Romantic movies to celebrate the big pink holiday
In celebration of Valentine's Day weekend, I thought it would be fun to count down my top 5 favorite gay romance movies. Be warned that there are some spoilers here.
#5: Bedrooms and Hallways (1998)
At the suggestion of a friend, gay Leo (Kevin McKidd) enters therapy after many failed relationships make him fear for his social life. In a group session (led by Simon Callow), Leo comes clean about his feelings for a straight member of the group (James Purefoy), which leads to an affair between the two. The situation becomes further complicated by the appearance of Leo's high school sweetheart (Jennifer Ehle), who still has feelings for him.
Why I love it:
This delightful movie is chocked full of colorful, likeable characters, pokes gentle fun at the men's groups that became popular in the 90s, and has many laugh-out-loud moments. The chemistry between Kevin McKidd and James Purefoy is fantastic, and I like that it acknowledges that sexuality is fluid, not a matter of black-and-white labels, and that people keep learning things about themselves regardless of how old they are. Plus, it has what is possibly the hottest kiss of all times. It's a well-done movie that would be higher up on my list if it weren't for the ending which feels gimmicky and not emotionally authentic.
#4: Beautiful Thing (1996)
The iconoclastic, underachieving denizens of a southeast London apartment building get an emotional wake-up call when two teenage boys -- next-door neighbors Jamie (Glen Berry) and Ste (Scott Neal) -- unexpectedly fall in love. This moving slice of affecting kitchen-sink realism from Britain's esteemed Channel Four Films is adapted from the hit West End play penned by Jonathan Harvey, who also directs.
Why I love it:
I'm a sucker for stories about first love and sexual awakening and figuring out "hey, what do I want, what do I like?" This film tells that story quite charmingly. Ste, a popular, athletic boy at school, stays over at less popular Jamie's house to get away from his abusive father. They share Jamie's bed at night, and the curiosity and longing between them is visceral--as well as the fear, Ste's in particular, about what this new development means. The ending is not the most realistic thing in the world, but when first love is this sweet and poignant, who needs realism?
#3: Latter Days (2003)
This controversial film explores the consequences of a young Mormon missionary, Aaron (Steve Sandvoss), recognizing his homosexuality and falling in love with another man. Aaron's first sexual encounter with a gay "party boy" (Wesley A. Ramsey) leads to a passionate romance that gets Aaron excommunicated from his church and risks destroying both their lives. Charming and sexy, Latter Days offers a heady mix of romantic comedy and powerful drama.
Why I love it:
I do enjoy unlikely couples, and Mormon missionary Aaron and party boy Christian couldn't be more different. But what starts out as merely a distraction for Christian turns into something much more important. Aaron's struggle with his identity and his family's reaction to his sexuality are very moving. Their first time together is incredibly hot and sensual, and despite the obstacles they face, the movie delivers a happy-for-now ending that I like to believe will turn out to be happily ever after.
#2: My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a Pakistani, and his old school chum Johnny (Daniel-Day Lewis) use stolen drug money to renovate a laundrette in a squalid London neighborhood. But conflicting interests soon threaten their newfound success. Hanif Kureishi received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay, a stunning portrait of two boyhood friends who are struggling to survive in racially tense Thatcher-era Britain.
Why I love it:
This was the first gay romance movie I ever saw and also my first introduction to Daniel Day Lewis. I will always adore it for both those things. The story sets the love and friendship between Omar and Johnny against the race and class tensions of the day. At the opening of the story, there's an issue of betrayal between the two, and the process of bringing the laundrette to life gives Johnny an opportunity to redeem himself. The sex scene is tender and incredibly hot, and it makes me wonder about their "friendship" back in school. I like to think they were each other's first time, because I'm schmoopy that way. There's just enough hope at the end that Johnny and Omar can overcome all the things that threaten to stand between them and make their relationship work to make this one of my all-time favorites.
#1: Shelter (2007)
Zach (Trevor Wright) sacrifices his dream of going to art school to support his ill father (Don Margolin), sister (Tina Holmes) and her young son (Jackson Wurth) in this moving drama. He finds happiness surfing with buddy Gabe (Ross Thomas). But when he falls for Gabe's older brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe), his world is turned upside down. Zach struggles to learn how to put his own needs first before the demands of his family.
Why I love it:
When I have a bad day, I put on this movie. It never fails to make me happy. Good guy Zach is struggling to balance his own ambition to go to art school against the responsibility he feels to his family, especially to his nephew Cody. When he runs into his best friend's older brother while surfing, the two start spending time together. It soon turns to romance.
This movie delivers so many of my favorite things. I love the older/younger dynamic between Shaun and Zach. I love that they've known each other most of their lives, and their relationship takes this unexpected twist, complicating things for them. It's interesting and moving to see Zach figuring things out about himself, deciding what he wants and going for it. The couple's first kiss and their first time having sex are tender and romantic and hot. There's a moment that literally took my breath away the first time I saw it.
And I love the way it ends, with the possibility of a ready-made family. Someday I'm going to write a story about somebody having two daddies. I just won't be able to help myself. In the meantime, I have this movie to make me go "awwwww!"
So what are your favorite gay romance movies?
#5: Bedrooms and Hallways (1998)
At the suggestion of a friend, gay Leo (Kevin McKidd) enters therapy after many failed relationships make him fear for his social life. In a group session (led by Simon Callow), Leo comes clean about his feelings for a straight member of the group (James Purefoy), which leads to an affair between the two. The situation becomes further complicated by the appearance of Leo's high school sweetheart (Jennifer Ehle), who still has feelings for him.
Why I love it:
This delightful movie is chocked full of colorful, likeable characters, pokes gentle fun at the men's groups that became popular in the 90s, and has many laugh-out-loud moments. The chemistry between Kevin McKidd and James Purefoy is fantastic, and I like that it acknowledges that sexuality is fluid, not a matter of black-and-white labels, and that people keep learning things about themselves regardless of how old they are. Plus, it has what is possibly the hottest kiss of all times. It's a well-done movie that would be higher up on my list if it weren't for the ending which feels gimmicky and not emotionally authentic.
#4: Beautiful Thing (1996)
The iconoclastic, underachieving denizens of a southeast London apartment building get an emotional wake-up call when two teenage boys -- next-door neighbors Jamie (Glen Berry) and Ste (Scott Neal) -- unexpectedly fall in love. This moving slice of affecting kitchen-sink realism from Britain's esteemed Channel Four Films is adapted from the hit West End play penned by Jonathan Harvey, who also directs.
Why I love it:
I'm a sucker for stories about first love and sexual awakening and figuring out "hey, what do I want, what do I like?" This film tells that story quite charmingly. Ste, a popular, athletic boy at school, stays over at less popular Jamie's house to get away from his abusive father. They share Jamie's bed at night, and the curiosity and longing between them is visceral--as well as the fear, Ste's in particular, about what this new development means. The ending is not the most realistic thing in the world, but when first love is this sweet and poignant, who needs realism?
#3: Latter Days (2003)
This controversial film explores the consequences of a young Mormon missionary, Aaron (Steve Sandvoss), recognizing his homosexuality and falling in love with another man. Aaron's first sexual encounter with a gay "party boy" (Wesley A. Ramsey) leads to a passionate romance that gets Aaron excommunicated from his church and risks destroying both their lives. Charming and sexy, Latter Days offers a heady mix of romantic comedy and powerful drama.
Why I love it:
I do enjoy unlikely couples, and Mormon missionary Aaron and party boy Christian couldn't be more different. But what starts out as merely a distraction for Christian turns into something much more important. Aaron's struggle with his identity and his family's reaction to his sexuality are very moving. Their first time together is incredibly hot and sensual, and despite the obstacles they face, the movie delivers a happy-for-now ending that I like to believe will turn out to be happily ever after.
#2: My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
Omar (Gordon Warnecke), a Pakistani, and his old school chum Johnny (Daniel-Day Lewis) use stolen drug money to renovate a laundrette in a squalid London neighborhood. But conflicting interests soon threaten their newfound success. Hanif Kureishi received an Oscar nomination for his screenplay, a stunning portrait of two boyhood friends who are struggling to survive in racially tense Thatcher-era Britain.
Why I love it:
This was the first gay romance movie I ever saw and also my first introduction to Daniel Day Lewis. I will always adore it for both those things. The story sets the love and friendship between Omar and Johnny against the race and class tensions of the day. At the opening of the story, there's an issue of betrayal between the two, and the process of bringing the laundrette to life gives Johnny an opportunity to redeem himself. The sex scene is tender and incredibly hot, and it makes me wonder about their "friendship" back in school. I like to think they were each other's first time, because I'm schmoopy that way. There's just enough hope at the end that Johnny and Omar can overcome all the things that threaten to stand between them and make their relationship work to make this one of my all-time favorites.
#1: Shelter (2007)
Zach (Trevor Wright) sacrifices his dream of going to art school to support his ill father (Don Margolin), sister (Tina Holmes) and her young son (Jackson Wurth) in this moving drama. He finds happiness surfing with buddy Gabe (Ross Thomas). But when he falls for Gabe's older brother, Shaun (Brad Rowe), his world is turned upside down. Zach struggles to learn how to put his own needs first before the demands of his family.
Why I love it:
When I have a bad day, I put on this movie. It never fails to make me happy. Good guy Zach is struggling to balance his own ambition to go to art school against the responsibility he feels to his family, especially to his nephew Cody. When he runs into his best friend's older brother while surfing, the two start spending time together. It soon turns to romance.
This movie delivers so many of my favorite things. I love the older/younger dynamic between Shaun and Zach. I love that they've known each other most of their lives, and their relationship takes this unexpected twist, complicating things for them. It's interesting and moving to see Zach figuring things out about himself, deciding what he wants and going for it. The couple's first kiss and their first time having sex are tender and romantic and hot. There's a moment that literally took my breath away the first time I saw it.
And I love the way it ends, with the possibility of a ready-made family. Someday I'm going to write a story about somebody having two daddies. I just won't be able to help myself. In the meantime, I have this movie to make me go "awwwww!"
So what are your favorite gay romance movies?