Grab your heart-shaped chocolates and get comfortable!
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE BY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS
Valentine’s Day is right around the corner, and whether you’re single, taken or “it’s complicated”, what better time to watch some of our favourite lesbian rom-coms? Buckle up, you’ve got a lot of films to watch.
Saving Face (2004)
Alice Wu’s classic rom-com is a must-watch around this time of year. Saving Face follows Dr Wilhelmina “Wil” Pang, a successful surgeon, and Vivian as they meet and (spoiler alert) fall in love. This film dives into the messy, beautiful parts of lesbian love, which is still just as heartwarming to watch 22 years later.
Cloudburst (2011)
Careful, because this film will make you want to go on a road trip to Nova Scotia. This beautiful film follows Stella and Dotty, an older couple, who embark on a journey to get married after Dotty is placed in a nursing home. On the way, the pair pick up a hitchhiker named Prentice and the three bond along the way.
But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)
It’s likely that you’ve already watched this seminal piece of lesbian cinema a million times, but where’s the harm in one more rewatch? While a conversion “therapy” camp might not be your typical rom-com setting, Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall make this film gorgeously heartfelt and touching.
Imagine Me & You (2005)
This film is set to give you all the feels, and might inspire some wedding bells to ring. Rachel is the perfect bride-to-be, ready to say her vows to her fiancé Heck. But things don’t go to plan when she becomes infatuated with wedding guest Luce. It’s the perfect rom-com to keep you feeling fuzzy and warm this Valentine’s Day.
Ellie & Abbie (& Ellie’s Dead Aunt) (2020)
If you’re looking for something a bit whackier, this rom-com has it covered. Teenager Ellie wants to ask her classmate Abbie out to the formal, but is too nervous to follow through. That’s when her deceased Aunt Tara is conjured up to be her very own Fairy Godmother, ready to give her advice whether she wants it or not.
The Incredibly True Adventures Of Two Girls In Love (1995)
Randy and Eve have stolen our hearts for the last three decades in this moving teen rom-com. This film dives into all the highs and lows of falling in love in a world that isn’t ready to accept you yet. Oh, and it stars Laurel Holloman. Need we say more!
Rafiki (2018)
This Kenyan film is just as powerful as it is beautiful. Kena and Ziki’s love story is one for the ages. Despite homosexuality being illegal in Kenya, the pair fall in love and navigate the hardships of not being able to be out and proud. Throughout everything, one thing remains clear: Kena and Ziki’s love is everlasting.
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