LGBT Film Recommendations

I have become aware of the fact I don't review enough LGBT films. Hopefully this page will help rectify that mistake. I have seen many LGBT related films, these are some that I would recommend in no particular order. If you haven't heard of some of these it's because distributors and producers tend to shy away from the material. It's a shame to think that any of these films are controversial (except "The Gift"). Hopefully society will eventually stop distinguishing between "LGBT films" and simply "films". For now, here are some films you should check out. I've included links to watch instantly where possible. - Dusty

The Kids Are All Right (Own) - Probably the only film on this list to get an Oscar nomination, this film follows a couple played by Annette Bening and Julianne Moore who have two children of the same age. Each of them was inseminated by the same sperm donation at the same time. There kids go in search of their biological father. He's a nice enough guy, but they may wish they never found him. This should be able to warm even the coldest of hearts. It's a great film about what it really means to be a family.

I Love You Phillip Morris (Watch) - Jim Carrey plays a conservative Christian police officer who leaves his life behind when he comes out the closet. He ends up being a conman who gets convicted and falls in love with Ewan McGregor. This is some of the best work you'll see from Carrey and it's a shame it flew under the radar. Based on a true story.

A Single Man (Watch) - Colin Firth's performance here was overshadowed by The King's Speech but is just as good in my opinion. He plays a gay college professor in the '60's who is forced to deal with the death of his lover, a student's flirting, and a society that doesn't get it. Julianne Moore stars as his friend and the only person he can be himself around. This film is artistic with its use of color and has a shocking ending.

Mysterious Skin (Watch) - Joseph Gordon Levitt in his pre-Inception days. He plays a young gay prostitute who favors older men and has a tragic past. In a seeming separate plot Brady Corbet plays a young man who is haunted by an alien encounter. He seeks answers, but may have rather not found them.

Kaboom (Watch) - From the same director as Mysterious Skin but a totally different film. This is a comedy centering on a bi-sexual college student whose father is a cult leader who might just blow up the world. Somewhere between classes and escaping his father's minions the student and his friends undergo a sexual awakening. The surprise ending delivers on a promise.

The Gift (Watch) - This documentary is free to watch. It's informative and damn scary. It follows a gay subculture that wears HIV as a badge of honor. I can only hope that things have gotten better since this doc was made.

Flawless (Watch) - Phillip Seymour Hoffman plays a flamboyant drag queen who also happens to be a singing teacher. Robert Di Nero is a cop who lives in the same apartment building. He has very little tolerance for the drag queens that share his building but is forced to rethink things when he suffers a stroke and needs a way to get his vocal chords back in shape. This is not a widely known film, but should be.

Gia (Buy) - A younger Angelina Jolie plays a real-life fashion model from the 70's whose career and life was laced with sex, drugs and other demons. Elizabeth Mitchell plays a lover who hopes to bring her out of the funk. A sexually-charged tragedy.

Boys Don't Cry (Watch) - Hillary Swank gives a powerful performance in what must be an all-time great movie. Swank is the new boy in town who falls in love with Chloe Sevigny's character. She hides the fact that she's actually a girl and pretty soon we find out why. The people of this town aren't tolerant. This got a NC-17 from the clearly prejudiced MPAA, but it should be required viewing for teenagers. No other film has so accurately portrayed hatred.

Monster (Watch) - Another true story. Charlize Theron spent a lot of time with a serial killer before delivering this performance. She plays a prostitute who is pushed towards violence after one of the most vicious on-screen sexual assaults in film history. Christina Ricci is her lover and road-trip partner who gets caught between the law and romance.

Kissing Jessica Stein (Watch) - A funny comedy about two very different women who decide to get together after a long life of heterosexuality. It's an awkward and charming story that ends differently than I thought it would.

The Birdcage (Watch) - Nathan Lane and Robin Williams at their absolute best playing gay cabaret owners who decide to act straight for the benefit of a family member.

Brokeback Mountain (Watch) - The film that proved gay romance can be both artistically and commercially successful. Ang Lee is a master director who turned Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhal into the most believable gay cowboys that will likely ever exist in cinema. The two have been raised a certain way and have to battle guilt to pursue their romance. Later they marry women, but they remain "fishing buddies".

Beginners (Own) - I initially found this film a bit boring but it's grown on me since. The acting at least is excellent. You can always expect a great performance from Christopher Plummer who here plays an elderly man who has lost his wife and found out he has cancer. He reveals to his son that he is gay and decides to begin his new life with no regard to the limited time he has left.

Chasing Amy (Watch) - Ben Affleck has a crush on Amy. He meets her in a bar with love in his eyes. Then she gives a long passionate kiss....with a girl. She's been-there-done-that with men and has moved on to a new phase of life. Jason Lee plays Affleck's roommate who may be hiding a secret of his own. Kevin Smith layers this raunchy comedy with some serious drama.

Milk (Watch) - A drama about real life politician and activist Harvey Milk. Written by Dustin Lance Black who is gay and an LGBT activist. Directed by Gus Van Sant who is also gay. Stars Sean Penn as Harvey Milk with James Franco as his lover. Josh Brolin plays the man who ends the inspirational life of Milk. Special features on the DVD are awesome.

A Dirty Shame (Watch) - A John Water's comedy about bizarre fetishes and a suburban couple who learn to embrace theirs. Stars Tracey Ullman, Selma Blair and Chris Isaak, the last of which is aroused after David Hasselhoff's frozen poop falls from a plane and cracks him on the head. John Waters always finds a way to bring together poop and sexuality.

Fall From Grace (Own) - Also available on Netflix Instant, Fall From Grace is an excellent documentary about Fred Phelps and Westboro Baptist Church. You'll know these lunatics by there signs "Got Hates Fags" and the protests they organize at the funerals of soldiers. This documentary is a must see. It shows how hate can be infused into people at the earliest of ages and the dangers of group think.

The Skin I Live In (Watch) - A spanish drama with a leaning towards sci-fi horror, this film stars Antonio Banderas as a rich plastic surgeon who performs an unwilling vaginoplasty (gender reassignment) on his daughter's would-be rapist. He keeps his patient locked up for months while becoming smitten with his own creation.