Movies

2015: The Year in Lesbian/Bi Movies

If my entire film going experience this year has just been a dream, you can have the real world and leave me right here (except for the nightmare that was Stonewall—then just Inception the hell out of me so I can, at least, hang with Ellen Page). Was 2015 the best year in lesbian film? That’s perhaps debatable, but it’s certainly been the most high profile. This was the year we finally got our eyes on projects that have been years in the making, like Freeheld, as well as a year of surprises that brought us fabulous flicks like Summertime (La Belle Saison). And I don’t think I’m getting ahead of myself when I say we’ll be watching the 88th Academy Awards especially closely.

So without further ado, I give you the movies that defined this year in lesbian/bi film.

The Majors

Did you notice that this year you actually got to see some lesbian flicks outside of the LGBT film festival circuit? And that several of them got nominated for (and even won) a bunch of distinguished awards? How about the big names attached to these projects? 2015 showed that folks finally figured out that it pays to play gay.

Carol

Well, it’s official: good things really do come to those who wait. Like 63 years’ worth of waiting. In 2015, the transformation of Patricia Highsmith‘s 1952 novel The Price of Salt into Carol was complete, and in so many ways we felt complete. Cate Blanchett as Carol. Rooney Mara as Therese. Sarah Paulson as Abby. Oh, and have a bit of Carrie Brownstein too, because you deserve it! The 1950s, a married mother, and a younger lover hardly sound like the keys to an audience’s happiness, but Carol defies all logic. Nominations for all kinds of awards have already come in, but you just know the biggest are right around the corner.

Freeheld

In 2008, we only suspected that Ellen Page was one of us. More importantly, we thought it was super cool of her to get behind the feature film adaptation of Freeheld, which had won the Oscar that year for Best Documentary Short. Flash-forward to 2015 and Ellen was out and playing Stacie Andree, a mechanic and partner to Laurel Hester (Julianne Moore), a New Jersey police detective diagnosed with terminal cancer. While the film received mixed reviews, there was something special about finally seeing this passion project come to life.

The Danish Girl

The Danish Girl is a beautiful film inspired by the true story of artists Lili Elbe (Eddie Redmayne) and Gerda Wegener (Alicia Vikander). Lili is famous for having undergone one of the first sex-change operations with the support of her loving wife Gerda, a truth the film does justice to. Unfortunately, the film overlooks the very likely reality that Gerda was bisexual, as her lesbian erotic art and written accounts would suggest, and the idea that Gerda and Lili might have continued their romantic relationship after Lili began transitioning full-time. Still, at its core The Danish Girl is about the special relationship that existed between these two women; the Oscar buzz surrounding the film speaks to how well that was conveyed.

Grandma

How funny was Lily Tomlin in Grandma? The answer: so damn funny. A lesbian feminist poet with a sharp tongue — you can’t go wrong! Lily plays Elle, the cool grandma any of us would turn to if we were pregnant teens. She’s not a sexless older lesbian either. Elle has a complicated relationship with the much younger Olivia (played by Judy Greer, who we’ll return to shortly). What really drives the film is Elle’s relationship with her granddaughter Sage (Julia Garner). Sage needs money for an abortion and her mom (Marcia Gay Harden) is just too scary to ask. Enter Elle and hilarity.

Bessie

It’s a TV movie, but Bessie deserves its spot on this list. Out director Dee Rees‘ film about blues singer Bessie Smith was nominated for a ton of Emmys and won several, including the Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. Great acting, amazing music and big names like Queen Latifah and Mo’Nique made for a splendid film. Any worries that Bessie Smith’s bisexuality would be underplayed are squashed after watching this film. And she’s not the only queer lady in this biopic either!

Addicted to Fresno

Jamie Babbit and Natasha Lyonne together again. After But I’m a Cheerleader, Jamie went on to direct a lot of TV and films like another favorite of ours, Itty Bitty Titty Committee. Natasha has since appeared in many a movie, but it’s her role as Nichols on Netflix’s Orange Is the New Black that has people talking about her these days. 2015’s Addicted to Fresno, however, saw Natasha return to a character type she knows well under Jamie, a goody two-shoes. Natasha plays Martha, a hotel maid and lesbian with a crush on a straight girl. Things get complicated when her sex addict sister Shannon (Judy Greer) returns to town and they maybe kill a guy. To boot, Aubrey Plaza plays an awesome lesbian in a blazer and the hilarious Fred Armisen and Molly Shannon also make appearances in this dark comedy written by Karey Dornetto.

It’s also worth noting that there were lesbian and bisexual characters and themes in the films Sisters, Sleeping With Other People and The Diary of a Teenage Girl.

Indie Winners, Mixed Feelers and Missed Opportunities

For better and for worse, we’ve gotten used to relying on indie films for our lesbian viewing entertainment over the years. Fortunately, the other categories on our list showed up big in a year that saw indie films largely disappoint. In 2015, lesbian/bi indie films could be slapped with the labels “winner,” “mixed feeler” and “missed opportunities,” best represented by three movies in particular.

Winner: Skin Deep

Another movie where a lesbian and straight girl become friends and there’s some sexual tension? I know, I know, but Skin Deep is a lot more than that. This film is about two people with their own dysfunctions meeting at what should be the worst time ever and it not being completely destructive. And snark. Lovely, lovely snark. This flick is guaranteed to make you ship friendship.

Mixed Feeler: Bare

Dianna Agron is great in it because Dianna Agron is great. For her part, Paz de la Huerta is really convincing as a junkie. The film from director Natalia Leite is beautifully shot and will hold your interest, but it’s not especially exciting. Small town girl is bored with life at home and a carefree and somewhat dangerous stranger offers all kinds of thrills. There’s sex, but how genuine the affection between the two remains a mystery, as do my feelings about this film.

Missed Opportunity: Jenny’s Wedding

In the year 2000, a pretty forgettable movie called 100 Girls was released. It’s not at all as gay as it sounds, but it was just gay enough because Katherine Heigl played a lesbian. She was underused, but years and a long-ish stint on Grey’s Anatomy later, I thought we’d see her at her lesbian best in Jenny’s Wedding. You see, Katherine plays Jenny, and after five years of dating, she’s marrying her partner, Kitty (Alexis Bledel). But Kitty is barely in the movie, which I’m convinced at some point went by the working title of What Jenny’s Parents Think About Her Lesbian Wedding. Does it mean I have commitment issues because I think you should probably feel comfortable kissing and holding someone before you marry them? Jenny’s Wedding: surprise! You actually didn’t watch this on Lifetime or Hallmark.

Other notable indies this year include Portrait of a Serial Monogamist, Enchantments, Stuff, S&M Sally, Sisters of the Plague and Raven’s Touch.

Foreign Films

Foreign films are like the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow: you go to them and it usually involves some work. Leave behind your expectations of Hollywood glamor; instead, raise your performance expectations (the acting is usually better than what you see in a lot of American indies). And almost always, prepare yourself to attend an LGBT film festival. In 2015, it was worth the trip.

Summertime

What a pleasant surprise Summertime (La Belle Saison) was. Premiering in North America at the Toronto International Film Festival alongside movies like Freeheld, The Danish Girl, Spotlight, The Martian, etc., this French-Belgian production directed by Catherine Corsini managed to stand out. I have a huge crush on this film that sees a young countrywoman falling for an older woman in Paris. In the ’70s. And they’re feminists. Also, the love scenes…

The Summer of Sangaile

This movie is so damn pretty. Writer/director Alanté Kavaïté made me almost forget that Lithuania has quite the reputation for being homophobic—I want to frolic through fields in a tutu, too! The Summer of Sangaile shows us two 17-year-old girls falling in love, but one of them has issues with self-harm and the other envisions a future for herself that doesn’t involve staying in town. So much build (killing me with the build) and so much teenage angst, but it works.

Liz in September

Gay lady Patricia Velásquez plays gay chica, Liz. And it’s good. Based off Jane Chambers‘ play Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, the film is directed by Fina Torres, who pulled together a great cast of women. Liz in September is funny, sad and beautiful. Velásquez’s Liz is a cocky love ’em and leave ’em type who falls for Eva, a married woman struggling with ghosts. Liz also happens to be keeping a big secret, including from the several lesbian friends she’s sharing a beach resort with. A lot of gay in this one.

Margarita With A Straw

A bisexual lead with cerebral palsy. Her lover, who happens to be a young blind woman. Oh, and a good chunk of the movie is set and shot in India. What could you even compare this to? I’m not throwing Margarita With A Straw a bone—it’s a really good movie. In 2015, I was happy to be able to point people towards a strong film that featured two disabled women in love.

All About E

Ladies are doing it right down under. Louise Wadley directed a really fun movie starring other great Aussie women in the land of Oz. Scream it with me: “Lesbian road movie!” This film is all about E (out actress Mandahla Rose), a DJ and former clarinet player who’s about to encounter her ex sooner than she thinks. We’re talking “the ex”, who in this case is the lovely Trish (Julia Billington). But is there time for love when your boss is chasing you and your bag full of money down? You bet there is.

Other notable foreign films this year include A Girl at My Door, Sand Dollars and The Girl King.

Documentaries

You can always count on documentaries to keep it real. Plus, the range! If you feel scripted films are always giving you the same, try a dose of reality with these 2015 flicks.

Tig

If you’ve heard Tig Notaro’s comedy routines and already knew about her health struggles over the last few years, it won’t come as a surprise to you that Tig the documentary was so good. There’s also the added bonus of watching Tig’s relationship with her In a World co-star Stephanie Allynne go from “we’re just friends” to “we’re in girlfriends with each other.” The two got married this past October.

A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile

You’ve never seen a documentary like The Amina Profile because this story is one of a kind. It makes MTV’s Catfish look like a bunch of rich kids complaining about having to party on a smaller yacht. You might remember that in the summer of 2011 it was reported that lesbian blogger Amina Arraf had been kidnapped. Days later, lies began unraveling. The Amina Profile puts the puzzle pieces together while taking us on a thrilling ride.

The Same Difference

Some heavy hitters of reality and scripted TV star in first-time director Nneka Onuorah‘s The Same Difference. The film sheds light on an issue we rarely see discussed in this medium: hypocrisy in the black lesbian and bisexual community. A code of behavior and appearance exists and it’s strong, but as the movie shows us, there are women living outside of these boxes and they often aren’t received well. The film also looks at the judgment bisexual women, pregnant aggressives, and stud-on-stud couples face.

Out to Win

A documentary that features high-profile retired and active queer athletes? Gimme! You can never know too much about Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova. You also can’t ignore the fact that these two coming out really paved the way for athletes like Brittney Griner, who’s also feature in Out to Win. Every sports fan in your life should be able to appreciate this doc, but it’s also accessible to anyone interested in LGBT trailblazers, past and present.

The State of Marriage

Plenty of documentaries have been released in recent years detailing the fight for marriage equality in individual states. In that mix, I think The State of Marriage is one of the best. This documentary highlights the battle for same-sex partnership rights in Vermont. At the movie’s center are the powerhouse out attorneys Beth Robinson, Susan Murray and Mary Bonauto. The road to marriage equality in Vermont was a long one, and The State of Marriage is a great history lesson.

Packed in a Trunk: The Lost Art of Edith Lake Wilkinson

Talk about freaky parallels. Imagine you found out that your great aunt was an artist and lesbian like you. You were both interested in the same art subjects, and your girlfriends used the same moves to court you. But whereas you go on to marry that girlfriend and have your work seen by millions, she ends up committed to an insane asylum and her contributions to the art world are completely forgotten. Packed In a Trunk sees Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Jane Anderson seeking some much-deserved recognition for her great aunt Edith Lake Wilkinson. I think you’ll give it to her after watching this doc.

Other documentaries that had lesbian and bisexual themes this year include Janis: Little Girl Blue, Mind/Game, Queer City, Out & Around, Misfits, The Outrageous Sophie Tucker, We Can Be Gay Today, and Gaming in Color.

Leading Ladies

A few of the usual suspects had another big year in 2015, but there are some new names on the list as well.

Producer Christine Vachon helped bring Carol to our screens in 2015, as well as LGBT film festival favorite Nasty Baby. And more. It’s always more with her.

Staying with Carol, Phyllis Nagy wrote the screenplay for the movie that ended this lesbian year in film with a bang! We’re super grateful to her because of this.

What did Megan Ellison give us this year? Well, she saved her best for Christmas day. Megan helped produce Joy, the new David O. Russell film starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper. Yes, again.

Emma Donoghue deserves a major shout-out this year. Not only did she write the novel Room, she also wrote the screenplay for the 2015 movie of the same name.

Finally, there’s Ellen Page. Besides starring in Freeheld this year, she also became a producer with Into the Forest. The movie from out director/writer Patricia Rozema also saw Ellen acting alongside fellow out actress and friend Evan Rachel Wood.

Sadly, we lost queer pioneer Chantal Akerman in October, who gave us one of the first lesbian films in 1974.

Coming Attractions

I’m not going to lie to you: it’s not looking like 2016 will be a better year than 2015. We had a really good year. But there are still some flicks to get excited about.

About Ray‘s release date has been pushed around, but it finally looks like Dec. 31 will be the day. Give me a break—most of you will be watching Susan Sarandon play gay in 2016.

First Girl I Loved, which is about a 17-year-old who falls in love with the most popular girl at school, is premiering at Sundance, as is the Jena Malone/Riley Keough love story, Lovesong.

Almost Adults, starring Carmilla favorites Elise Bauman and Natasha Negovanlis, is also set to come our way in 2016.

One thing we can count on is as funny summer. I’m sure a lot of us will be checking out Kate McKinnon in Ghostbusters and hearing Ellen DeGeneres work those vocal cords in Finding Dory.

Tell us: what were your favorite lesbian/bi films of 2015? Is there a flick you’re really looking forward to in 2016?

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