Coming Out in Cinema

List creator: kenalex Created on: July 10, 2007 - 12:58 PM PDT Description: The intersection of coming-of-age genre films and gay/lesbian/trans cinema. A list of 15 flicks that are really good!

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	movie title	related list	average rating	MPAA rating	watch	rent	buy
	Trevor (1994)
Arguably the best coming-out film of all time, this cleverly told story about a pre-adolescent Diana Ross fan is joyfully innocent and validating--yet never makes any overt reference to being gay. A mere 20 mins long, I remember seeing it at the Castro Theatre where it received thunderous ovation.
	Ma Vie En Rose (1997)
A moving portait of a seven-year old boy/girl, it's a great story and superbly handled. Great palettle in the cinematography, too.
	Lilies (1996)
Lilies is a brilliant film adaptation of a French-Canadian play. A story of youthful passion and the revenge of old men. Lilies is steeped in madness, furtive Catholic guilt, and the idolization of the youthful Saint Sebastian.
	Summer Storm (2004)
A fun romantic comedy with a sexy lead. Tobi's rowing team goes to summer camp, and (shocking!) everyone's life changes a little.
	C.R.A.Z.Y. (2005)
Coming out isn't easy in this Quebecois film. What I like about this film is the wonderful way it captures the impact that a single piece of popular music (in this case, Bowie's "Space Oddity") can have on our identity as budding gay boys. In some ways, though, the film is as much about the young man's father (and the father's music).
	Get Real (1998)
A charming English film about a high-school aged boy and his schoolyard challenges.
	Beautiful Thing (1996)
This is the classic coming-out story. Well done, great soundtrack. A must for this list, even though I personally liked Get Real better.
	Boys Don't Cry (1999)
While I'm not highly versed in lesbian or FTM coming-of-age films, I guarantee this one kicks butt on "Claire of the Moon".
	Breakfast on Pluto (2004)
The children of the revolution wear glitter! One of Neil Jordan's best, and that's saying something.
	My Own Private Idaho (Criterion Collection) (1991)
Gus Van Sant, River Phoenix, and Keanu Reeves. What else do you want? Oh yeah, and it's actually a good script, based on a play by some dude named Shakespeare.
	My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
An early flick from Stephen Frears, who has long been a favorite director of mine. This quirky film stars a VERY young Daniel Day-Lewis as a white racist who starts a kind of affair with a Pakistani lad. Frears went on, of course, to make Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, the Grifters, High Fidelity, Dangerous Liaisons, and The Queen with Helen Mirram
	Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Are we over it yet? Guess not, because I had to include it. Jake G is hot! BUT there was a documentary short at the SF Gay/Lesbian fest this year called Cowboy Forever that in some ways is better than Brokeback.
	Wild Reeds (1994)
A sweet romance from France that did the festival circuit for a while.
	Maurice (1987)
Directed by no less than James Ivory, and includes Hugh Grant in the cast. Maurice does really capture something sweet, and it's unusual as an Edwardian period piece, in that it ends well for the gay main character. Based on the book by E.M. Forster, this is an imperfect film based on an imperfect novel.
	Mysterious Skin (Director's Cut) (2004)			Not Rated
Based on the Scott Heim novel, this is not an easy one to watch. It's also maybe not exactly a coming-of-age story, but it sort of is. Even so, this powerful script is rendered wonderfully by the direction of Greg Araki and the acting of Joseph Gordon-Levitt.