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Wanted to see this because i've recently discovered a love for all things Ellen DeGeneres.
I didn't know anything about this film before I started watching it so it was all new. I haven't seen the first one but watching this one has me interested.
I wasn't quite sure about the structure of the film as it is split up into three different generations in time. The only thing the three have in common is the house they all live in at different times. The first part of the film is set in 1961 and you are introduced to two older women, played by Jenny O'Hara and Marian Seldes. Their story is very touching and sadly enough still relevant even though we have moved on nearly 50 years. It's so sad that things like this are still happening. Even though society has progressed so much, in America this is still happening. If their story doesn't strike up some emotion in you, you have a problem because these basic human rights are still being withheld from people and in my opinion it's something that should not be tolerated.
The second part of the film is set in 1972. It follows mainly Michelle Williams and Chloe Sevigny. Williams plays an out lesbian battling within the feminist movement at her college along with a couple of other friends. Sevigny plays a very much out and proud butch and Williams' love interest. But Williams' friends don't exactly approve because they argue that they are fighting for women aloud to be free. This is an interesting point the film is making. That even within a community of people who fight for the right to be themselves, they exclude people who do not fit with what they approve of. I also find this very relevant today because it is just so true. There are many people who while trying to break down the conventional gender barriers, are still trying to put people into boxes and catagorise them. Very my hypocritical if you ask me.
The third part of the film is set in 2000 and follows Ellen DeGeneres' character and her long term partner played by Sharon Stone. This part of the film I felt was slightly odd in comparison to the others as it is the only one of the three that does not show some struggle between society or characters. The film follows them trying to find a suitable sperm donor. While this doesn't fit in some ways, it does in others. As I think it concludes the film well in saying that although things have stayed the same over the years in terms of human rights and people's attitudes, there are many things that have changed for the better.
The performances are all very strong in this film and it's so hard to pick out a best performance from the film. I was also surprised that even though each of the characters had a very short amount of time to tell their story, you still felt very much attached to the characters which I think says a lot about the quality of writing in this film.
Overall a good film. Usually I wouldn't recommend a gay themed film to people that are not fond of the genre but I have to say this film should be seen by everyone. It highlights some very important issues that at this very moment in time being discussed. I'm referring to the Prop 8 in California and the other similar ones that have been passed in other states in America. Luckily i'm from the Uk and we have that basic right to marry who we wish but it angers me to think there are many out there that do not have this right and in the case of California, many who were married under the law and had their marriage void after Prop 8 was passed. I'll stop being all political now and just state once more that this film should be seen because of the state of the current climate.

This film really surprised me. I didn't think it would be very good after reading the synopsis but I was completely wrong. I was thinking girls in a boarding school, sexually frustrated, equals lots of lesbian sex scenes. Not like that at all. Respect to the director for keeping everything tasteful as i'm sure the temptation to make everything outrageous so the film would appeal to all those warm blooded males out there, was pretty high.
The story begins with Mary, Mouse, whatever you wanna call her. She is dropped off at an all girls boarding school, she is introduced to Tori and then Paulie. It is through Mary's eyes that we slowly become familiarised with these two characters and their involvement with each other. Just as Mary, at the beginning, isn't entirely sure about the relationship between these two girls, it is not made entirely clear to us either. Slowly, the director hints at what is really going on.
Mary is played by Mischa Barton. This is one of her very early roles and she looks incredible young as well, as the other characters point out. It is not made clear whether she is actually the same age as the other girls who appear around the age or 16 or 17, or whether she is around 14 and has been moved up a few years because of her intelligence. I'm tempted to say she is 14 but then she does mention the town she came from was still living in the 50s, so it could be the case that she is just a little naive. Mischa does a decent job. Plays the character very quietly which works well because of the more larger characters or Tori and Paulie. You would then think that she would just disappear into the background but this, surprisingly doesn't happen. Tori is played by Jessica Paré. She does a very good job as well. At the beginning her character seems very friendly and self-assured. This seems to pitter out as the plot unfolds but she is very enjoyable to watch. Paulie is played by Piper Perabo, who always manages to surprise me. She always impresses no matter what kind of character she plays and yet she rarely gets any credit for it. It's also surprising that she plays gay characters, probably better than someone who is actually gay. I always found it odd that she was drawn towards characters like this, but I read something about her talking about her roles like this, and she said it was about nothing more than love. And I think that sums up her character in this film very well. It didn't matter whether it was a guy or a girl it was only about love. Her performance in this film is actually outstanding and probably the best i've seen from her. The character is very passionate and outgoing, loving and obviously fragile all at the same time, and she just seemed to embody all of these emotions. The story itself, is very tragic and although there were no tears it did make me feel really bad.
Don't catagorise this film as typical, it is a lot more than that, even if you're not normally into this kind of film, I suggest you give it a shot. It's not your normal romantic drama and not because the characters are gay, but because it isn't pretentious, it doesn't take itself too seriously but it takes the matter at hand seriously. It's not cheesy, or drawn out, it isn't something it's not. It's a simple love story that makes you think long and hard about love and the way people view it.

I was expecting a really terrible romantic comedy that would use every cliche in the book. Luckily it wasn't like that at all. Cute story with pretty decent performances. Piper Perabo and Lena Headey have worked together before so their performances are slightly more comfortable although better has been known to come from Perabo. It's also odd that the most chemistry does not come from these characters, as would be expected, but from Anthony Head and Celia Imrie. The unconventional couple who give the impression of hating each other. It was also these two that were given some of the best dialogue of the film. "We've been together since the fall of Troy", just about floored me. Head's delivery of these lines is just spot on and really makes the film. Overall not a bad film, i'm sure it won't cater to everyones taste but you'll have to decide that for yourself.

i needed to see this film mainly because it has Leisha Hailey in it. She's a really brilliant actress and she has pink hair in this film. You just got to love her character in this film.
The film is based around two best friends, Claude and Ellen. Claude has fallen head over heels in love with Ellen and although there are hints to suggest Ellen knows, throughout the film neither of them confront each other about it. Ellen dates guys that are all wrong for her and Claude has to stand back and watch the girl she loves ruin her life. Claude then meets an openly gay man called Luke who although he isn't around for very long manages to help Claude realise who she is.
I think this film is fairly successful in portraying the bonds between best friends. I'm sure there are quite a few young gay people who can relate to falling for their straight best friend. I can't say that from experience but i'm sure it happens.
The film covers quite a few queer issues and handles them carefully and respectfully but still being brutally honest. The performances are all strong although many of the actors, other than Leisha Hailey, have not really managed to break through into well known cinema. Which is a shame because they all do a really excellent job.
I don't think this film would be for everyone but if you're into gay cinema then you might want to check it out.

This film has been recommended a ton of times but it just never really appealed to me. Kathy Bates creeps the hell out of me so i'm rarely drawn to any of her films. I finally decided to give it a shot a few days ago and i wish i'd have checked it out sooner. It's such a lovely story and completely not what i was expecting.
The film it told by an old woman to Kathy Bates' character while she waits for her husband to visit his aunt. This part of the film is set in the 80s. Bates' visits the old woman multiple times and each you get to hear a little bit more about Mary Stuart Masterson and Mary-Louise Parker. The two characters are just amazing. You follow them as they grow up and encounter different problems in their lives. Their friendship causes some arguments between viewers as in the film their friendship is never really defined but you are given many hints throughout the film. To clear up those arguments, it's made very clear the kind of relationship they have in the book on which the film is based.
A film I put off watching because the title and the screencaps i saw, never really appealed. But it was totally different. So i suggest if you've been putting this one of, it's time you stop and go watch it because you won't regret it.

It sounded kind of funny so I couldn't resist seeing it.
It's about an anti-establishment group known as the CIA. They cause trouble wherever women are degraded and treated like objects. This is how the main character Anna falls in with them when she catches one of the girls defacing the cosmetic surgery where she works. They bring her round to their ways of thinking while she also begins to get involved with their leader Sadie. Trouble within the organisation starts when it is revealed that their small stunts are not heard by the young girls they are desperately trying to reach.
It's very political and although it raises some very good questions, the girls don't exactly go about it in the best way. It's kind of fun to watch the way they go about exacting revenge on the chauvinist community of America.
I did give it quite a high rating, mostly because I loved the characterisation within the film. Each of the characters are very different and through one another learn different things about themselves and who they want to be.
All the actors are brilliant and give really excellent performances. Loved seeing Daniella Sea in a substantial role as well. She's always amazing.
This film will not be for everyone. So I guess you're just going to have to find out the hard way, if it's for you.

This film actually really surprised me. When it started off with the shot of Annabelle in the car it was the exact shot used in the film Lost and Delirious so I thought that it was probably a sign of things to come. A film that wouldn't be original in the slightest and take all the best bits from other films in an attempt to be better than it actually was. I didn't think that was the case at all.
Perhaps it wasn't the most original piece i've ever seen but it had it's moments. It didn't try to be anything bigger than it was, it wasn't obnoxious or over stating it's message.
The plot has been done before and probably more successfully than this as well but there was something to it that made it watchable. Lots of people have complained about the ending *spoilers* and said they should have ended up together but I think the ending was perfect. Although the plot was slightly unrealistic, at least the ending was grounded. People act as if they could have been together when anyone with half a brain knows that just wouldn't happen.
I thought it was directed very well. Some really beautiful shots and I liked that it ended with the same shot it started with. In the beginning you see Annabelle in the back seat of a car with the window rolled down so far and in the end it's a shot of Simone in the back of the car with the window open so far. The lighting used was also very good. Katherine Brooks did a really good job of this and I look forward to seeing if she makes anything else.
Overall not a bad romantic film. Obviously not to everyone's taste but if you're into the whole girl on girl action then there is a couple of scenes you might be interested in. It's not as bad as some people make out and not as good as others make out.

The title suggests some kind of quality however I don't think I would agree with it and see it as a rather unjustified boast. The plot is good and it was fun to watch and it had quite a few laughs. Most of which came from the mother. Not only was she completely oblivious as to what was going on but she was so blatently dismissive of Maggie trying to tell her. I wouldn't call this film realistic. Although it did cover some good points like coming out to naive parents. The acting was good for all the actors and I would say it was worth at least one watch but I can't see myself watching it again.

A bit of a disappointment if I?m to be honest. Some people made out like it was a really good crime thriller with a lot of suspense but I just couldn?t help but feel that it was just an excuse for some producer to have a film where two women get theirs kit off and well, the rest doesn?t really need to explained if you have half a brain.
The plot was weak to say the least, a few holes here and there. It was also incredibly slow. It basically covers three main characters, one guy, a member of the mob, his girlfriend and another woman who is employed by their landlord to fix up the flat next to theirs. The film starts off reasonably well with the beginning of a very odd relationship between the two woman. A little too unrealistic if you ask me and I felt that was mostly down to the fact that they chose Jennifer Tilly to play the mobsters girlfriend. She can act but there were two problems I had with her. One, her voice gets on my tits something terrible. I?m surprised I made it threw the whole film at all having to listen to that. The second, that she just seemed out of place. I don?t understand out of all the actresses, she got the part. There was an upside to her performance though and that was that it was really hard to work out her motives in the film. At first she just seems to be after one thing and then when she plants the idea of stealing all that money things turn sinister and you can?t tell if she?s is just using the other woman or not. Gina Gershon was pretty good. Definitely the stronger of the two actresses and there are also points where her characters motives are challenged when she is given the opportunity to run with the money.
The climax of the film was decent, but it could have had a lot more suspense to it. I think if the director was a lot more skilful about exposing characters real and caring sides, things could have been better, but because I found it hard to empathise with any of the characters, it was hard for me to worry about them at the end of the film when you can?t be sure which plans are going to work out.
Not a terrible film but it had a whole lot more potential that it just didn?t live up to, which is a shame really because it could have been very good.

It was the fact that this film had Laurel Holloman in it that initially drew me to it. She's a really great actress and this would be one of her very first starring roles.
From the title you would probably expect it to be pretty unoriginal. You would expect right. You'd have thought they could have come up with a better title. It doesn't say a whole lot about originality. The plot wasn't terrible. It follows one out and proud outcast and an assumed straight popular girl. You can pretty much guess what follows.
I found it odd that Laurel looks exactly the same. It was weird to see her as a fully grown beautiful woman to an awkward teenager with what looks like only chopping her hair off. She was in fact 24 when she filmed this and not a teenager at all. It's just the way her face has stayed exactly the same while she seemed to be smaller in height and build. Her performance was really great to be honest. She did aggressive but loving very well and was convincing when doing the more touching scenes.
Nicole Parker plays the other girl and as far as I am aware I haven't seen any of her other films. If she has even made anything else. She was pretty good. The two were good together but she was slightly over shadowed by Holloman.
The direction wasn't bad either. I liked quite a few of the shots. The very last shot was really striking, with the two girls standing the motel doorway just holding each other while you see their parents and friends silently yelling at them. I thought it was a very nice scene to end the film with. You're left wondering quite a few things about what could possibly happen next. Like they said they would love each other forever but Evie was going off to college soon and Randy wasn't even going to graduate. Under the circumstances it would be unreasonable to think they would still be together but perhaps i'm being just a little too cynical.
Overall not a bad film. Obviously not to everyone's taste but if you like this kind of thing you might want to check it out.

I wasn't expecting much considering a lot of people didn't care for it much but i rather enjoyed it.
I liked that the whole film is set out over about half a day, which is different because not a lot of films do this, and successfully at that. If they choose to do it that way, the audience is at risk of feeling unconnected to the characters and not having enough back story or too much when the director decided to reiterate facts to much when it really isn't called for. But this film did it well. The characters were all very different and likable in their own ways. You did actually care what was going to happen to them as each of them battles with relationship problems.
The plot was good and right up until the end, I was impressed. And then they throw in this daft bombshell that makes not a lot of sense at all. (i'm going to spoil) One of the main characters turns around and reveals that she's pregnant, which was slightly annoying, because not every gay woman becomes curious about men contrary to popular male belief. Another thing was that the other two gay characters who really made me laugh when they crash the shower having an argument about commitment. When they finally have their blowout at the end, one suddenly decides to make out with the pizza delivery guy and she suddenly realises she loves him. I tell ya, that's gotta be one hell of a kiss.
While writing this review, i've noticed many things about this film that i actually hate. I think it's pretty clear the male producers got their hands on it and thought some changes were in order because having too many gay couples would just confuse people. I'm dropping it half a star because of this. Perhaps you could read into the fact that it took reflection time before i realised all the things that bugged me, because they didn't so much at the time.
Obviously this film isn't for everyone. But if you like this type of film, you will be entertained at least, it definatly has funny moments in it that will make you laugh and make the film worth checking out.

I wasn't really expecting much from this film and I was probably right to think so. Mildly charming film that could have been so much more had Heather Graham not been cast as the lead. She's an actress that seems to choose her moments to shine. This however, wasn't one of those moments. She just came across as being stupid with no acting talent to boot. Her character didn't really have any depth which I'll put down to her being so rubbish. Tom Cavanagh brought the film up to a respectable level with his decent performance. He's a really likable actor so his character was already easy to like. Alan Cumming also made a perfect addition to the cast. He's always a pleasure to watch and never fails to deliver with his different variations of gay characters. And from this film it's clear he can just about pull off playing a straight guy as well.
The film follows Gray, played by Graham, who along with her brother falls for a woman played by Bridget Moynahan. The basic premise of the film is about Gray coming to terms with her newly discovered sexuality which before she had never questioned. There was certain aspects of the plot which were good. I won't go into detail so as not to spoil it if you decide to watch it, but it wasn't all horrible. The actors had good chemistry which was really good. There were a fair few laughs thrown in as well which made the film a whole lot more light hearted. Being anywhere near serious would have turned this film into an outright disaster.
Overall, not bad but it could have been so much better had it chosen to take itself a little more seriously and not just go half and half. Perhaps a different casting agent would have been a good idea as well and I firmly believe it would have been a lot better if Heather Graham had not been involved.

It's obviously a film that isn't to be taken seriously and if you watch it with that in mind you may be mildly entertained by it. It annoys me that I didn't hate it because I really should have. It takes the premise of under cover agents trying to solve a crime and places into something that is even more ludicrous.
The story follows a group of four high school age girls who, through their SAT's, have been recruited by a spy school. Don't worry, it does get worse. One of the girls falls in love with the woman they are tracking down. I did warn you it got worse. You can pretty much guess what goes on in the rest of the film.
The acting isn't terrible, which you would expect. Obviously it's nothing brilliant but because they aren't terrible it does make the film watchable.
The characters are stupidly stereotypical in most ways and you'll find it hard not to laugh at just how daft the whole film is.
It doesn't take itself too seriously which is why I think it just about manages to get away with the stupidity factor in the plot. As if a spy school for teenage girls wasn't bad enough but they have to throw in some lesbian love action as well.
Clearly this film will not be to everyone's taste, very few of you will enjoy it. It's in no way a tragedy if you decide to give it a miss because I believe I could have quite happily lived the rest of my life without seeing it.

It was trying to send out a message in some kind of cheezy way that would hopefully appeal to teenagers. I don't really think it achieved that at all. The idea and concept behind it was good but it went over just a bit with the extremely unrealistic look and feel. The pinkness of the whole thing was the first noticable thing that really wasn't a very good idea. Cathy Moriarty over acted everything. Although you were not meant to like her very much you actually ended up hating her just for the pure fact that her character was unbearable to watch. I don't think that was the direction they were going for though. The other performances weren't much better. Clea DuVall was probably the best but even that wasn't great. The concept of the film was good and in any other film i'm sure it would have been rather good but in this no. I think it is important for films like this to be released as there are too many young people who are afraid to be who they really are and parts of society are too dismissive of people who are different. But because this film isn't the one to send out that message I wouldn't recommend it.

It had a lot to say and it didn't really do a great job of it. Parts were a bit preachy and the lead character was a little too whiny for my liking.
It's a subject that affects a lot of queer people so I think it deserves to be addressed through cinema. This wasn't the first film i've seen that tried to tackle the issue and I can't say it was the worst but it just lacked something special.
It was good to see some reasonably big names in it such as Stockard Channing and Kelly Rowan. Names in films like this are quite important as it's like a support thing. To be in a film like this you obviously agree with the things it's trying to challenge.
The plot of the film follows a young teenage girl who realises she might be gay when she develops a crush on a new classmate. When she tells her parents they overreact and go through the usual statements of it's just a stage and things like that. She confides in a teacher who tries to help her through the situation.
There is a bit more to it than that but I don't want to give too much away. It was the relationship and empathy between the girl and the teacher that I liked best. I think this has been done before but more often than not it turns about a bit creepy and kind of suggestive. In this case it didn't and they did a very good job in giving the girl someone to lean on and get advice from.
I know it really doesn't affect the film at all but I have to mention that bloody film poster which actually put me off watching this film for so long. I suggest you don't judge the film too much by that poster as it is pretty god awful.
To be honest I think this film has problems. The subject matter it tackles is aimed at opening peoples minds and trying to get them to understand. However, the film itself ended up in a very small market of mostly gay women. This being very pointless as that audience knows everything the film tries to explain. Yes we know that there are people that don't accept us, and we have problems getting people to do so. It's a preaching to the converted thing.
I don't think many will enjoy this film. You'd have to be interested in the genre before I suggest you watching it.

Seriously horrible film. The thing that pissed me off most of all would be the crappy acting. And it really is terrible, i'm not exaggerating. Some have said that you can't expect a lot from a film with this kind of budget, but i've seen many low budget films that have decent performances and it really isn't an excuse. The delivery of their lines is forced, out of time and unnatural.
It's about two girls who meet when one moves to a new school. They hit it off and soon become very good friends. Their friendship soon develops into a physical relationship, which concerns both girls parents.
Up to this point I didn't mind it too much. Apart for the acting it isn't bad. And then they decided this wasn't enough. So they throw in a guy who is obsessed with one of the girls. A parent who is religious beyond belief. And badly shot sex scenes. One of the girl's becoming annoyed by classmates picking on her. An attempted suicide. A big jump into the future, straight into the biggest pile of crap you can imagine.
It's like they wanted to express so many different things so they just crammed them all in. It messed up the film royally and just got preachy.
Don't see this, you will live to regret it.