I’m also not calling for LGBT cinema to act in an unrealistic echo chamber, pushing forward experiences of unbridled ecstasy with tidy, crowd-pleasing resolutions while many of those in the community face persecution and discrimination in the real world. The same applies for films centered on LGBT characters, with the tear-jerking final minutes of Weekend as necessary and as perfectly realised as the finale of Brief Encounter. I have an almost masochistic desire to re-watch unbearably sad films that others might steer clear of second time around. In fact, many of my favourite films have ended in devastating tragedy.
![best happy gay movies best happy gay movies](http://cdn.images.express.co.uk/img/dynamic/galleries/x701/261053.jpg)
This same topic I’m writing on now was the basis for a Guardian blogpost back in 2010 but how, in 2018, is it still such a recurrent issue?įirstly, I’d like to point out that I’m not a critic or viewer who requires a happy ending in all instances. Straight characters are allowed to exist without a constant reminder of the reality they might face away from the screen It’s known by some as the Bury Your Gays trope in a 2013 Guardian piece, James Rawson referred to it as the Sudden Gay Death Syndrome in discussion over the ending of A Single Man.īrokeback Mountain, Milk, Boys Don’t Cry, Philadelphia, The Children’s Hour, The Talented Mr Ripley, Behind the Candelabra, Keep the Lights On, Gia, Death in Venice, Monster, The Crying Game, Aimée & Jaguar, Holding the Man, The Danish Girl, Longtime Companion, Circumstance, The Normal Heart, Heavenly Creatures – LGBT characters are lucky to end up alive, let alone in any vague state of normalcy.
![best happy gay movies best happy gay movies](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uUZTJ6aTPF4/maxresdefault.jpg)
For years, it’s become a given that gay characters end up drowning in misery, as predictable a trope as a virginal brunette outsmarting a masked killer, or a beautiful straight couple who were sworn enemies ending up in a passionate kiss after an airport reunion. Whether torn apart by death, homophobia or the dissolution of a relationship, the common thread was that LGBT characters were being torn apart by something. Within the international narrative strand, I’ve seen 10 films that offered a variety of perspectives and experiences, from Finland to Peru to South Africa, each with differing ages and sexualities represented, but almost all were united by one thing: a crushingly sad ending. The reason why it’s important to make sure positive elements of LGBT life is represented more often in movies is because persistently focusing on the negative will only reinforce the idea that LGBT stories are somehow lesser than, and that’s a view point we as a society need to change.As a juror taking part in NewFest, New York’s LGBT film festival, it’s been a fascinating, challenging week of cinema.
![best happy gay movies best happy gay movies](http://s1.r29static.com/bin/IMAGE/28f/550x660,80/1602707/image.jpg)
Many would argue against this notion by pointing out that many heterosexual love stories also include sad or tragic endings – but this point of view becomes unfounded when considering the sheer amount of straight love stories that have been told throughout cinema history compared to LGBT. The issue is that there simply aren’t enough of the positive stories out there.
![best happy gay movies best happy gay movies](https://www.pinknews.co.uk/images/2018/12/the-happy-prince-650x325.jpg)
#Best happy gay movies movie
Many recent releases including Moonlight have been cinematic triumphs and widely celebrated within the movie industry. It should also be made clear that this acknowledgement of LGBT movie stereotypes is not to say the stories that happen to be sad or end on a depressing note are deprived of their quality. Ultimately, the most plausible reason for those tragic endings could be down to the personal experiences of the people behind the story.ĭue to centuries of discrimination against LGBT people in society, it’s common for LGBT people to have suffered some form of discrimination or sadness in their lives, so it’s not surprising that their personal experiences may filter into their storytelling.Īs society becomes more and more comfortable with LGBT people and their relationships, the films that aim to tell LGBT stories will most likely become more and more positive – especially after so many countries made same sex marriage legal in recent years, which for some has arguably been one of the biggest ever victories for the LGBT community.Īn example of positive LGBT storytelling is the BAFTA-nominated film God’s Own Country, which depicts the story of a gay relationship without pandering to negative themes. This isn’t to say that any movie which is largely LGBT can’t have creative input from heterosexual actors and directors, but it’s worth asking how the dominance of non-LGBT influence in gay cinema has affected the way in which the stories are told. Laverne Cox makes history as she's honoured as first-ever trans Barbie doll