For Harvey Milk: The Best Queer Films Of The Decade

By Matilda Douglas-Henry

Today, Harvey Milk would have been 86. Since 2010, the 22nd of May has been an official celebration in California. It’s an opportunity to honour the iconic gay politician who was assassinated in 1978 by conservative city supervisor Dan White.

It’s hard to know whether Harvey would be proud with the political landscape of today. He would no doubt be thrilled with Obama’s much overdue decision to legalise same-sex marriage in the US last June. But with trans-activism still silenced in much of the Midwest, and with major countries operating backwards when it comes to queer rights (hello, Australia), he’d reckon we still have a lot of work to do.

Milk loved theatrics. He was one of the key players in transforming the beloved Castro District in San Francisco – an international gay hub – into what it is so famous for now. So, instead of a dour reflection on how gay rights haven’t gotten that much better since the seventies, let’s honour Harvey in the way I (pop culture enthusiast, not political commentator) know how – by rounding off some of the best queer films of the past ten years.

Milk (2008)

We’ll kick it off with the man who brought us here. Gus Van Sant’s film about Harvey Milk – chronicling his rise to power and tragic murder – doesn’t feel like your typical biopic, even though it’s got a lot of the right narrative tropes. Sean Penn totally transforms as the adorable, gleeful, pragmatic optimist Milk. Although I usually avert my eyes from any cast that is 100 percent male, Van Sant brings out considerate and sensitive performances in this bro-fest. James Franco (before he was a loose unit) is divine as Scott, Harvey’s partner, and openly gay Victor Garber (the actor in everything that you never remember the name of) is wonderful as Milk’s straight ally, mayor George Moscone, who was caught in the crossfire of Dan White’s assassination. But it’s Josh Brolin’s performance as White that is extraordinary. It’s hard not to sympathise with the man responsible for Milk’s death as Brolin subtly hints at repressed homosexuality and mental illness lying dormant within those crisp suits.

The Kids Are All Right (2010)

As a person with lesbian mothers, I have never seen the parenting dynamic I was raised with portrayed so vividly onscreen. As partners Jules and Nic, Julianne Moore and Annette Bening have never been better – and that’s saying something. Have you seen every critically acclaimed movie ever? Lisa Cholodenko’s comedy about two gayby babies (Mia Wasikowska and Josh Hutcherson) who seek out their birth father was a little divisive, and fairly so. It’s one of the most commercial lesbian films ever, so the fact that the narrative is so male-oriented seems to perpetuate well-worn heteronormative tropes. But at the end of the day, the real message of The Kids Are All Right is (SPOILER ALERT) that even Mark Ruffalo’s rugged, sexy organic farmer dad can’t throw a spanner in the works of this close-knit family.

Weekend (2011)

This was a festival favourite upon its release. The film follows two men, Russell and Glen, whose intense relationship lasts only the course of (you guessed it) a weekend. Weekend is one of those raw, up-close movies that feels more like a doco than a feature. Regardless of whether you’re a gay man or not, the conversations these perfect strangers have about commitment, family, and sexuality manifest as a microcosm of contemporary relationships. With zero evidence of cliché or schmaltz, Weekend is a ground-breaking piece of queer cinema, portraying a gay male relationship that surpassed the empty cinematic tropes our community have become so accustomed to.

Laurence Anyways (2012)

Xavier Dolan is deeply infuriating for any young creative, in that he is 27 and already has a disturbing amount of impressive films under his belt (Heartbeats and Mommy, to name a couple). But the Quebecois director really stood out with Laurence Anyways – a Kubrickian film about a man who navigates his transition into a woman with his long-term female partner. It’s visually arresting, much like all of the aesthete Dolan’s films, and explores the hurdles Laurence faces with complexity and depth.

Blue is the Warmest Colour (2013)

It’s such a shame that Abdellatif Kechiche’s heartbreaking, powerful, honest and revolutionary film largely made waves for its scandal alone. Blue is a coming of age story at its very best – meditative, indulgent and tense, with killer performances from Adele Exarchopoulos and Léa Seydoux as young women in love. The sex scenes were criticised for being “too long”, and Kechiche came under fire for his treatment of the lead actresses. But I implore you to set the controversy aside and watch this three-hour epic – especially if you feel like a good cry.

Appropriate Behaviour (2014)

Bisexuality is rarely taken seriously, especially onscreen. Desiree Akhavan’s hilarious debut – which she wrote, directed and starred in – is about Shirin, a Persian bisexual Brooklyn-dweller, who’s trying to allow all her many identities align after breaking up with her girlfriend. You might be quick to label her as the ‘bisexual Lena Dunham’, but Akhavan makes it clear that she doesn’t care to adhere to definitions. What plays out is a quick-witted musing on relationships and cultural heritage – it’s sort of like a queer Annie Hall, but sans Woody Allen’s creepy presence.

Nasty Baby (2015)

Sebastian Silva’s film is in no way conventional. It starts as a classic mumblecore tale, set in a New York loft. Freddy (Silva) and Mo (TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe) want to have a baby, and are recruiting Freddy’s best friend Polly (Kristen Wiig) to provide what they don’t have. But an unrelated subplot turns Nasty Baby into a slasher movie, subverting the indie dream genre in such a way that it really works. It’s weird and wonderfully satisfying – and the relationships that are the heart of the story never fade.

Tangerine (2015)

Two trans sex workers, Sin-Dee Rella and Alexandra (Kitana Kiki Rodriguez and Mya Taylor) roam the streets of Hollywood, looking for Sin-Dee’s cheating boyfriend. Sean S. Baker’s film changed the landscape of contemporary cinema by shooting this critical darling on an iPhone 5s and having the two lead roles played by trans actresses. Mya Taylor was honoured with a Gotham Award for her performance (watch her acceptance speech now), being the first trans person to win one. With a whip-smart script to boot, Tangerine will endure for decades to come.

Oh, and honorary mention for worst queer film of all time:

Jenny’s Wedding

If you feel like a good laugh, this one’s for you. Katherine Heigl plays Jenny, a golden girl from a conservative family, who is not who she seems. She’s a lesbian, living with her partner of five years (Alexis Bledel AKA Rory Gilmore – the casting alone is ghastly), and she decides to come out to her parents after all this time because she wants the flashy, hetero wedding that she deserves. Not only is the sentiment all wrong, but the script and acting are appalling. Every scene plays out like you’re watching the sequel to The Room, so naturally, it’s hilarious. I watched it recently and cackled every step of the way – don’t miss out!