The thing about forbidden love stories is, they have to pull you both ways between what you know is right and what you want with every fiber of your being. And that is accomplished in this film by the dueling forces of Luce and Rachel’s exquisite chemistry, and their shared anguish about hurting Heck.
Let’s go over their interactions:
- Luce sits in the rain on the balcony, Rachel gives her a sweater. Adorable: 8 Guilty: 7.
2. Sitting next to each other at H’s science presentation (apparently in Britain, such a big deal that you make T-shirts and enlist the family florist to help). Adorable: 10. Guilty: 9.
And it is at this point that Rachel does what we all must do, and rents a lesbian move “for research.” But, poor baby, no one ever told her about AfterEllen so she rents PORN, and it scares her so much she almost stays straight. Seriously, “lesbian porn” is up there with Claire of the Moon in terms of disseminating harmful stereotypes about our community.
But then she and Luce go on The Greatest Date of All Time. Luce teaches her how to yell at sportspeople by imagining that her mouth is a vast cathedral, where Luce would like to worship for a thousand years.
And then they play Dance Dance Revolution, which SHOULDN’T EVEN BE ROMANTICAL, BUT IS! (For so many years of my life, I thought no one truly loved me because no one ever took me to an arcade where we both knew magical chorography.)
AND THEN, AND THEN YOU GUYS, they go on a walk home and Luce tells Rachel that the secret meaning of the lily flower is “I dare you to love me!” I always thought it was vaginal imagery or funerals but sure! Fine! Let’s go with that!
