Show Me Love
March 30, 2012 7:57 PM Subscribe
Please help me find some lesbian films that have a happy romantic ending.
I'm basically looking for the lesbian equivalent of a romantic comedy, except I don't even care if it's a comedy or not, just so long as it has a happy ending. I'm tired of movies where the protagonists break up at the end, or one of them falls for a man, or their relationship is still ambiguous, or one of them dies. It's possible that I've just had lousy luck with the genre, and I'm really hoping that's the case. So what I want are movies about two women who fall in love, and at the end they are unambiguously in a relationship and happy together. That's it. Any genre is fine, and the romance doesn't have to be the main point of the movie as long as it's central. Anime and television shows are fine too, though it would be nice to find some movies like this.
I'm basically looking for the lesbian equivalent of a romantic comedy, except I don't even care if it's a comedy or not, just so long as it has a happy ending. I'm tired of movies where the protagonists break up at the end, or one of them falls for a man, or their relationship is still ambiguous, or one of them dies. It's possible that I've just had lousy luck with the genre, and I'm really hoping that's the case. So what I want are movies about two women who fall in love, and at the end they are unambiguously in a relationship and happy together. That's it. Any genre is fine, and the romance doesn't have to be the main point of the movie as long as it's central. Anime and television shows are fine too, though it would be nice to find some movies like this.
D.E.B.S
Saving Face
I Cant' Even Think Straight
But I'm A Cheerleader
Imagine Me and You
All 5 are pretty much rom coms. But I'm A Cheerleader is a more of comedy than a romcom.
posted by nooneyouknow at 8:08 PM on March 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
Saving Face
I Cant' Even Think Straight
But I'm A Cheerleader
Imagine Me and You
All 5 are pretty much rom coms. But I'm A Cheerleader is a more of comedy than a romcom.
posted by nooneyouknow at 8:08 PM on March 30, 2012 [4 favorites]
Also, Bound is awesome. It's not a romantic comedy, it's heist movie with lesbians who end together and it's awesome.
posted by nooneyouknow at 8:11 PM on March 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by nooneyouknow at 8:11 PM on March 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Better Than Chocolate
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:20 PM on March 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 8:20 PM on March 30, 2012 [2 favorites]
I second better then chocolate.
posted by KeSetAffinityThread at 8:29 PM on March 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by KeSetAffinityThread at 8:29 PM on March 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
Fingersmith.
posted by mochapickle at 8:31 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by mochapickle at 8:31 PM on March 30, 2012
Also, Fire (1996).
posted by mochapickle at 8:32 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by mochapickle at 8:32 PM on March 30, 2012
I Hate Tommy Finch takes a while for the couple to get happy but the ending is. It's not available as a film, but has been adapted as a web series
(trailer)
(full disclosure: it's written and co-directed by two of my best friends, lesbians with a happy ending of their own)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:33 PM on March 30, 2012
(trailer)
(full disclosure: it's written and co-directed by two of my best friends, lesbians with a happy ending of their own)
posted by MCMikeNamara at 8:33 PM on March 30, 2012
I deeply love By Hook or By Crook, with the caveat that the genders are too ambiguous to label it as "lesbian."
posted by gingerbeer at 8:38 PM on March 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by gingerbeer at 8:38 PM on March 30, 2012 [1 favorite]
If memory serves, Desert Hearts has a happy ending.
posted by southern_sky at 9:01 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by southern_sky at 9:01 PM on March 30, 2012
I Cant' Even Think Straight should be I Can't Think Straight
It's In the Water
Nina's Heavenly Delights
Chutney Popcorn
Puccini for Beginners
The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love
Rome and Juliet (Filipino movie and is up on youtube)
Wild Side (not a rom com and it's kinda crazy, but they do end up together; try to get the 111 minute directors cut)
posted by nooneyouknow at 9:04 PM on March 30, 2012
It's In the Water
Nina's Heavenly Delights
Chutney Popcorn
Puccini for Beginners
The Incredibly True Adventure of 2 Girls in Love
Rome and Juliet (Filipino movie and is up on youtube)
Wild Side (not a rom com and it's kinda crazy, but they do end up together; try to get the 111 minute directors cut)
posted by nooneyouknow at 9:04 PM on March 30, 2012
The lesbian couple in Chutney Popcorn is already together when the movie starts, so it doesn't meet the "two women fall in love" criteria. But (spoiler) it ends happy!
Two more coming-of-age movies:
All Over Me (not a romco - lots of sad content but once again, happy ending)
The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love
posted by treefort at 9:05 PM on March 30, 2012
Two more coming-of-age movies:
All Over Me (not a romco - lots of sad content but once again, happy ending)
The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love
posted by treefort at 9:05 PM on March 30, 2012
Regarding All Over Me, maybe I should say: happy-ish ending.
posted by treefort at 9:09 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by treefort at 9:09 PM on March 30, 2012
Desert Hearts is a great movie, but its ending is ambiguous. They may or may not end up together.
posted by nooneyouknow at 9:12 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by nooneyouknow at 9:12 PM on March 30, 2012
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same has a happy ending, and is campy B-movie fun.
posted by DrMew at 9:33 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by DrMew at 9:33 PM on March 30, 2012
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (1995)
Imagine Me & You (2005)
D.E.B.S. (2004)
Go Fish (1994)
posted by Year of meteors at 10:00 PM on March 30, 2012
The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (1995)
Imagine Me & You (2005)
D.E.B.S. (2004)
Go Fish (1994)
posted by Year of meteors at 10:00 PM on March 30, 2012
I can't believe no one's mentioned The Kids are Alright yet.
posted by costanza at 10:14 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by costanza at 10:14 PM on March 30, 2012
We loved Tipping the Velvet. Kind of an old fashioned romance.
posted by bongo_x at 10:23 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by bongo_x at 10:23 PM on March 30, 2012
Seconding Go Fish.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:39 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 10:39 PM on March 30, 2012
Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together. Super fun, quirky, intelligent musical comedy. Still touring festivals and totally worth seeing in the theater. Great Chicago scenery, too.
posted by Lieber Frau at 11:41 PM on March 30, 2012
posted by Lieber Frau at 11:41 PM on March 30, 2012
When Night is Falling - not a comedy, but a happy ending (well, for the lesbians). Also, a beautiful film.
posted by jb at 12:08 AM on March 31, 2012
posted by jb at 12:08 AM on March 31, 2012
Itty Bitty Titty Committee is a bit ropey production-wise but lots of fun with several happy endings (and Daniela Sea! *sigh*). They've already been mentioned but I heartily recommend Tipping the Velvet and Fingersmith as just brilliant girls-own style adventures - with angst and true love!
posted by freya_lamb at 1:19 AM on March 31, 2012
posted by freya_lamb at 1:19 AM on March 31, 2012
I immediately thought of But I'm a Cheerleader (which is flipping hilarious), and Better Than Chocolate. I know they have already been said, so I'm just agreeing.
posted by windykites at 3:14 AM on March 31, 2012
posted by windykites at 3:14 AM on March 31, 2012
I thought Saving Face very funny, with a little angst here and there, but a happy ending.
posted by moody cow at 3:32 AM on March 31, 2012
posted by moody cow at 3:32 AM on March 31, 2012
I, too, recommend When Night is Falling - the iron dance alone is worth the price of admission.
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 6:37 AM on March 31, 2012
posted by Multicellular Exothermic at 6:37 AM on March 31, 2012
Claire of the Moon is still my favorite lesbian movie ever. It's about a previously-straight writer named Claire who falls in love with Noel, her psychiatrist roommate, at a women writers' retreat at the Pacific northwest coast. The movie is, admittedly, dated, but I actually really love its scenes of the women's earnest discussions at the retreat and the moody scenes of the ocean, and they *definitely* get together at the end (best lesbian sex scene ever, IMO). It just takes a while to get there. Also both the director and I think Claire is *so pretty*. :) LOVE FOREVER.
Nina's Heavenly Delights, a film about a Scottish woman of southeast Asian descent who comes back to Scotland to try to save her family's restaurant and falls in love along the way. It was cute, not super angsty (although her father has, iirc, died).
Almost-a-lesbian-movie: Bend It Like Beckham. I know, they weren't allowed to *actually* have it be a lesbian movie (resulting in the whole triangle with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), but the two girls *do* end up going off together (platonically) at the end.
Now for some of the things that have already been mentioned! :)
Also recommending The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. It features a baby!Laurel Holloman as a bitty butch lesbian, and is pretty much the most awesome thing ever.
I hated But I'm a Cheerleader, because I couldn't find something (ex-gay camps) funny when it is so real. It wanted to be funny, yes, but it just made me feel sad.
When Night Is Falling is beautiful, but does have a lot of angst along the way to a happy ending. (The dog is actually okay at the end, but it's sad at the beginning.)
Chutney Popcorn is mostly about babies and how the desire for them affects an established relationship, not a first-time story, but they do break up for a bit. It ends happily. Also, it has Jill Hennessy as one of the two main characters, so it is awesome.
My girlfriend suggests: Desert Hearts, D.E.B.S..
SAD movies to avoid if you do not want SAD (they're mostly good, but SAD): High Art (dead by drugs), Heavenly Creatures (forcefully separated due to being murderers), Aimee and Jaguar (dead by Nazis), Lost and Delirious (dead by suicide).
posted by lysimache at 6:48 AM on March 31, 2012
Nina's Heavenly Delights, a film about a Scottish woman of southeast Asian descent who comes back to Scotland to try to save her family's restaurant and falls in love along the way. It was cute, not super angsty (although her father has, iirc, died).
Almost-a-lesbian-movie: Bend It Like Beckham. I know, they weren't allowed to *actually* have it be a lesbian movie (resulting in the whole triangle with Jonathan Rhys-Meyers), but the two girls *do* end up going off together (platonically) at the end.
Now for some of the things that have already been mentioned! :)
Also recommending The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love. It features a baby!Laurel Holloman as a bitty butch lesbian, and is pretty much the most awesome thing ever.
I hated But I'm a Cheerleader, because I couldn't find something (ex-gay camps) funny when it is so real. It wanted to be funny, yes, but it just made me feel sad.
When Night Is Falling is beautiful, but does have a lot of angst along the way to a happy ending. (The dog is actually okay at the end, but it's sad at the beginning.)
Chutney Popcorn is mostly about babies and how the desire for them affects an established relationship, not a first-time story, but they do break up for a bit. It ends happily. Also, it has Jill Hennessy as one of the two main characters, so it is awesome.
My girlfriend suggests: Desert Hearts, D.E.B.S..
SAD movies to avoid if you do not want SAD (they're mostly good, but SAD): High Art (dead by drugs), Heavenly Creatures (forcefully separated due to being murderers), Aimee and Jaguar (dead by Nazis), Lost and Delirious (dead by suicide).
posted by lysimache at 6:48 AM on March 31, 2012
Loving Annabelle, alternate ending on the DVD.
posted by book 'em dano at 8:45 AM on March 31, 2012
posted by book 'em dano at 8:45 AM on March 31, 2012
Response by poster: Thank you all for your lovely suggestions! I'd mark some best answers but it would pretty much be this entire thread. I'll hold off on Desert Hearts and All Over Me until I'm in the mood but the rest seem pretty solid from a quick glance. I'd forgotten that I still need to see Bound, so that's going to the top of the list, followed by the films that got multiple votes and then work my way from there. I might even mark some best answers later once I've actually seen most of these. I look forward to many happy endings ahead.
posted by CheshireCat at 9:41 PM on March 31, 2012
posted by CheshireCat at 9:41 PM on March 31, 2012
Oh, there's also the new Swedish movie Kyss Mig, which hasn't come out in the States yet, but, uh, can be found elsewhere. It's moody and sexy and while I thought the ending was a little lame, it was definitely happy.
posted by this roof at 7:43 AM on April 6, 2012
posted by this roof at 7:43 AM on April 6, 2012
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by alphanerd at 7:58 PM on March 30, 2012 [2 favorites]