Author | Meg Ten Eyck
Winter is coming and it’s about to get really cold. Find a cuddle buddy or a group of friends, pop some popcorn and spend this weekend brushing up on some LGBT themed movies on Netflix.
1. But I’m a Cheerleader (Dir. Jamie Babbit, USA, 2000)
This campy queer classic film stars Orange is the New Black’s Natasha Lyonne as 17-year-old high school cheerleader, Megan. After her parents find out that she is a Melissa Etheridge fan and is interested in vegetarianism, they send her to a conversion therapy camp called “True Directions.” The film is filled with campy stereotypes to highlight the themes of heteronormativity and gender roles.
2. Lost and Delirious (Dir. Lea Pool, USA, 2001)
A very young Mischa Barton plays “Mouse”, a new student at a privileged girls’ boarding school. She quickly discovers that her two roommates are lovers. Jessica Pare and Piper Perabo as Tori and Paulie, characters that take us into the darker aspects of first love.
3. Paris is Burning (Dir. Jennie Livingston, USA, 1991)
This classic documentary shadows the ball culture of New York City in the mid to late 1980s. The film showcases queer people of color and the drag ball scene during the “golden age” of drag. The doc’s illustration of the dreams and aspirations of its young subjects offers strong commentary on the intersections of race, sexuality and social class.
4. Camp (Dir. Tod Graff, UK, 2003)
This 2003 guilty pleasure features a band of misfit teenagers who find their opportunity to shine at drama camp. The film follows several different LGBT narratives as the adolescents find themselves in the safe space of the campgrounds. While the film is mostly light hearted, there are some deeper themes that bear strong insight, but for the most part, this is a camp feel good story about life as a drama kid.
5. In & Out (Dir. Frank Oz, USA, 1997)
When an actor misidentifies his former teacher as gay during his Oscar Speech, a media frenzy is created in the small town of Greenleaf, Indiana. It wouldn’t be such a big deal except for the fact that the teacher, Howard Brackett, is engaged to a woman with a long history of self-esteem and mental health issues. This 1997 film explores stereotypes of LGBT people in the late 90s and offers a unique opportunity for the viewer to see how far the community has come.
6. Kissing Jessica Stein (Dir. Charles Herman-Wurmfeld, UK, 2001)
Jessica Stein (Jennifer Westfeldt) decides to answer a newspaper personal ad (this is before OKCupid folks, stay with us here) where she learns that the advertisement was placed by a woman named Helen Cooper (Heather Juergensen). What makes ‘Kissing Jessica Stein’ so special is that it doesn’t need to use specific labels to offer poignant commentary on sexual fluidity, as seen through the lens of late 90s romantic comedy.
7. Capote (Dir. Bennett Miller, USA, 2005)
While this isn’t an overtly gay film like some of the others on this list, it is perhaps the best film on the list. Throughout Capote, director Bennett Miller (‘Foxcatcher’) tells the story of Truman Capote as he writes “In Cold Blood”—delving into his relationship with the prisoners he’s interviewing, and the impact it has on his ability to find closure in his work.
8. Blue is the Warmest Color (Dir. Abdellatif Kechiche, France, 2013)
A sexual coming of age story set in the suburbs of France, Blue is the Warmest Color (La Vie d’Adele—Chapitres 1 et 2) follows fifteen-year old Adele as she falls in love with Emma, an older art student who helps our young Adele find passion, love, heartbreak, and the liberation of her sexuality. Winner of the prestigious Palme d’Or at Cannes, Kechiche’s film received both critical praise and a bit of controversy for its nearly 8 minute long explicit sex scene. The lesbian community had mixed feelings about the 3 hour long film because of its use of a prolonged sex scene that many felt was unnecessary to the film.
9. The Skinny (Dir. Patrik Ian-Polk, USA, 2012)
This-made-for-Logo-movie follows five black gay Brown University alumni through their reunion weekend in New York City. Shortly after arriving, old tensions arise between the friends. While not the most stellar of films, it’s nice to see a film that focuses on the black gay experience.
10. The Kids are All Right (Dir. Lisa Cholodenko, USA, 2010)
This 2010 Sundance hit and Oscar contender stars Annette Bening, Julianne Moore, and Mark Ruffalo as it tells the story of a lesbian couple whose two teenage children decide to seek out their sperm donor. The movie had mixed reviews with lesbian audiences for the controversial sex scenes, but offers a very realistic depiction of sexuality and what it’s like to raise children as a queer couple.
Meg Ten Eyck is a former LGBT rights activist, currently living in South Korea and traveling the world with her partner Lindsay. They write about their experiences as a queer couple on their blog Dopes on the Road and post their travel photos on Instagram @dopesontheroad.
