Please recommend me gay romantic movies?

[Anaamika]

Not porn. Not porn, I tell you. And I really don't want to watch any where one person is dying of AIDS and I must cry through the whole movie, or anything like Brokeback Mountain, where the sex scene is practically rape (albeit avoided by the other's timely compliance), a few minutes long, and the rest of the movie is one angsty heartbreaking scene after another.

No, I want to watch some plain old romantic movies, with hot male leads. I understand these are few and far between but there's got to be some, right? Independent movie makers maybe? Softcore sex is welcomed and even encouraged, but also a good look at the intimacies and romances involved.

I watched Shortbus - something like that would be acceptable, except it was still focused on the (straight) female lead.

Do I have any chance of finding anything like this? I am flexible. I have a Netflix account. Entertain me! Please?

[kath94]

I've seen a few that I thought were cute. Not sure on the titles, but I think "Mambo Italiano" and "The Lonely Hearts Club" ring a bell.

[Miss Mapp]

My personal favorite in this category--and among my favorite movies generally--is "Maurice." An Edwardian romance by Merchant-Ivory based on a novel by E.M. Forster (as the best Merchant-Ivories often are). It's got a happy ending, is beautifully filmed, and James Wilby looks like a terrific kisser.

[pepperlandgirl]

I second The Lonely Hearts Club. It's a really fantastic movie that's not quite a romance, but at the same time has several beautifully realized romances in it and isn't heavy on the angst. I also second Maurice.

[jayjay]

Both Mambo Italiano and Lonely Hearts Club (gay Dean Cain!) are great! Good call, kath94.

Also, try Trick. You'll fall in love with it.

Incidentally, if you're Italian-American (or Italian-Canadian), Mambo Italiano will have you on the floor gasping for breath from laughing so hard. We watched it with my mother and neither of us could stop laughing at some parts...too close to life.

[alphaboi867]

Beautiful Thing. It was one of the first gay-themed movies I saw as a teen.

[Captain Amazing]

Trick was pretty good, if you like romantic comedies, and so was Jeffery, but that's got AIDS in it.

[jayjay]

Ooh...Jeffrey's good! It DOES have AIDS in it (hell, it's about AIDS), but it's not a sobfest. It's definitely on the Comedy side of "Romantic Comedy". And it has (gay!) Tim Daly and (gay!) Patrick Stewart! No, they're not the main couple. That involves (gay!) Michael T. Weiss.

[Glory]

woops - my first contribution didn't have male leads! What about Love, Valor, Compassion?

[stpauler]

Nina's Heavenly Delights. Synopsis:
Shelley Conn plays Nina, a young woman who ran away to London to avoid an arranged marriage. She returns to Glasgow three years later (after her father dies unexpectedly of a heart-attack) to find his gambling problem means the family restaurant has to be sold. To save it Nina decides to compete in a TV curry competition.

What's nice is the gay romantic part is just a PART of the movie and the movie doesn't revolve around it.

[BrainGlutton]

There's Edward II, but it is a tragedy.

As is Wilde.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Glory

woops - my first contribution didn't have male leads! What about Love, Valor, Compassion?

That movie depressed me. I mean, it has some light parts, but it's so AIDS-centric and infidelity-centric and the ending is just.... I wouldn't really consider it a romantic comedy.

[Sampiro]

Originally Posted by jayjay

Also, try Trick. You'll fall in love with it.

"Did you ever get c*m in your eye, JayJay? It burrrrrrrrrrrns!"

Probably my favorite gay romantic comedy.

LATTER DAYS, about the romance between an openly gay man and a closeted Mormon missionary, isn't that great as a movie but has some wonderful eye candy and gratuitous nudity.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Sampiro

"Did you ever get c*m in your eye, JayJay? It burrrrrrrrrrrns!"

Probably my favorite gay romantic comedy.

Love me some Miss Coco Peru!

[Anaamika]

OMG I love you guys. I expected to hear I was asking for something that was too difficult. I am writing all of these titles down and I'll throw them on my netflix. Thank you!

Oh, and I am not Italian-American but Indian-American families and Italian-American families actually aren't that different.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

Oh, and I am not Italian-American but Indian-American families and Italian-American families actually aren't that different.

From stories I've heard about Indian families you will probably get at least as much out of it as we did.

[Lute Skywatcher]

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert? One of the leads gets involved with a local by the end.

[Sampiro]

And of course the entirety of QUEER AS FOLK on DVD. Last time I checked the U.S. version was the only one available, but the Brit (original) version may be by now; the first episodes have the same plots but after that they diverge. LOTS AND LOTS of gratuitous gay sex and lesbian sex scenes.

[Anaamika]

I should add, I am not averse to tragedies. I don't always need a happy ending. What I demand is a complete ending. By this I mean:

• No depressing ending shoehorned in because that's the way life is or something
• No constant barrage of upsetting, heartbreaking scenes, full of angst and pathos
• No grinding the main characters into dust just cause.
  

Good tragedies are some of the best things in the world. But it seems like way too many directors just like angst for the sake of angst. I think there needs to be a reason. if at the end of the movie, all of the plot endings are wrapped up satisfactorily I will be content even if there isn't a happy ending.

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by jayjay

From stories I've heard about Indian families you will probably get at least as much out of it as we did.

it's remarkable how some things stay the same across so many cultures. For example, when I watched My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I laughed, but it was also uncomfortable since so much of it was familiar.

[WOOKINPANUB]

"A Single Man". The story is really about Colin Firth's character as he accepts the death of his lover (not from AIDS)but their relationship as shown through flashbacks and his exchange with other characters is beautiful and quite moving.

I would recommend "Gods and Monsters" with Ian McKellan and Brendan Fraser anytime just because it's got great performances and takes place in"old Hollywood" but Sir McKellan's unrequited love for Fraser is very touching (no pun intended).

"To Wong Foo with Love, Julie Newmar" isn't really romantic but it does have a love story element and is well acted and funny as hell, and you're going to need some yucks if you watch my first two recommendations

[Tamerlane]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

No, I want to watch some plain old romantic movies, with hot male leads.

Oh, whoops - almost missed that. I was going to recommend the Swedish teen lesbian romance Show Me Love ( aka Fucking Amal ), but I don't think that is what you are looking for .

I think my terminology is either hopelessly old school or I learned things wrong in my youth - I still tend to think of "gay" as gender-neutral, rather than exclusively male.

[Anaamika]

Lesbian might be OK, but "teen" is most definitely not. Ick.

[cmkeller]

Would "The Birdcage" qualify?

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by cmkeller

Would "The Birdcage" qualify?

Seen it. Thanks.

[Mr. Me]

I quite enjoyed Shelter. Whoda thunk there'd be a movie about gay surfers?
From IMDB:

Forced to give up his dreams of art school, Zach spends his days working a dead-end job and helping his needy sister care for her son. In his free time he surfs, draws and hangs out with his best friend, Gabe, who lives on the wealthy side of town. When Gabe's older brother, Shaun, returns home, he is drawn to Zach's selflessness and talent. Zach falls in love with Shaun while struggling to reconcile his own desires with the needs of his family.

[Sampiro]

I have not seen the movie myself but a (gay) friend is trying to get me to watch The Curiosity of Chance. He says it's quirky and good, though I think mainly he just has lust in his heart for Tad Hilgenbrink.

[MovieMogul]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

Lesbian might be OK, but "teen" is most definitely not. Ick.

Don't sell it short--it's a beautiful movie, IMHO better than any other listed thus far.

[Anaamika]

Originally Posted by Sampiro

I have not seen the movie myself but a (gay) friend is trying to get me to watch The Curiosity of Chance. He says it's quirky and good, though I think mainly he just has lust in his heart for Tad Hilgenbrink.

Cute. A little young looking for my taste, though. But I am adding it to my list!

[TheTerribleTako]

I really liked Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet. It's about a gay Chinese man whose parents keep trying to arrange his marriage to a suitable Chinese girl. He then pretends to marry his tenant to get his parents off his back. Heart warming comedy ensues.

[Eleanor of Aquitaine]

It's been a long time since I watched it, but I seem to remember The Wedding Banquet being pretty good.

ETA: He beat me to it... but maybe it really is good, then.

[jayjay]

I'm tempted to make a "You'll want to watch it again 4 minutes later" joke...

[E. Thorp]

Seconding The Wedding Banquet. It's excellent.

ETA: beaten to the "beat me to it" punch, so I guess I'm thirding instead of seconding.

[jayjay]

"Every 4 minutes", apparently.

[Crawlspace]

Originally Posted by kath94

I've seen a few that I thought were cute. Not sure on the titles, but I think "Mambo Italiano" and "The Lonely Hearts Club" ring a bell.

Do you mean The Broken Hearts Club with John Mahoney, cause I'd second that.

I'll also second Sampiro's recommendation of Latter Days for pretty much the same reasons.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Crawlspace

Do you mean The Broken Hearts Club with John Mahoney, cause I'd second that.

I skimmed over it so fast I never saw the original person had it wrong and I've been repeating it!

[SpoilerVirgin]

Many of my favorites are already mentioned here, but I would add:

Big Eden
All Over the Guy
Adam and Steve

and a great German film, Summer Storm

I strongly second the recommendations for Latter Days, Maurice and Shelter.

[sachertorte]

I saw "Eating Out" recently and thought it was fun.

[sachertorte]

Oh and I think Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss was good. It's been a long time since I've seen it, but my husband and I still occasionally call each other "Oh, so special" in a fake spanish accent.

[jayjay]

Ooh! Ooh! Big Eden! Do eeet! It's wonderful!

[Sampiro]

It's not a romantic movie, and in fact it's drag rather than gay, but I'll mention it anyway:

GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS

It's a no-budget comedy and is the perfect follow-up to any serious gay movie because, at least to me, it's hilarious. It will cleanse the palate of a more mainstream movie's depressing ending if needed.

The trailer doesn't do it justice but I'll link anyway as it should give you an idea, and the trailer doesn't have anywhere near the funniest lines or moments. ("Have I had an abortion? Coco I've had more kids pulled out of me than a burning orphanage.")

A cute (not great, but has moments) romantic comedy by the same writer is STRAIGHT JACKET. The main character is Guy Stone, a 1950s closeted movie star who falls in love with a blacklisted screenwriter just before he marries a studio picked beard. Very light considering the subject matter- played for laughs more than reality- but still cute.

[jayjay]

Originally Posted by Sampiro

It's not a romantic movie, and in fact it's drag rather than gay, but I'll mention it anyway:

GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS

It's a no-budget comedy and is the perfect follow-up to any serious gay movie because, at least to me, it's hilarious. It will cleanse the palate of a more mainstream movie's depressing ending if needed.

The trailer doesn't do it justice but I'll link anyway as it should give you an idea, and the trailer doesn't have anywhere near the funniest lines or moments. ("Have I had an abortion? Coco I've had more kids pulled out of me than a burning orphanage.")

I considered GWBG when I mentioned Trick, because Miss Coco Peru reminded me, but I demurred because it really does take a certain sensibility to enjoy. It's definitely not an "out of the box" movie...it's hilarious, but it's HIGH (it's over-the-top of over-the-top) camp and extremely tasteless. I mean, I loved it, but I don't know mika well enough to know if she'd like it.

Try it, though, if you enjoy camp. And if you do, there is a whole OTHER bunch of movies we can recommend you.

[alphaboi867]

Originally Posted by sachertorte

I saw "Eating Out" recently and thought it was fun.

It's a good move, but be warned the quality goes downhill in each of the sequels (on the plus side the nudity get's even more gratuitous ).

Oh, and for anybody who liked Girls Will Be Girls there was a series of internet shorts that followed where the movie left off.

The Jizz Party, Delivering Coco I, Delivering Coco II, Girl Stalk I, and Girl Stalk II. There's also Christmas Evie.

[alexandra]

Originally Posted by SpoilerVirgin

Adam and Steve

God, that was awful.

Fucking Amal was a lovely film.

[Tapioca Dextrin]

How about Bound? A slightly more serious suggestion (with hot Asian action) would be My Beautiful Laundrette.

[Flip Pancake]

If lesbian is ok, you might want to try Imagine Me and You. Woman meets cute with another on her wedding day and their friendship turns into a mutual infatuation.

It's got Piper Perabo (hot!), Lena Headey (hotter!), Matthew Goode (charming!) and Anthony Head (Giles!).

[Illuminatiprimus]

I've not seen it yet (on my film queue) but Grand École sounds promising.

[NJ Kef]

Noah's Arc

Trick

[mhendo]

One film i really like is a relatively unknown Australian film with a very well-known actor in the lead role.

The movie is The Sum of Us, and stars Russell Crowe as a young gay man living with his widowed father in Sydney.

It's about the relationship between father and son, as well as about the relationships they each pursue for themselves. It was very well received in Australia, but never got a whole lot of attention elsewhere. Jack Thompson (from Breaker Morant and many other Australian films) is great as the father.

[Little Nemo]

Originally Posted by Anaamika

Lesbian might be OK, but "teen" is most definitely not. Ick.

Only sort of teen but a really good movie: But I'm a Cheerleader. Natasha Lyonne is Megan, a high school cheerleader who everyone thinks is gay. She keeps denying it. Her family is unconvinced and eventually send her to a camp that "deprograms" gay teens. When she gets there she meets Graham (played by Clea DuVall) who is an openly gay teenager also sent to be deprogramed. Megan hands out with Graham, they become friends, and then Megan realizes she's fallen in love with Graham and is, in fact, gay like everyone always told her she was.