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Are you still struggling to find romantic LGBTQIA films that have a happy ending? Fret not, we have a list for you!
We have a list of 7 romantic LGBTQIA films that actually have a happy ending!
Growing up confused queer in India is not easy, when your attractions fly in all directions! Your exposure to anything remotely queer is limited to a handful of newspaper articles about queer couples either getting caught or killed or running away and for reference to queer love life we had one film, Dostana! Despite its problems, that fake kiss in Dostana was all it took for the queer me to understand that I was open to loving any gender!
Like many of my generation, the 90s born, we were the first on the internet, and also the first to watch queer films from around the world that had bootlegged translations on some obscure website! Watching these films on 240p on a qwerty phone was hard! But we searched for it, because we needed these stories!
It was also a time when many of us realized most of these films we watched, were sad, either AIDS killed the protagonist or society did! Though it was an echo of the generations of queer people we lost to AIDS, and pressure of producers that they always showed how queer lives were tragic, remember Brookback Mountain? The happy ending it seemed was not meant for me or my fellow rainbow sheep!
Over the years, stories have evolved, more and more nuanced stories with happy endings have emerged, and more representations have come to our screens! So here I have selected 7 of my favourite LGBTQIA films from around the world, where we see the rainbow of happy ending!
Laurence Anyways (2012)
A story that spans over a decade about a transwoman, who tries to save her relationship with her fiancée after coming out to her and revealing her identity. The film is a visual delight, an emotional roll coaster, I laughed and cried as the camera followed Laurence’s ups and down! And I love it, that shows us love is all about trying!
The Birdcage (1996)
Not only is it a happy film, it came out in a time when people were still alien to the concept of queer parenting or just queer couple adopting! Robin Williams and Nathan Lane’s characters, despite not being married, are the quintessential old-married couple, who just can’t understand how their baby boy grew up into an adult man who now wants to get married! It is a beautiful comedy of errors and has great music!
Saving Face (2004)
A story about a Chinese-American girl, Will, who is caught in the mess of life; a pregnant widowed mother— now homeless, and she is dating her boss’s daughter Vivian. It is a sweet film that deals with many topics like generational trauma, patriarchy and of course love! On my first watch, I was still not aware or mature enough to understand the multiculturalism of the film. Now I appreciate that it was made!
Love Simon (2018)
An adaption of the book, Simon Vs The Homo Sapien Agenda, follows the story of a high schooler named Simon, who makes an online friend, who goes by the pen-name, Blue. When the film released, all of us cheered that we finally got a rom-com! The story has a very important lesson, that is; no one should be forced to come out! And our pacing is ours, no one should have any say in it! Though I was a bit upset, we didn’t have enough kisses! Thanks to this cinema, we had a boom in romantic LGBTQIA films!
Doukyusei (Classmate 2016)
If you love animated films, Doukyusei is the perfect summer film about young love, an air-headed boy who loves music and diligent boy who is introvert, fall in love! The film follows how this young couple navigate their attractions, dreams, and life to grow into adulthood. It’s an adaptation of a popular Boy’s Love manga of the same name. The music and the art style of this story is just charming! And I watch whenever I feel down.
Elena Undone (2010)
This is a personal favourite of mine, it is about a popular lesbian writer and pastor’s wife who falls in love with the writer! The cinematography and narrative captures the issues of coming out and queer awakening that was happening in the late 2000s and early 2010s very well. Though my friends have called it, cliché, I am a sucker for cliché! I can’t say more, you have to watch it!
The Half Of It (2020)
This film doesn’t fit the traditional definition of a happy ending, relax no one dies or loses touch with each other! A final year high-schooler, Eliee Chu helps ghost-write’s letters to the crush of popular jock, Munsky. Plot twist, they both are crushing on Aster, the daughter of the local pastor, who apparently is planning to get married to another jock. Through letters, books and music, the three realize to receive love, you have to love yourself first!
I left out a few popular films, like Handsome Devil, Moonlight and The Handmaiden, as I have grudges against them! Hope these few films will encourage you to look for your own happy ending! And hope we get our right to happy ending from the supreme court too!
All of these films are available on multiple OTT platforms: Netflix, Amazon Prime, GagaOOLala, and Mubi.
Image source: Romantic LGBTQIA films banner created with, Easy To Print Art, Dean Drobot and JMBee Studio, free and edited on CanvaPro
Editor at Women's Web. She/They. 30. Bi. Bookworm. Comic book connoisseur. read more...
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