what gay themed movie would you recommend for a high school gay straight alliance

[dsc]

I would like to have a movie afternoon with the gay straight alliance. I probably am restricted to pg 13 movies or below but might consider trying for the right r rated movie. Any suggestions?

[La Lioness Priyanka]

1. ma vie en rose

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0119590/

[dsc]

4. sounds like a good film

[La Lioness Priyanka]

5. its wonderful. very sweet and gentle.

[dsc]

6. sadly rated R though

I think this might be a bit of a problem in that gay ends up equally rated R.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

9. you should maybe preview it before you show it. it has no nudity, violence or anything

like that

[dsc]

10. regardless rate R will equal permission slips and all of that

but I think that will end up being a problem any movie will have. I gathered from the comments the R rating here was kind of unfair.

[Speck Tater]

7. As a straight man, I second the vote for this one. NT

[swimmernsecretsea]

46. Oh, I love this film!

Great message, shows the damage that assumptions and transphobia can bring not just directly, but to the immediate family, and is fun to watch.

Great choice.

[rawtribe]

2. I like these:

Get Real

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0162973/

Beautiful Thing

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0115640/

The Wolves of Kromer

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177394/

[dsc]

3. I have never seen the wolves one

and it sounds interesting. I know the other two are great.

[rawtribe]

8. Try Browsing Netflix

http://www.netflix.com/Genre?sgid=330&lnkctr=LhcGenre330

[johnnypneumatic]

11. Latter Days is great, but R

strongly R for sexual
gave it 5 stars at netflix

also Get Real is another I gave 5 stars
Beautiful Thing - very good
The Broken Hearts Club - good

there are many good ones but most are R, you'll probably get fired :)

[dsc]

12. I was hoping there was a nice PG 13 one out there.

I think even In and Out is R.

[mondo joe]

28. Actually, In & Out is PG13. And you could do worse.

[mondo joe]

30. Oh and My Best Friend's Wedding is PG13. Rupert Everett has a goof turn as the gay friend.

:shrug:

[David Zephyr]

43. If "Latter Days" wasn't as graphic, it would be my first recommendation, too.

One of my all time favorite gay films, but I worry with dsc being in North Carolina and this being a first step with his group and all it takes is one idiotic parent and he's in trouble.

[yellowdogintexas]

13. "To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything, Love Julie Newmar"

3 gay crossdressers take over a backwoods town when stranded by car trouble on their way to California.

And what they do for that town!

A sweet, hilarious movie.

[FloridaJudy]

52. I *loved* "To Wong Foo"!

Very sweet and gentle. I would hesitate to use it as the only movie, though, since it reinforces the stereotype of gays as flamboyant cross-dressers.

How about "Fried Green Tomatoes"? The lesbian love story is subtle, but it's there. And it's a great proponent of intergenerational friendship as well.

[theHandpuppet]

80. I'd second that choice!

:thumbsup:

[terrya]

14. How about "Maurice"?

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093512/

Merchant and Ivory. Based on E. M. Forster's novel.

It is a superb film.

[dsc]

15. It is

there I might worry about interest level. But that is a possibility. Damn R ratings.

[terrya]

16. Yeah, it's not the most exciting film, that's for sure.

You might have a problem there.

There have been some excellent films mentioned.

Oh, one other. How about "Torch Song Trilogy"? I don't think it's rated R.

[dsc]

17. that could be interesting

both for the movie itself and for history.

[terrya]

18. Just a suggestion.

You mentioned gay themed.

How about a lesbian themed movie? "Desert Hearts", perhaps? Another great movie.

[dsc]

61. I meant to reply sooner

I meant gay in the sense of gay or lesbian. A good lesbian movie would work too.

[davidinalameda]

25. you see butts in that movie

not PG-13

[Not Me]

19. The Twilight of the Golds

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120392/

[Huskerchub]

20. I would recomend

Beautiful Thing. It deals with many issues that students in the alliance are dealing with feelings of being alone, single parenting, peer pressure, drugs, abusive parents and love, this movie has it all. The language/slang is sometimes a little hard to get as it is a British film but I think it is best coming of age films I've ever seen. I particularly love the ending when the mother and the neighbor girl are dancing together and she is staring at all the neighbors with the "just one of you fuckers say ONE WORD about my son and I'll rip your eyes out" look. She may not be the most comfortable with her son's sexuality but no one is going to mess with her baby. OK, maybe my cold med is messing with my head and I'm being incoherent.

[Creideiki]

26. That R rating is really difficult to get past

Beautiful Thing and Get Real would be great for the age group. But I'm a Cheerleader is also R rated.

[saltpoint]

21. I second Huskerchub's recommendation for BEAUTIFUL THING, an excellent

British film suitable for young folks.

Two others worth consideration would be GET REAL, another British film, and SUMMER STORM, a German film.

Best strategy might be for you to rent them and watch them first to decide if they're ok fo ryour group.

There are other great films that have LGBTQ themes but many are for older viewers.

[mitchtv]

36. I LOVVVVVVVeD it, a rare happy ending

May I add, My beautiful Launderette? but it's raunchy

[swimmernsecretsea]

47. Beautiful Thing, yes. Another recommendation.

There are a few problematic items in it, but overall it has a great story. Anything you might find to be difficult is really on the low index.

[lightningandsnow]

22. Better Than Chocolate is an amazing movie.

It's a Canadian independent movie, and it may be hard to find, but it's wonderful. There is a fair bit of sex in it, though, so depending on the school's administration, you may have trouble showing it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Better_Than_Chocolate

It's one of my all time favorites, though, and definitely worth a shot, I think.

[mondo joe]

23. Parting Glances isn't rated at all, and it's my all time favorite. But it might be too dated for

your kids.

[mondo joe]

24. Hell, they're all rate R - even Beautiful Thing which would be so perfect. I looked

at all the good movies I could think of -- and a few of the bad ones too.

You might be better off just renting Project Runway.

[mitchtv]

27. The Chidrens' Hour

Audrey Hepburn, Shirley McClain
old, but still very relevent

[mitchtv]

32. "Mi Vie en Rose "might be fun

Not the Piaf movie which is La vie en rose (I think)

[mitchtv]

50. Not rated

too old I guess

[David Zephyr]

29. Without any question: "Beautiful Thing". But it has an "R" rating, dsc.

Maurice is my all time favorite, but it might be a bit too high brow for teens where "Beautiful Thing" would be more entertaining and is filled with wonderful music, too.

I know that some of the Community Colleges here in So Cal have this as part of their class work.

All the best. Let us know what you decide.

[mitchtv]

37. David Hi

On a gay movie thread hey

[queerart]

31. I Think "Bent" Would Be A Good Choice.....

Bent might open up some serious dialogue.....



Or if that film might make everyone squirm too much.... "Maurice" is a good pick as well......

[Morning Dew]

77. Rated R also

I just checked - GREAT movie !

Paragraph 175 is a good one but it's a documentary - not sure of the rating or if it's rated

[queerart]

33. Another Thought......

The Dress Code:

http://www.amazon.com/Dress-Code-Joey-Lauren-Adams/dp/B00005NGAN

[johnnypneumatic]

34. Fried green tomatoes is pg13

I never saw it but everyone says it is really good

Torch song trilogy is also R, and kind of a downer since matthew broderick gets killed with a baseball bat

Philadelphia is pg13, also a downer...

The celluloid closet is a documentary about movies and gays behind the scenes in hollywood, also R, but maybe....

Victor/Victoria is pg

Wizard of oz ... you can't get gayer than that

Also Cabaret pg Michael York Liza Minelli Joel Gray directed by Bob Fosse, yeah pretty gay

[LeftCoast]

35. What about the documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk?"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088275/

I have seen it several times and thought it was an amazing documentary. It won an Oscar.

[readmoreoften]

40. I concur. The Times of Harvey Milk is ESSENTIAL. They need to see it.

[TechBear_Seattle]

41. Excellent movie, excellent choice n/t

[Duncan Grant]

51. The perfect choice.

:thumbsup:

[Behind the Aegis]

38. here are a few.

Paragraph 175 -- Documentary, depressing, but informative
The Wedding Banquet -- rated "R" (I am not sure why), but an excellent movie and touches on cultural issues, as well as GLB issues.
Saved -- good one about religious hypocrisy
Camp -- this is a fun movie that touches on GLB and T issues
Friends & Family -- about a gay couple in the Mafia, very cute
Edge of Seventeen -- cute, coming of age movie (rated "R")
and the one I will never, ever, tire of....
But, I am a Cheerleader...! That is a great movie, not long, and really smashes stereotypes by using them, and rails on the "ex"-gay movement, besides it has the deliciously fiendish, Cathy Moriarty! It is rated "R", though. :(

(ETA a rating)

[davidinalameda]

39. Cheerleader is one of my favorite movies

[TechBear_Seattle]

42. Cachorro (Bear Cub)

IMDb
Wikipedia

Spanish with English sub-titles, so you can probably find an unrated version.

[David Zephyr]

44. After some reflection, I think you should choose a "safer" film for your first one, dsc.

I worry that things move too quickly there and, remember, all it takes is one disgruntled parent (parents fighting over custody look for any excuse) or sibling and then a call is placed and all your good work and the hopes of all those precious young people whose hearts and sanity hangs in your hands could be lost.

I worried about this enough to post this morning before going into my office.

Please, please take some baby steps. Believe me, there are people at your school (and they are always stealthy cowards) who do not approve of what you are doing. Don't give them any ammunition to use against you or your great alliance.

I remember when Project 10 was first created at Fairfax High School here in Los Angles --- in liberal and Jewish west L.A. --- and how controversial it was even there.

--David

[dsc]

53. I had pretty much ruled out R rated films unless I literally couldn't find an alternative

I am leaning toward the Harvey Milk film but will let the students decide among the three PG 13 ones. One thing that I am thinking of is that we have an actual production of Bent coming in April and maybe that could be done as a weekend, through them activity. I am painfully aware of the too far too fast problem and do wish to avoid it.

[soleft]

45. Chutney Popcorn

The kids will recognize Jill Hennessy from Law and Order and Crossing Jordan. It's total PG 13. Its funny. And it has some nice multi-cultural elements as well.

http://www.chutneypopcorn.com/

[Tyler Durden]

48. NO QUESTION: "Jeffrey or Torch Song Trilogy."

Either one.

[terrya]

49. Yet one more suggestion: "The Celluloid Closet"

An absolutely superb documentary about gay and lesbian content in films...from the silent era to today (well, when the film was made in the mid 90's).

[bliss_eternal]

65. Definitely the Celluloid Closet...

...it's excellent! I dvr'd it so I could watch it again, really well done documentary. It's important to see the way media, film and entertainment industries have portrayed glbt issues.

I also enjoyed the commentary from glbt activists, actors, etc. I especially loved the moment when Harvey Fierstein admitted that m he just wanted to see representation of glbt's in cinema and it didn't matter to him what sort of representations they were. The comment really touched me, and was reminiscent of ethnic minorities that have felt the same way about the representation of their races in film. In some cases they'd rather see a character that is negative, than to not be represented at all.

[plantwomyn]

72. One of the movies they highlight on "The Celluloid Closet"

is The Boys in the Band. I have looked everywhere and can not find it. I saw it when it originally came out.

[terrya]

73. It's not on dvd. It should be.

Watching it today, it is dated. But "Boys" is a groundbreaking film.

[plantwomyn]

76. I can break out the VCR.

Do you have a source for "Boys"? I wish it were more dated than it is. Too many of it's poignant moment are still all too true today. I hope for the day when we can really put their we trials behind us.

[noamnety]

54. Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin

Disclaimer - I haven't seen it, it's showing in town tonight but I couldn't go. But the woman showing it said she could loan it to us for our GSA. Not rated.

"He was there at most of the important events of the Civil Rights Movement - but always in the background. Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin asks "Why?" It presents a vivid drama, intermingling the personal and the political, about one of the most enigmatic figures in 20th-century American history. One of the first "freedom riders," an adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and A. Philip Randolph, organizer of the march on Washington, intelligent, gregarious and charismatic, Bayard Rustin was denied his place in the limelight for one reason - he was gay."

http://www.newsreel.org/nav/title.asp?tc=CN0148

[dsc]

55. that could be very good given the demographics of my school

[LeftHander]

56. Broken Hearts Club....? Or Lifetime Partner (Lifetime movies)...

The first is a good slice of life relationship movie with familiar faces.

Lifetime Partner is about the effects of AIDS on a group of friends through the 80's. (very sad...)

[dsc]

58. I think you mean Longtime Companion

and it was terrific. But I can't watch that without crying and there is no crying in teaching.

[Smarmie Doofus]

57. Made to order: The History Boys

Not American, not PC, less a coming-out story than a staying-in story but a brilliant, provocative film ( and play) nontetheless, full of truth, ambiguity, complexity and a lot of really funny stuff.

If your kids can juggle more than one idea at a time in their heads, I'd try it.

[mondo joe]

59. It's a good movie but for a fledgling GSA with a gay teacher advisor to select a movie

about a gay teacher groping the kids seems to be just inviting trouble, to me.

It's also rated R which presents another problem for the group.

Excellent film though - I especially loved the female instructor.

[dsc]

60. yea that will be a pass

I hadn't seen the film but I had heard a bit about the story.

[mondo joe]

62. The Rustin documentary would be great. And there were some decent PG-13

recs - like Camp.

If it were me I'd aim for an easy win - something fun or moving. Sometimes it's good just to get together and feel some friendship. :-)

[dsc]

63. I intend to give the students a list of the pg13 and below and let them vote

My personal preference would be Ruskin or Milk but whatever they decide is good for me.

[David Zephyr]

64. "The History Boys": Read the play before you see the film.

Alan Bennett is one of my favorite writers and his recent "An Uncommon Reader" is a real delight.

[Smarmie Doofus]

67. Hey, hold yer horsefeathers.

>>>about a gay teacher groping the kids seems to be just inviting trouble, to me.>>>


Granted, the movie lends itself to easy mischaracterization if one has such an agenda.

But it's not *about* a gay teacher groping kids any more than the Wizard of OZ is about flying monkeys.

There is such a character ( I'm not sure he's "gay", exactly: he's married to a woman); indeed, the character is central to the story. But not for his sexual proclivities. Indeed the movie is not *about* sexual proclivities at all. It's about a LOT of things. One might say it's thematically universal... dealing as it does with far reaching questions about life, finding meaning, interpretation of history, the purpose of formal education and the role of "lit-ra-cha".

There are a number of characters ... four to be exact...who contemplate same-sex relationships. Hector's the only one of the four interested in 'groping'. The most interesting
( and to me, the most *un-American*) aspect of the film is the fact that none of the four ( even, to an extent, Hector, whose unwanted advances are treated as minor annoyances by their bored recipients) are DEFINED by this fact, either by themselves or by the larger group ( i.e. the ensemble cast of about twelve).

These subplots are dealt with openly and are of minimal importance to the other characters and to the broader themes of the film itself. ( see above)

In short: it ( sexuality) is no big whoop. Which is why I love the film; because it *shouldn't* be. There's more important stuff to be concerned about: see universal themes above.

>>Excellent film though - I especially loved the female instructor.>>>

You have good taste. That would be Frances de la Tour, I believe; "Ms. Tot". Her best line: "Hector: a grope is a grope; it is not The Annunciation."

[mondo joe]

68. Respectfuly, yes, it's about al those things. But in the context of this SGAlliance, which

is just starting out, and with a gay teacher advisor who is considering coming out, I do think an R rated film (which will require heightened parental scrutiny) which includes a subplot about a teacher groping his male students might be a set up for trouble. :-)

[dsc]

69. yeah I have to be very careful

Eventually that movie might work but for a first movie I want something with less hassle. I want a sure thing so to speak.

[bliss_eternal]

66. The Opposite of Sex by Don Roos

The dialogue in that film is so dynamic, and it would be great for kids to see the art of a glbt writer/director. But I believe it has an R rating (sorry). I just love the film so much, can't help but recommend it.

Also, perhaps the Hours. If you can't see it due to the rating, maybe read the book it's based on.

If you google Opposite of Sex (or any other film like But I'm a Cheerleader)you'll find the wikipedia page. Click on that and go to the bottom of the page. There you'll find a link saying Glbt themed films (or something like that). Click on that and it will give you a list to more(coming of age, etc.) which may be helpful for you!

:hi:

[ropi]

70. Bent or Paragraph 175

eom

[plantwomyn]

71. If you do go R

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert. I don't remember any "sex scenes" but there is semi-nudity, but no more than on MTV. Hugo Weaving, the main charector is the bad guy from the Matrix. Great music, dance numbers, funny, multi-cultural, love story, gay parenting. Oh and fabulous costumes. Who could ask for more?

[Creideiki]

74. V for Vendetta has some interesting gay themes

Especially oppression of a minority. Also, the major characters aren't gay, but several of the supporting characters are, and the oppression of the gay minority for religious purposes was pretty scary. It's rated R, too, though.

[Huskerchub]

75. I've thought of a couple more...

that I've not seen recommended. It seems like we could keep you in movies for 2-3 years LOL!

Big Eden--rated PG13 Maybe a little slow but a beautifully shot movie with a great story line. I was visiting NYC in May of 2002 and went to Christopher Street Books and the clerk recommended it to me and told me that if I got it home and didn't like it to ship it back and he'd personally refund my money. It IS that good. If anyone has not seen it, RUN don't walk to your nearest Movie outlet and get it...Amazon has it on sale for 19.99, hint, hint :).

On Common Ground--Damn it! rated R I have NO idea how this got an R rating except for some physical violence against Jonathan Taylor Thomas' character...again far less than any video game or television show has. I think that it was orig. made for Showtime. Again if you haven't seen it you should. A review below (not mine)...

In Common Ground director Donna Deitch (Desert Hearts) uses three stories to explore attitudes toward homosexuality in the fictional small town of Homer, Connecticut, over a period of almost half a century. "A Friend of Dorothy's" tells the story of a girl who returns to Homer in 1954 after leaving the Navy. When it emerges that she was discharged after being arrested in a gay bar, she is ostracized by everyone except the owner of a local diner, a woman who has her own reasons for wanting to help Dorothy to escape. "M. Roberts" is set in 1974, when a gay teacher (Steven Weber) has to decide whether to jeopardize his career in order to help a troubled pupil who has been targeted by homophobic bullies. Finally, in present-day Homer, "Andy & Amos" follows the preparations for a gay wedding. While protesters gather on the town commons, Amos's father (Ed Asner) has to choose between long-held prejudices and his love for his son. Thanks to a Harvey Fierstein script that combines sexual politics with humor and believable characters, this is the most successful part of Common Ground. Ed Asner's gradual realization that his son's monogamous, long-term gay relationship is more conventional than most heterosexual marriages is deftly handled, achieving a balance between message and drama that the other stories lack.

[bluhoodie]

78. "Red Doors" -- the kids will love parts of it

especially the teenage daughter and her war of pranks with the neighbor boy. VERY funny segments. The gay theme is sweet, moving, enlightening. Even the father's realizations would be good for teens to examine. -- A funny and sweet movie.

Here's the plot from IMDb:

Red Doors tells the story of the Wongs, a bizarrely dysfunctional Chinese-American family living in the New York suburbs. Ed Wong has just retired and plots to escape his mundane life. However, the tumultuous, madcap lives of his three rebellious daughters change his plans. The eldest daughter, Samantha, is an ambitious businesswoman in Manhattan who suddenly gets cold feet about her upcoming marriage when she runs into an old high school flame. Julie, the shy middle sister, finds her life as a studious medical student turned upside down when she falls for a movie starlet visiting the hospital. Katie, the youngest sister, is a disaffected high school senior who engages in a continually escalating and dangerous prank war with her longtime neighbor and nemesis, Simon. Ultimately, Ed's disappearance compels each daughter to examine her own understanding of the role and connection she has to the family. At the same time, the Wongs learn to live their own lives outside the invisible fences of their home.

:popcorn:

[Uncle Roy]

79. Another vote for "Big Eden" (PG13)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0212815/