Written
and directed by Lee Rose, who also did the lesbian-themed
TV movies The Truth About
Jane and An
Unexpected Love, A Girl Thing is perhaps her
most controversial of the three. Unlike Jane, which
posits that sexuality is fixed and innate, Girl asserts
that for many women, sexuality is fluid; and unlike Love,
which also tells of a heterosexually-identified woman in her
mid-thirties who unexpectedly falls for another woman, true
love does not win out over social pressure and homophobia in
Girl.
On
the surface, the plot actually sounds most similar to Kissing
Jessica Stein: girl meets girl, girl falls for girl,
girl leaves girl because she's not "gay enough."
In both movies, the lesbian relationship serves as a catalyst
for the main characters to open themselves up to the world,
but in tone and style, these films are quite different; Kissing
Jessica Stein is quirky and more light-hearted while A
Girl Thing is more serious (and half as long). And unlike
Kissing Jessica Stein's protaganist Jessica, who feels more
of an emotional connection with Helen than a sexual one, Lauren
is clearly very sexually attracted to Casey.
But
Lauren's story is really more about her struggle to find her
place in the world, to believe in herself, than it is about
bisexuality. Through her relationship with Casey, we see her
finally begin to let down her hair, figuratively and literally:
in the beginning, Lauren's hair is always wound up tightly in
a bun, but gradually, as her relationship with Casey progresses,
she begins to let it down, and by the end of the story she is
wearing it loose down around her shoulders.
Elle
Macpherson does an excellent job portraying a woman uncomfortable
with herself and her sexuality and paralyzed by her own insecurities.
Lauren exhibits a mix of introspection, frustration, humor,
and occasional bitterness, and Macpherson communicates Lauren's
emotional and physical hesitancy well.
Kate
Capshaw is also convincing as a bisexual woman who is
comfortable in her skin. Although Casey is exceedingly understanding
and patient, Capshaw avoids making her a saint by allowing the
occasional sharp tone or note of frustration creep into Casey's
voice during a few of Lauren's one-step-forward, two-steps back
moments.
The
writing in A Girl Thing is some of
Rose's best so far, with one exception: the phrase "career
bisexual" that Casey uses to describe herself at one point
in the film is awkward and a little odd, and makes it sound
like she makes a living out of being bisexual. But other than
that unfortunate line, the dialogue throughout the movie is
consistently captivating: funny in places, poignant in others,
and frequently unexpected.
The
movie does not shy away from physical affection, either, showing
several scenes of the two women kissing and a lengthy (and fairly
realistic) sex scene.
In
fact, the only real criticism most viewers have expressed
is over the ending, since it's not a happy one. But it's not
an unhappy one, either, and it does realistically portray
Lauren's struggle between fear and desire.
By
interweaving Dr. Noonan's observations about Lauren's fears
and insecurities with Lauren's story, Rose shifts the focus
of the film to Lauren's discomfort with herself rather than
her discomfort with bisexuality. Lauren's rejection of a relationship
with Casey is clearly attributed at least partially to the messages
she has absorbed from growing up in a homophobic culture.
This
drives home the director's overriding point: that Lauren is
a product of her environment, and it is that homophobic environment
that is the problem, not Lauren's bisexuality. A Girl Thing's
gift is that it delivers this message effectively without too
much preaching, and tells a very entertaining and thought-provoking
story along the way.
Get
A Girl Thing on DVD
Page
1 / 2 - Home
