News, Reviews & Commentary on Lesbian and Bisexual women in Entertainment and the Media

Elizabeth Reaser's psychic connection

The AfterEllen.com Forum has a discussion in progress about which TV character you'd like to date. I suppose I'm a bit too literal for that version of the game, since my first requirement for dating a woman is that she be a lesbian and, given the state of TV at the moment, that narrows the field to, well, zero. But if movies are included, I don't even have to think. Allegra from Puccini for Beginners wins hands down — and up and anywhere else she wants to put them. Sigh.

My crush on Allegra has naturally transferred to Elizabeth Reaser, who played her. And having a crush on Reaser is not as easy as some of my other crushes because her star seems to be rising more slowly than I would like. I just don't get to see her enough.

She does, of course, have a recurring role on Grey's Anatomy as Ava/Rebecca, the former patient who connects — in every imaginable way — with Karev. And yes, Reaser will be back for several more episodes when the Grey's season continues April 24.

But the best Reaser news I've heard is that she's been cast as the lead in Mythological X, a comedy based on an Israeli show from SevenOne International. The story sounds cool: Annabel (Reaser) learns from a psychic that she has already met and dumped the love of her life. She must find Mr. Right and marry him within a year or remain single forever. The revelation leads Annabel to track down all of her exes, who seem to be numerous. Annabel is something of a, um, dater.

Despite the fact that Mythological X is yet another remake of a foreign show and sounds blatantly heterosexual, a couple of things give me hope. For one, Timothy Busfield is directing. Sure, I'm still a little bitter that Busfield won the heart of Allison Janney's character, C.J., on The West Wing. But Busfield has directed some pretty impressive shows, and if he makes Reaser a big star, all is forgiven.

Another good sign is that Diane Ruggiero, writer/producer of Veronica Mars, will pen the series. Ruggiero is brilliant and funny and cute.

Even though I'm bummed that this project likely will derail Ruggiero's plan to develop a series about a pair of crime-fighting female superheroes, I'm looking forward to seeing what she does with Mythological X .

Meanwhile, we'll see Reaser in Twilight, a vampire thriller about a teen (Kristen Stewart) who falls for a creature of the night, with nary a slayer in sight. Reaser plays Esme Cullen, the matriarch (frozen at age 26 when she "changed") of the vampish Cullen clan.

Twilight opens Dec. 12. I know that seems like a long time away, but I have all that time to imagine Elizabeth Reaser as a seductive vampire. Hey, she could have me for dinner any time.

  • thelinster's blog
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  • Leibug67's picture

    Good taste...

    linster.  I love Puccini For Beginners.  Why?  Because of Elizabeth Reaser <3!

    envingu's picture

    wow

    I'm suprised that on a website supporting lesbian/bi visibility we see such a post so blatantly narrow-minded.
    zenarcade's picture

    What?

    What are you on about?

     

    Puccini for Beginners was just alright, in my opinion, but I really liked Elizabeth Reaser in it.

    thelinster's picture

    Agreed

    I could take or leave the movie, but would sure take Allegra!
    writerchick's picture

    Huh?

    What's narrow minded?
    shelleyc's picture

    Ditto Huh?

    Narrow minded? I'm confused. Anywho Puccini for Beginners was cute.  

    Shelley C

    aeliz's picture

    I think envingu was

    I think envingu was referring to the statement "my first requirement for dating a woman is that she be a lesbian". Maybe it wasn't meant literally, but it's something that I hear way too often in the queer women's community and that kind of language makes a lot of people feel excluded. Not all queer women identify as lesbians, not all queer women have exclusively had relationships with women, and it sucks to be reminded that a lot of 'lesbians' won't give you the time of day if that's the case. I know everyone is entitled to some personal preferences with regard to who they date, whatever, but do we have to broadcast them in a forum like this? How would people feel if someone announced "my first requirement for dating a woman is that she be white" or "my first requirement for dating a woman is that she weigh less than 120 lbs"?
    thelinster's picture

    Ah

    Thanks for that perspective. Just to clarify, I certainly didn't intend to exclude bisexual women. My point had to do with the lack of regular lesbian characters on TV, not my dating preference. To be more accurate, my first requirement for dating a woman is that she dates women. In fact, Allegra, the character I have a crush on, dates both a man and a woman in Puccini. I'm way too focused on the woman herself to care where she falls on the Kinsey scale!

    envingu's picture

    Yes, that was exactly what

    Yes, that was exactly what I meant with it. And thank you the linster for clarifying that what she wrote was not meant literally.

    On a more general note, I'm sooo sick of hearing that lesbian is the only 'correct' identity for queer women. Can't I just not be not straight without anyone making further conclusions about it?

    Clonchi's picture

    Puccini, yay!

    I'm excited you mentioned this linster, because I found out recently that Outfest is bringing that movie over here this week, so I'll get to see it, FINALLY!!

    I love Elizabeth Reaser, and I can't wait to see her in Puccini for Beginners...

    my capadocia recaps

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    JessFojo's picture

    Grrr...

    I mostly enjoyed Puccini for Beginners though I did want to slap Gretchon Mol and not in a good way. Elizabeth Reaser is lovely, happy to hear she's making more appearances on Grey's.

    She kinda reminds me of Paula Marshall.


    Lesbian Tees & Gifts

    imthey's picture

    Ah yes... Elizabeth Reaser

    Elizabeth is a fantastic actress that is under appreciated... she had me from the moment I saw her great work in The Family Stone and that was followed up with the even more fantastic role she played in the little seen Sweet Land... a true must see for any Elizabeth Reaser fan (what a wonderful performance). And of course her performance in Puccini For Beginners sealed the deal (not to mention the brilliant Julianne Nicholson was also in this film). It was by no means my favorite film, but given as how there are so few movies that appeal directly to lesbian viewers, you take what you can get and if the film has a happy ending, all the better!

    I didn't know about Elizabeth appearing in a "vampire" film... that's fantastic (as I am a fan of vampire movies and of course Elizabeth).

    I hope that the rest of the world will come to know what we already know... how great Elizabeth Reaser is! 

    (Self Appointed) "#1 Bridget McManus Fan"

    I M THEY ("Think Sideways")

    thelinster's picture

    Sweet Land

    Yes, she was fabulous in Sweet Land. Put that on your Netflix list if you haven't seen it. Great film.
    messidor's picture

    It was terrible...

    ... how much I was able to identify with Allegra in "Puccini for Beginners". I totally unterstood her chaotic behaviour and her complicated thoughts. I love the movie that made me a fan of Elizabeth Reaser. Thanks for putting together other movies with her!
    katiesro's picture

    I scrolled through until I

    I scrolled through until I found a mention of Twilight. :) I have been waiting for something related to pop up on this site. I absolutely love Elizabeth and I screamed and yelled and jumped all through the house when I read the news of her being cast as Esme. Unfortuantly my girlfriend said "who?". 

    I wonder if filming more episodes of Grey's was a juggle with her schedule for Twilight. Perhaps this is why we have yet to see ANY photos, videos, interviews, ect with her while there has been many from the other members of the Twilight cast. AE should interview her.. vampires, elizabeth, kristen stewart, what is not to love?

    and... i'm totally being a fangirly nerd right now. *walks away in shame*

    Smurphette's picture

    I frikkin hated Puccini for

    I frikkin hated Puccini for Beginners. It was boring and self obsessed and I thought Allergra was a poor, unlikable character with a toxic personality.

    I don't know how anyone liked it! It was awful!


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