spaced

Fun Historical Fact: There used to be more gay and lesbian content in early silent films until religious groups protested resulting in “decency standards.”

(Source: string-a-plume, via fuckyeahlesbianfilms)

I actually get asked about this a lot, so I thought I would update it and put a link in my sidebar or top bar or whatever.

THERE WILL BE SPOILERS FOR THE ENDS OF MOVIES HERE.  But only in a general sense.

Disclaimers:

1) This is all based on my opinion of what constitutes a happy ending, and is independent from the genre of movie.  Most of the time it means it has a) a happy ending and b) an ending in which two women end up together, are implied to have ended up together, or could end up together very easily if you’re not a cynic.  That’s about it.  That being said, not all of the movies end up with couples. Some movies can be happy without a romance at the end, right?  Sometimes it’s a good thing just to survive.

2) I’ll try to put little notes for things that might bug some people (violence, cheating, etc.), but I’m generally terrible with triggers, so please let me know via my ask box if something should be added.

3) Obviously these women might not identify as lesbians and you might not identify them as lesbians, but I’m using that term to refer to the relationships in a blanket manner because it’s more concise. 

4) I am making no statement about how good or bad these movies are.  YMMV.  

And, of course, please feel free to contribute your own, as I’m fairly unfamiliar with non-Western movies.  I am not an expert, just a person who watches a lot of movies, and as many lesbianish movies as possible.  

In which the women in question are the main characters:

• Imagine Me & You (Warning: cheating.  Crazy Anthony Head.)
• Saving Face
• Bound (Warning: violence, blood, an actual butch character.)
• Puccini for Beginners (Warning: polyamory, cheating.)
• Desert Hearts (Warning: made in the 80s.)
• I Can’t Think Straight 
• Nina’s Heavenly Delights
• D.E.B.S.
• Tipping the Velvet 
• Fingersmith
• Loving Annabelle (If you watch the alternate ending on the DVD.  Warning: teacher/student age stuff.)
• The Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love (Warning: made in the 90s. More actual butch women.)
• Chutney Popcorn (Warning: lesbian pregnancy.)
• Better than Chocolate
• Show Me Love
• Leading Ladies
• The Four-Faced Liar
• The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister
• The Fish Child (Warning: violence, rape, implied incest.)
• What’s Up, Scarlet?
• But I’m a Cheerleader
• Room in Rome 
• Gray Matters
• Yes or No 
• Late Bloomers (Warning: naked basketball. Not even kidding.)
• The Guest House 
• Joe + Belle
• Yes or No
• Pariah
• Gray Matters
• Just the Two of Us (Warning: made in the 70s.)
• The World Unseen
• Bloomington

In which the women in question are supporting characters or part of an ensemble, but it’s probably worth watching anyway (or at least checking out clips on YouTube):

• What’s Cooking?
• Eulogy
• Love and Other Catastrophes
• Dr. T and the Women
• He’s Such a Girl