What LGBT-related movies are absolute MUST SEE?

[JKane]

So I made a shameful admission in another thread, and that got me to wondering. Since so many LGBT movies are god-awful (yet many watch them religiously anyway...), what are the very best?

I'm guessing Brokeback is fairly high on the list?

I've also heard good things about A Single Man, I think... but the first time I tried to see it I bought A Serious Man instead... @#$%!

That I've actually seen, and especially in the realm of big budget and mainstream appeal, I'd suggest V for Vendetta has an incredibly touching story tucked inside it, though it may be more powerful in the original comic.

Of course Philadelphia; And the Band Played On (seen those two too!).

But do all great gay movies have to be fucking depressing? I never did get the appeal of To Wong Fu; also saw one or two things like Jeffrey, utterly forgettable at best. I guess Birdcage was amusing, but I wouldn't put it anywhere near great...

So, what say you??

[Guest EXPAT]

Other than the ones you mentioned there aren't many good gay-themed movies unfortunately. Poor writing and low budgets kind of ruin a lot of gay movies for me. I have a friend who rents everything gay on Netflix and he says 95% of the gawd-awful. You'd think with the amount of talent in this world that they could find better writing and better stories.

[Guest hitoallusa]

Brokeback Mountain was so depressing... I don't why relationships can be so difficult and sad. There must be a law governing all this. At least we get our rest in the end.

[OneFinger]

Because of my Mormon background and Utah roots, I really liked Latter-Days. It's a movie about a Mormon missionary and a gay neighbor.

Very moving and something that had a personal interest for me.

And, the actors for the main characters were great eye candy.

[Guest KyleRaw]

Brokeback Mountain was so depressing... I don't why relationships can be so difficult and sad. There must be a law governing all this.

Really? Was Brokeback Mountain really THAT depressing for you? Did you not find an uplifting message within the story to make you less of a hobbit than you might already really be?

Relationships are not difficult, people are. Obviously you slept through the film and missed that message.

BTW, there are no non-reversible laws that govern our behavior or rights. Unless you're dead, we're still fighting for them one way or the other. Depressed as you might be or not, wake the fuck up and stand up for what you want or believe in to be right.

Pussys are for heterosexuals the last time I checked..

[Guest KyleRaw]

Because of my Mormon background and Utah roots, I really liked Latter-Days. It's a movie about a Mormon missionary and a gay neighbor.

Very moving and something that had a personal interest for me.

And, the actors for the main characters were great eye candy.

That's just terrific! As long as there is eye-candy and a comfy "lifetime-channel" style history which ignores all of the gays who were once slaughtered in the streets of urban neighborhoods at night for just being gay, & for just for being on the street, I guess Latter-Days is a good pick for an afternoon of teevee viewing denial.

JFC! (Jesus-Fucking-Christ) Really? Are people still in this form of denial?

[Guest KyleRaw]

Oh, and by the way..

When those cute (sometimes hot for you) boys knock upon your door....

They're not ever there to embrace you for you, they're there to destroy everything which you might have been fortunate to have discovered about yourself to be true.

[Guest FourAces]

TransAmerica is a awesome gay themed film. Johns is not bad but a little abstract at times. Edge of Seventeen is also a fairly solid indie gay film.

[Guest epigonos]

I realize that some film goers both gay or straight believe that unless a film is “tragic” and or “meaningful” it really isn’t worth seeing. Frankly I don’t see things that way. If I want to learn something terribly meaningful I can learn a lot more about the topic by reading a book rather than seeing a film I for one definitely feel there is a place in this world for “chick flicks” or “fag flicks”

I absolutely hated Brokeback Mountain. I saw it NOT as a gay love story but rather as a story about a rather pathetic man incapable of expressing love of any kind – straight or gay and for me that was tragic.

I enjoyed “Latter Days”. Granted it is a gay soap opera but SO WHAT. In the end it was pretty and fun. If you are interested is some other less than “meaningful films’ you might want to consider “Another Gay Movie”, “Mambo Italiano”, and “Trick”. If you want something meatier try “Circuit”.

Yeah I know I’m just a peasant with peasants taste and I don’t appreciate the finer things in life.

[OneFinger]

Oh, and by the way..

When those cute (sometimes hot for you) boys knock upon your door....

They're not ever there to embrace you for you, they're there to destroy everything which you might have been fortunate to have discovered about yourself to be true.

You wake up on the wrong side of the bed or are you always this negative??

Perhaps I'll add you to my ignore list if this is representative of your "usual" post.

[Guest hitoallusa]

You are talking about doing the right thing. Please keep that in your mind and take care of your heath and that of others. That's how our right immunity gets strong.

Really? Was Brokeback Mountain really THAT depressing for you? Did you not find an uplifting message within the story to make you less of a hobbit than you might already really be?

Relationships are not difficult, people are. Obviously you slept through the film and missed that message.

BTW, there are no non-reversible laws that govern our behavior or rights. Unless you're dead, we're still fighting for them one way or the other. Depressed as you might be or not, wake the fuck up and stand up for what you want or believe in to be right.

Pussys are for heterosexuals the last time I checked..

[TampaYankee]

Other than the ones you mentioned there aren't many good gay-themed movies unfortunately. Poor writing and low budgets kind of ruin a lot of gay movies for me. I have a friend who rents everything gay on Netflix and he says 95% of the gawd-awful. You'd think with the amount of talent in this world that they could find better writing and better stories.

I have to agree with this assessment pretty much but that leaves the 5%.

And every now and then a very good or great movie is made, often with a story line that crosses community lines like BrokeBack and Philadelphia. Also, how could any list omit Angels in America?

I guess Birdcage was amusing, but I wouldn't put it anywhere near great...

I actually thought it was great. Not only was Nathan Lane great but I didn't know that Hank Azaria had that comic streak in him -- he was hilarious. And in my mind the best thing about it -- it crossed culture boundaries to appeal to non-homophobic straights, once again showing the straight community that gays are not monsters but real people with human feelings and needs.

Did it go over the top at little? Maybe, but it was comedy aimed all across the spectrum. In the end I think all the gay characters were shown to be respectable human beings worthy of respect. And for those homophobes who feel there is no high ground in being gay, the movie also pointed out the moral failings of some of the homophobic 'family oriented' community.

Every time a movie, a comedian or a book shows the humanity of people who are gay to the wider audience it advances acceptance or at least tolerance in that wider community.

[JKane]

Wow, turns out I haven't missed much!! I thought there might be some gems I'd missed, but if I finally sit down and watch my copies of Brokeback and Single Man I'll be mostly caught up! Might then pick up later days, saw one or two others when I searched top 10 LGBT movies, but again I'm surprised how few there really are!

I almost mentioned Angels in my post, but technically I believe it was a miniseries (and And the Band Played On was a TV movie...).

Birdcage did have the great wide appeal, but was also somewhat stereotype reinforcing which is why it's not quiet so high in my mind. But I agree back then any media was good media.

[manticore]

Victim (1961, England). Notably thoughtful treatment of gay

issues for a 1961 film. Nice black and white cinematography.

The film is of course dated but that is part of what makes it

worth seeing: it is a window into what gay life was like at

that time and place. I like thoughtful films where characters

are faced with difficult choices, and this movie delivered.

A historically important film, extreme subject matter for its

day (originally X rated in Britain), and one that holds up

fairly well 50+ years later.

Wikipedia page: Victim_(1961_film).

[BigK]

I've also heard good things about A Single Man, I think... but the first time I tried to see it I bought A Serious Man instead... @#$%!

So, what say you??

Now I realize the mistake I made when I watched A Serious Man. Didn't really enjoy that one. Just added A Single Man to My Netflix Queue.

[BigK]

TransAmerica is a awesome gay themed film. Johns is not bad but a little abstract at times. Edge of Seventeen is also a fairly solid indie gay film.

I also recommend TransAmerica and Edge of Seventeen.

[BigK]

Victim (1961, England). Notably thoughtful treatment of gay

issues for a 1961 film. Nice black and white cinematography.

The film is of course dated but that is part of what makes it

worth seeing: it is a window into what gay life was like at

that time and place. I like thoughtful films where characters

are faced with difficult choices, and this movie delivered.

A historically important film, extreme subject matter for its

day (originally X rated in Britain), and one that holds up

fairly well 50+ years later.

Wikipedia page: Victim_(1961_film).

Thanks for the recommendation. I've added Victim to my Queue.

Netflix also recommended Hobson's Choice based on this selection. Does anyone have any comments on this selection?

Hobson's Choice

1954 NR 107 minutes

In this domestic comedy directed by David Lean, boozy widower Henry Hobson (Charles Laughton) runs a successful boot shop in Victorian England. But he dominates his employees and his three daughters, until one challenges him. When his eldest, Maggie (Brenda De Banzie), and his assistant (John Mills) marry and set up a rival business, Hobson must change his autocratic ways. The film won a British Academy Award for Best Film.

Cast:Charles Laughton, John Mills, Brenda De Banzie, Prunella Scales, Richard WattisDirector:David LeanGenres:Classics, Classic Comedies, United Kingdom This movie is:Feel-good, Understated, WittyFormat:DVD

[seattlebottom]

My Beautiful Laundrette and The Fourth Man are two interesting movies from the 1980s that I've enjoyed.

[Guest lurkerspeaks]

Instead of the Birdcage, go for the original "La Cage Au Folles". It is the movie that Birdcage was based upon. Although not a musical, it is, IMHO, a much better movie. It is in Italian. If you can find it, get the version with subtitles. That way, even though you have to "read" the dialogue, you get the original actors' tones and vocal nuances which are great.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TN8Mp3FXiUg

[MsGuy]

I'm no subtitles snob but Lurker is right on both counts. La Cage beats Birdcage hands down and subtitled is the version to see.

[Guest EXPAT]

There are so few mainstream good gay-themed movies. But I would suspect that might change in the future. But they may just decide to incorporate gay story lines in movies.

What did you guys think of "Beginners"? It's getting a lot of good press. I personally hated the movie because I felt like the advertising for the movie was a bait and switch. They advertised it to the gay community as an older man coming out story and that ended up only being about 15% of the movie. The rest was that gawd awful storyline with Ewan McGregor, which I didn't really care about. I think they realized that the only market they would get any attention was the gay audience so they emphasized the sub-story but that was hardly the main part of the movie. I left very disappointed.

[Guest CharliePS]

I'm surprised that no one mentioned "Longtime Companion," one of my favorites. Another one that hasn't been mentioned is "Entertaining Mr. Sloan." And then there is that strange bromance, "Midnight Cowboy."

The first gay-themed film I ever saw was "Victim," which was shown mostly in art theaters when it was first released. I went to see it one Saturday night on a date with my best friend's 16 year old sister, and although it was depressing, we were both fascinated by its depiction of a world about which we knew almost nothing. It was an unusual choice for our local suburban theater, and the run was very short.

[Guest zipperzone]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Boys in the Band" For it's day it was considered quite daring.

[Guest EXPAT]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned "Boys in the Band" For it's day it was considered quite daring.

That was a great movie. I had forgotten about it completely. That may have been one of the first gay themed movies I'd ever seen actually.

[JKane]

Now I realize the mistake I made when I watched A Serious Man. Didn't really enjoy that one. Just added A Single Man to My Netflix Queue.

HA! Glad I'm not the only one!!!