Clara's Picks: Best LGBT Films

Heterosexual, binary gender-norm saturated cinema culture got you down? Here are six underrated, wonderful LGBTQ films you won’t hear over Blue is the Warmest Color and Brokeback Mountain (classics for a reason, but we’ve all been there and watched that)! 

The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (1996) 

Randy Dean, grease stained overall and dirty blonde hair, struggles to fit in her small town and pass high school. With her openly ‘alternative’, non-traditional family, love alludes her although she’s a romantic flirt. With only one gay, Latino friend, Randy is star struck meeting cute, rich, and popular Evie. Falling into a friendship, the film is blatant with high school shy glances, cautious flirting, holding hands, coming out to parents, and love. 

Patrik 1.5 (2008) 

[Swedish, but subtitled film]  

Raising a child is not the way Modern Family simplifies it. The opening scenes show Sven and Goran move into a suburban neighborhood, awkwardly coming out to all their neighbors. With interesting commentary on the stigmas against male-male partnerships adopting children, the film follows the couple as they decide to adopt. Finally allowed to adopt, they’re shocked to find the baby boy they adopted turn out to be a 15 year old, criminal, and homophobic boy. As their love relationship struggles, they learn about themselves, the culture they live in, and the boy that accidentally landed on their doorstep. 

The Way He Looks (2014) 

[Portuguese film, but translated or subtitles available]

Initially a short film, this film was recently extended in response to such a popular reception. The film follows Leonardo as he learns to become more independent from his parents and his best friend, Giovana. After new kid, Gabriel moves to town, he quickly joins their group, seemingly replacing Giovana as Leonardo’s best friend. Leonardo struggles to reassure and keep his friendship with Giovana while trying to understand his jealousy every time Gabriel spends with flirty Karina. 

I Love You, Phillip Morris (2009)

I love this film. I think it is the funniest, most romantic, twisted plot I have watched in gay cinema. Based on the true story of Steven Jay Russel, Steve is shown as an outcast from his family and mother. Adopted, he faces (humorous) rejection from his mother and looks incredibly bored while having sex with his wife. After a car accident, he decides to embrace his sexuality and comes out to everyone, leaving his family and job as a cop. After becoming a con artist and being arrested, he meets Phillip in jail. Enamored, he poses as a lawyer to get Phillip out and continues his con work in order to live lavishly in a love nest with Phillip. Although there is so much more to see, the ending (not a spoiler) shows that through thick and thin, Steven knows only one thing: He REALLY loves Phillip Morris. 

But I’m a Cheerleader (1999)

Gender-Norms! I say N, you say O, N-O, NO! But I’m a Cheerleader is a wonderful romantic comedy. Honestly it’s the film I relate to the most. The protagonist, Megan, with her football player boyfriend, cute blonde hair, cheerleader, beauty queen status, is shocked when her friends and family stage a Lesbian-intervention. How could she be…a lesbian? Sent to a gay reform camp, she meets Graham, bad girl embodiment that quickly sends her into a frenzy of sexual, *gasp* same sex attraction and antagonism. As they bond, Megan must decide between accepting social norms and being welcomed home or pursuing her attraction for Graham. 

Boys Don’t Cry (1999) 

This is NOT a film about a lesbian. Starring Hillary Swank, she plays Brandon, an anatomically born female who identifies as a boy. Dressed up like a cowboy, the film follows her attempts to find what it means to be a boy and people's refusal to accept her identity. Called words like “butch” and “dyke”, Brandon falls in love with a girl, Lana, in a small, Texas town. Be warned, this film is not light-hearted and is not intended to be so. There is blatant violence and rape scenes. Pushing the question of masculinity and the perpetuation of violence against people who defy the sexual norm and those who are raped, it is an unapologetic portrayal of the violence against transgender individuals. The film is based on the true, tragic story of Brandon Teena.

- Clara

Clara Acosta is a 20 year old on her way to a Froot state of mind. Grumpy most of the time, she's the sarcastic Debbie Downer of any group with an overtly sensitive set of feelings. Cradling Marina Diamandis and Florence Welch as the icons to worship, she's the friend well on her way to an existential crisis every Wednesday night.