Five More CanCon Pride Picks

I recently saw a comment which has stuck in my mind since. In response to an article about the role of female characters in video games, someone posted, “There are no small injustices.” Which is likewise why we keep banging the LGBT drum.

I’m a big believer in equal rights, but also in being entertained; movies seem like the perfect way to get the message across.

And when you’ve reviewed many hundreds of videos, then winnowed it down to CanCon, there’s still a decent subset of pride-friendly titles. Keep whittling away the not-enjoyed ones, and others with less positive messages, and you wind up with a list like this one from 2012: Five Gay-Positive Portrayals in Canadian Film

Still, 2012 was so two years ago, and we’ve covered more ground since then, enough to generate a whole new list to complement the original. So whether you’re celebrating Pride Week in Toronto, WorldPride anywhere else, or pride in general any old time, here’s a variety of solid picks to get you in the mood.

Better than Chocolate (1999)

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“A slightly flaky hippie chick type, [Maggie] works — and lives on a couch — in a local bookshop, the Ten Percent. She soon meets itinerant artist Kim, and they promptly fall in lust and, a week later, love.”

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Brokeback Mountain (2005)

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“Brokeback Montain tells the story of two blue-collar men lacking direction . . . they’re in love with each other but, for various other reasons – not least society’s lack of acceptance – must live their separate lives.”

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Gods and Monsters (1998)

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“An elderly ‘hedonist’, [James Whale is] living in Santa Monica in the wake of a recent stroke. Soon after, he strikes up a friendship with his gardener, Clayton Boone. Clay is ‘a big, fun, irresponsible kid’ who draws Whale out of his beguiling state, and into a confessional mode. Through their interactions, layers are both built up and exposed.”

Touch of Pink (2004)

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“The highly neurotic Alim is secretly living with his same-sex partner, Giles. They have . . . issues. Giles has a bit of a wandering eye and, for his part, Alim is imagining a friendship with (the late) Cary Grant (fairly well impersonated by Twin Peaks’ Kyle MacLachlan).”

When Night Is Falling (1995)

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“It reminded me of I’ve Heard the Mermaids Singing, with its themes and tropes recast in a different structure. There are the same quirky qualities . . . Clearly, however, the craft has evolved, with less of an indie vibe, and some very compelling visual and editing touches.”

Honourable Mention:
Same Guys, New Dresses (2001)