of leader of the pack Lisa, who becomes smitten with her. At home with her parents and younger sister Jeanne, she is Laure; while hanging out with her new pals and girlfriend, she is Mikael. Finding resourceful ways to hide her true self, Laure takes advantage of her new identity, as if the end of the summer would never reveal her unsettling secret.

5. The Wise-Kids

Gay teen Tim (Tyler Ross) and his two best friends Laura (Alison Torem) and Brea (Molly Kunz) spend their last summer before college grappling with their feelings about the fundamentalist Baptist beliefs of their families, and prepping for the Passion Play at their church. Preacher’s daughter Brie is having a crisis of faith while Laura quotes Leviticus to Tim.

6. When Night Is Falling

Successful in her teaching job at a conservative religious college, Camille (Pascale Bussières) looked forward to marrying her adoring, minister boyfriend (Henry Czerny) and settling down to the conventions of family and career. But a chance encounter with a beautiful, irresistibly sensuous young female circus performer named Petra (Rachael Crawford) is about to transform Camille’s predictable life into an electrifyingly erotic adventure.

Captivated by Petra’s impulsive sexuality and passionately free spirit, Camille is drawn into a world whose existence she never dared imagined: A world of hypnotic sensuality, rapturous self-discovery and exquisite erotic pleasure. Now, walking an emotional high-wire between the familiar past and the forbidden future, Camille must choose between the love she can’t forget… and the desire she can’t resist.

7. The World Unseen

The beautiful Lisa Ray stars as Miriam, a doting wife and mother whose sudden attraction to the free-sirited Amina (Sheetal Sheth) throws her life choices into question. Their subsequent romantic involvement pushes the rules-that-bind and forces them both to face outrage and violent disapproval. Set against the back-drop of 1950s apartheid South Africa, this lush romantic drama showcases the stunning South African landscape and jazz tunes of the time to create a wonderfully atmospheric lesbian love story.

8. Loving Annabelle

Director Katherine Brooks rocketed to the top of favourite lesbian movie lists around the world with this wildly popular 2006 lesbian drama. The award-winning film continues to earn new fans. Enjoy! Rising heart-throb Erin Kelly stars as Annabelle, a precocious Senator’s daughter who falls in love with her teacher Simone (gorgeous Diane Gaidry) at a stodgy Catholic girls boarding school.

Inspired by the classic lesbian drama Maedchen in Uniform, out writer-director Katherine Brooks unveils this passionate tale of forbidden love with intelligence, wit and sensitivity.

9. Leading Ladies

Filled with warm (and wacky) family drama, this fabulous comedy about two sisters (newcomers Shannon Lea Smith and Laurel Vail), their gay best friend (So You Think You Can Dance winner Benji Schwimmer), and their overzealous stage mother (legendary ballroom diva Melanie LaPatin) serves up a tale of uplifting gay affirmation — and exceptional choreography!

With one sister pregnant and the other coming out of the closet and falling in love (with the adorable Nicole Dionne), the whole family is hustling to stay on top in the wild world of competitive ballroom dance.

10. It’s In The Water

When sexy, upper-crust society wife Alex (Keri Jo Chapman) falls for her old high school best friend, Grace (Teresa Garret) the snobby little town of Azalea Springs is up in arms. Alongside the budding romance, indie filmmaker Kelli Herd brings us a hilarious comic portrait of small-town life and a firm trouncing of homophobic intolerance as the whole town confronts the zany rumor that their water supply is turning everyone gay!

11. I Can’t Think Straight

Moving between the vast enclaves of Middle Eastern high society and the stunning backdrop of London’s West End, I Can’t Think Straight explores the clashes between East and West, love and marriage, conventions and individuality, creating a humorous and tender story of unexpected love and unusual freedoms.

12. The Gymnast

Winner of 28 awards, The Gymnast is a visually stunning film about hope, second chances, and finding the courage to defy gravity.

Talented Jane Hawkins (Dreya Weber) was an impressive gymnast at the top of her game until a devastating injury ended her career. Years later, a chance meeting sets Jane on a new path – performing a cirque style aerial act with a mysterious dancer named Serena (Addie Yungmee). As the stunning pair prepares for a Las Vegas show, the pull between them becomes increasingly unavoidable.

13. Forbidden Love The Unashamed Stories Of Lesbian Lives

This award-winning portrait of lesbian life in the 1940s, 50s and 60s incorporates interviews, archival footage and a pulp novel dramatisation to illustrate this incredible time. With humor and grace, ten charming and fascinating women discuss what it was like being lesbians at a very different time in history.

Their candid and riveting stories bring to life what it was like coming out (or being closeted) and finding community amidst the homophobic backdrop of the era. Interwoven with this real-life history is the aching romantic, pulp-novel inspired tale of star-crossed lovers Mitch and Laura. The film also features an interview with the acclaimed 1950s lesbian pulp author Ann Bannon (Beebo Brinker, Odd Girl Out).

14. Claire Of The Moon

As the two debate back and forth, Noel also falls under Claire’s charms, but she is wary, having recently suffered a disastrous breakup. As each faces her fears, an intricate – and sensual – “dance” takes place between them, as they move apart, then come closer and closer.

14. Elena Undone

Fate brings two diversely different women together, and sets them on a collision course that will shatter their preconceived notions about love, life and the power of one’s soul.

15. Desert Hearts

To everyone’s surprise, Vivian and Cay hit it off immediately as Cay introduces the shy academic to the wild-west casino scene as well as the breathless beauty of the desert. It’s not long before Vivian finds her friendship moving into unexpected passion. And for Cay, it’s the first time she has met someone who stirs her deepest emotions.

16. Mosquita Mari

This exquisite coming of age tale follows a pair of Latina teens who fall gradually in love against the backdrop of Southeast Los Angeles.

17. Love My Life

Lesbian Classics – 5 Films That Paved The Way For Lesbian Visibility

Before shows like the L word, Faking It, and Glee’s Britanna getting married on mainstream television. Not to mention way before Ellen Degeneres, Sara Gilbert, and Lily Tomlin were out of the closet – Lesbian visibility was pretty lame when it came to TV and Film.

Trying to identify any early cinematic representations of lesbianism was like collecting crumbs off the top table, but then there was a turn in the trend. We started to see female queer filmmakers (such as Nicole Conn, Kelli Herd, and Sharon Pollack) emerge and deliver real life lesbian storylines.

More: 8 Romantic Lesbian Movies To Get You In The Mood For Love This Valentine’s Day

They were films made by women for women, where lesbian characters were not typically portrayed as victims, femme fatales, killers, prostitutes or neurotic crazy ladies. In fact they told stories of true romance, love and real-life events.

To celebrate, KitschMix.TV is now hosting 5 classic films, which you can rent or buy. All of which are well-worth watching.

When Night Is Falling

This is one of the all-time classics in lesbian cinema. An uptight and conservative woman, working on tenure as a literacy professor at a large urban university, finds herself strangely attracted to a free-spirited, liberal woman who works at a local carnival that comes to town. Directed by Patricia Rozema, the film stars the sizzling Pascale Bussières and Rachael Crawford – rent it now.

When Night Is Falling

Desert Hearts

Based on Jane Rule’s novel of the same name, this beautiful lesbian romance tells the story of Vivian Bell (Helen Shaver), a repressed English professor who goes to Reno for a quickie divorce in 1959. She spends the weeks waiting for her final divorce papers at a dude ranch where she meets Cay Rivvers (Patricia Charbonneau), a beautiful young casino worker. Cay is a free spirit – an artist by day and casino worker by night, as well as a lesbian. To everyone’s surprise, Vivian and Cay hit it off immediately and it’s not long before Vivian finds her friendship moving into unexpected passion – rent it now.

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It’s In the Water

A queer comedy with a little twist at the end. When sexy, upper-crust society wife Alex (Keri Jo Chapman) falls for her old high school best friend, Grace (Teresa Garret) the snobby little town of Azalea Springs is up in arms. Alongside the budding romance, indie filmmaker Kelli Herd brings us a hilarious comic portrait of small-town life and a firm trouncing o homophobic intolerance as the whole town confronts the zany rumor that their water supply is turning everyone gay – rent it now.

It's In the Water

 

Everything Relative

A true lesbian classic! In this provocative and sexy romantic comedy, a wonderfully eclectic group of women who went to college together reunite when two of them have a Jewish naming ceremony for their newborn baby. Quick-witted repartee reveals with irony, humor and a touch of nostalgia for the ’70s how all of their lives, their politics and their loves have changed – rent it now.

Everything Relative

Claire of the Moon

Cult lesbian film Claire of The Moon is about author Claire Jabrowski who finds herself sharing a cabin with Dr.Noel Benedict at an annual retreat for female writers.

Claire and Noels contrasting personalities cause inevitable friction, but, despite their differences, the two cannot deny their obvious lusting attraction towards each other and begin a passionate affair – rent it now

Claire of the Moon

The Stage Adaptation Of Sarah Waters’ Lesbian Classic ‘Tipping the Velvet’ Earns Positive Reviews

The stage adaptation of Sarah Waters’ Tipping the Velvet is earning many positive reviews from critics.

The new play has been adapted by playwright Laura Wade, who has teamed up again with director Lyndsey Turner, who she worked with on her play Posh.

The Guardian gave the show a three-star review, saying

Wade ingeniously frames the story by presenting it through the eyes of a gavel-wielding Victorian music-hall chairman of the kind made familiar by TV’s The Good Old Days. This pays off beautifully in the first half, which is a hymn to theatre,” At the opening night on Monday, Wade told the BBC: “There’s so much theatre already in the book, it was about finding that and drawing it out and because of the Victorian age of this theatre, it just seemed like a perfect match.”

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The Stage said

It takes the history and traditions of music hall and mashes them together with something altogether more modern. Music, comedy, circus and illusion are all thrown into the mix,” the review read.

Master of Ceremonies David Cardy narrates the story of Nancy, an oyster girl from Whitstable who falls hard and deep for Kitty, a male impersonator and music hall star, before taking to the boards and becoming a star herself. The songs they perform are not music hall numbers, but rather more recent: Prince and the Pet Shop Boys, a little bit of Miley Cyrus, a dash of Bonnie Tyler.”

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The TV version – which starred Rachael Stirling as Nan and Keeley Hawes as cross-dressing stage star Kitty – was famed for its steamy sex scenes.

The stage adaptation instead represents the passionate sexual acts with astonishing aerial stunt work reminiscent of Cirque Du Soleil.

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Playwright Laura Wade explained

We wanted to create something on stage that showed how those sexual encounters really felt and the different emotional character of them, to convey that emotional pull to the audience. Sex is always rather difficult to do on stage because you can’t have close ups in the same way that you can on film so you have to find a different way of telling that story.”

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The cast was led by newcomer Sally Messham, who plays Nan, added

This is my first professional theatre job, straight in at the deep end. I picked up the book as soon as I got the role and I loved it, it’s like a Dickensian novel, you get a lot of Victorian novels about gay men and very few about lesbians and what Laura and Sarah have done is to give them a rich history.”

It is still rare to see women’s sexuality portrayed with such frankness on stage, something Waters herself has noted.

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Talking to the BBC on opening night, Water’s said

I do go to the theatre a lot but it’s only when you see a stage with a lot of women on it, telling a young woman’s story that you realise how rarely you do see that. So it has been really refreshing for me to see Laura’s fantastic script. It’s also lovely to know the book still has a currency, still appeals to people. Since I wrote it 20 years ago, a lot has changed since then.”

 Tipping the Velvet will run at the Lyric Hammersmith until 24 October, before moving to the Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, from 28 October – 14 November.

Tipping The Velvet Stage Show Headed to London Next Month

Tipping The Velvet is one of the most iconic and most well-known pieces of queer media out there.

Set in 1887 in Victorian England, the debut novel by Sarah Waters shows the life of a young woman named Nancy “Nan” Astley as she falls in love with a ‘male impersonator’ named Kitty Butler. Nan follows Kitty to London for hijinks and adventures as the two women get by.

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Compared to the works of Charles Dickens, Tipping The Velvet was praised for the way that it explored what it would have been like to be a same-sex couple in Victorian England (Waters was writing her PhD dissertation on gay and lesbian historical fiction at the time) and for the way it looked at themes of gender, sexism and classism, issues which would have been prevalent during their era.

The novel also broke ground when it was adapted into a BBC series in 2002, with Waters having been surprised that the BBC chose to adapt the book due to sexual content within it.

Following that three-part series (which was also praised, despite initial outrage from some) and a stage adaptation in 2009, Tipping The Velvet will once again be presented to audiences, this time at the Lyric Hammersmith (London) starting in September.

This particular stage adaptation has been written Laura Wade and directed by Lyndsey Turner. Having been in the works for four years, it reportedly stays true to the book, with Sarah Waters having worked closely with Wade on the script.

Previous fans of the book (or the TV show) should feel that Sally Messham (as Nancy) and Laura Rogers (as Kitty) stick closely to the original, then, and audiences shouldn’t expect any Twilight ‘spider monkey’ type of diversions from the original work.

Also good news is that Tipping The Velvet‘s artistic director Sean Holmes also realises the significance of the show, telling The Guardian that “what’s so brilliant about the novel is it is such an upfront, unapologetic celebration of sexuality that just happens to be between two women.

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Obviously it’s set at a time when that’s frowned upon but it’s also just really about the journey to love and sexual discovery and the massive, formative journey that applies to everyone, whatever your sexuality is, and yet you never see portrayed between gay women.”

Tipping The Velvet will run from September 18 to October 24 at the Lyric Hammersmith. After the Lyric Hammersmith, Tipping The Velvet will be on at the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh.