Things are getting better when it comes to LGBTQ representation at the movies but barely. Hollywood has long been horribly unkind to the community or simply ignored them entirely. I will be the first to admit that I still have a lot to learn and be exposed to when it comes to LGBTQ culture on film but in honor of Pride Month (and really every month of the year) I wanted to give a shout out to some favorite films of mine with LGBTQ themes and plotlines.
In some cases the so-called gay subplots are not the entire thrust of the film, which is totally fine, sometimes it emerges as a theme and in other cases sexual identity is integral to a film's appeal
Moonlight - One of those rare movies that I went into rather cold -- was swept away and blown away by it's graceful and loving portrait of a young man coming to grips with his own life and sexual identity -- and I left thinking 'that was a masterpiece.' My impression has not been shaken since, I think it's a seminal work of art that deserved even more accolades than it got.
Paris Is Burning - One of my favorite documentaries of all time and also one of the most influential. It perfectly captures the joy and freedom of ball culture in New York City circa the 1980s while also chronicling the dark shadow of HIV/AIDs and transphobia which looks like a shadow over everything. An important American classic.
The Times of Harvey Milk - The Sean Penn dramatic film is quite good but this documentary is superior because it gives you even more of a sense of the man and the people who loved him. Some incredibly moving stuff here -- it's hard to walk away from this movie without being deeply affected by the tragedy and the inspiration of this man.
Bound - The Wachowskis breakthrough film features a very sexy but also very sincere lesbian love affair at its center. Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon have great chemistry together in this twisty thriller. It could have been a cheap exploitation picture but the Wachowskis give their relationship time to breathe and simmer.
Call Me By Your Name - Armie Hammer's unfortunate off-screen exploits aside, this is a gorgeous slow burn of a heartbreaker. Come for Hammer and Timothy Chalemet's roller coaster courtship and stay for Michael Stuhlbarg's heart-stopping monologue during the movie's denouement. One of the most quietly devastating last shots in movie history.
Cruising - Time has been kinder to this film about a cop who goes undercover in the LGBT club scene to catch a serial killer. What's problematic about this film has become fascinating with time and it also legit works as a scary, atmospheric thriller. A film that is really worth of reappraisal.
Booksmart - A thoroughly modern comedy with two note-perfect performances from Beanie Feldstein and Kaitlyn Dever. Dever's storyline, which involves a budding, awkward romance with a female classmate is handled so hilariously and yet delicately that it should serve as a blueprint for all youth comedies going forward.
Other People - A wonderful debut from writer-director Chris Kelly provides the always terrific Jesse Plemons with one of his greatest roles. He plays a gay man caring for his ailing mother (played by a phenomenal Molly Shannon) and must grapple with a father who has shunned him for years. A throwback to the emotionally fulfilling work of James L. Brooks.
Dog Day Afternoon - An ahead of its time LGBT-themed movie (based on a true story no less) doesn't deny the humanity of its characters and takes a larger than life premise (a bank robbery to finance a sex change operation) grounded in human relationships and complexity. It's also one of Pacino's best and most subtle performances.
Mulholland Drive - In the midst of David Lynch's twisted Hollywood noir is a very steamy and sensual romance between Laura Elena Harring and Naomi Watts. At first it's a very traditionally titillating coupling but as the movie's secrets begin to reveal itself as something far more raw and powerful. An unforgettable movie and an iconic relationship.
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