What does queer identity mean to you?
In the summer months, cities all over the world host events to celebrate and amplify pride, even in divisive political times.
That makes it a perfect time to reflect on some of the most significant submissions to the world of queer cinema and the deeply personal nature of the genre.
Sure, there are the films that have plots revolving around sexuality. But there are also plenty that some consider queer just based on vibes, the unspoken or the significance of a film in someone's journey to self-discovery.
This film panel discussed their own favorite queer films and why they mean so much, plus the history of queerness on screen.
Starting the conversation:
Philadelphia (1993)
For a long while, queerness on the silver screen was heavily implied, but never openly stated. One example is 1927's Wings, a silent film in which two fighter pilots, one of whom is dying, share a kiss on the lips
And as NPR's film critic Bob Mondello shares, the AIDS crisis was a turning point for that.
"HIV/AIDS altered the equation forever. So suddenly, there was a reason to be talking very openly about queer characters. They were central to a societal horror story that was playing out in the real world. And in films, they faced the horror and did something about it, which the rest of society wasn't doing.
Philadelphia is an excellent example, but there were dozens of others, theater and television too."
The Gayest non-gay movies:
Mulan (1998)
For All Things Considered producer Mallory Yu, there's one Disney classic that has to be mentioned.
"I would not be myself if I didn't talk about Disney's Mulan because, come on..."
"She's singing about her reflection not showing who she really is, while — I might add — she is femmed up. Then she dresses and passes as a man for most of the movie," Yu adds.
"And her love story with her commanding officer begins while she's passing as a man. So even though they end up in a seemingly heterosexual relationship, I think it's still a queer one."
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
For All Things Considered producer Erika Ryan, the relationship between Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison in Fried Green Tomatoes is one that feels "obviously lesbian."
"It's kind of left up to debate in the actual movie," Ryan adds. Whereas the novel, "explicitly calls it a lesbian relationship."
Honorable Mentions:
Bend it like Beckham (2002)
Midnight Cowboy (1969)
Queer characters, but that's not all we're focusing on:
Bound (1996)
This film by the Wachowski sisters falls into the certifiable lesbian film canon.
It follows the story of two women who fall in love under unlikely circumstances.
"Jennifer Tilly is dating a mobster, and next door, Gina Gershon's character is doing handyman work on the apartment. They fall in love. Turns out, her boyfriend — the violent mobster — has tons and tons of money. They come up with this plot to steal it."
It's part erotic film, part mob thriller.
"It also just turns into a violent mob thriller. And also, because it's the Wachowski sisters, there's so much leather and slow motion. It's just very Matrix."
The Watermelon Woman (1996)
This 1996 low-budget indie was written, directed by and stars Cheryl Dunye, a Black lesbian filmmaker.
Yu says that they like this film because, "Cheryl is a lesbian, and that suffuses all of the ways that she interacts with her friends and lovers and even the actresses that she's researching. But the movie is also a really lovely and also kind of sad reflection on the ways in which Black women and all the nuances of their identities and sexualities and love lives have been sidelined throughout Hollywood's history."
Personal queer canon:
La Cage aux Folles (1978)
For Mondello, La Cage aux Folles fits into his own queer canon as the film he had been waiting for.
"I remember seeing it with a mixed audience, meaning there were some gay people in there, but it was mostly a straight audience. And I was not out of the closet at this point. And I was so grateful. It was a French film and there were subtitles. And had there not been subtitles, we would have missed whole scenes because people were laughing so hard. It was so reassuring to me to see a show that was clearly a crossover thing where the people around me were laughing for the same reason I was. It was a hilarious farce. It was just magic," he said.
"That was what I had been hoping all my life was going to happen, and there it was. And it was just magic."
Saving Face (2004)
Choosing something that doesn't dwell on tragedy is important for this category of film, says Ryan.
The story follows two Chinese-American women who fall in love. It talks about homophobia and the fear of coming out.
"But then one character's mother gets pregnant and so they both have this secret that they're hiding. And it's just a really lovely rom-com."
Honorable mentions:
Paris is Burning (1990)
Bottoms (2023)
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