#beautiful thing

[zanephillips]

Beautiful Thing (1996) dir. Hettie Macdonald

[oopslandiia]

BEAUTIFUL THING [IBIZA VERSE] [ON AO3]

happy (belated) one year. ❤️

Lando Norris/Oscar Piastri | porn with plot, getting over heartbreak, falling in love again, the magic of Greece | 16k words, sequel to worst thing

4 months. And in those 4 months, not a day passed by that Lando wasn't haunted by these baby blue big eyes or the smell of her perfume. It felt like he was trapped in a circle, going round and round without a place to hide. If he had known how much of an impact Oscar would have had on him, he would never have spent time with him in the first place. But now, everything he had left was memories. Blurry pictures. The clothes he wore when he was with him. And the permanent reminder in the back of his head that Oscar turned him into the other woman.

[celluloidrainbow]

BEAUTIFUL THING (1996) dir. Hettie Macdonald Set during a long, hot summer on the Thamesmead Estate in Southeast London, three teenagers edge towards adulthood. Jamie is in love with his classmate, and while his homosexuality remains concealed, his introverted nature and dislike of football are reason enough for his classmates to bully him. Ste is the aforementioned classmate, who lives with his abusive brother and stepfather nextdoor to Jamie. Leah is also a neighbour; expelled from school, she takes a variety of drugs, constantly listens and sings along to her mother's records, and finds herself at odds with Sandra, Jamie's mother. (link in title)

[farnworths]

Beautiful Thing (2013) - 20th Anniversary Revival

[filmjunky-99]

b e a u t i f u l t h i n g, 1996 🏳️‍🌈 dir. hettie macdonald

[kittyflanders]

i was thirst posting about jack o'connell in 2014 and more than ten years later, here I am again. we've come full circle.

[the-breath-in-air]

What to watch after the disappointing Stranger Things finale...

I don't go here (Stranger Things fandom), but it has come to my attention that a lot of folks have found the Stranger Things finale to be disappointing, especially Will's arc. It's also come to my attention that a portion of the audience is not familiar with some of my favorite happy queer stories from back in the day, so...I'm putting together a list. Here are four films (and one show) you might consider checking out if you were disappointed in how Stranger Things handled Will's character. (Small disclaimer: these aren't sci-fi and these aren't set in the 80's - so they may not scratch the same itch as Stranger Things. However, these are all stories with gay characters that have happy endings).

Sense8 (2015-2018)

I said in the intro that my recommendations aren't sci-fi...but Sense8 is the exception. The show is about eight individuals around the world who wake up one day able to telepathically communicate with each other - and more than that, are able to physically feel what each other feels. Unfortunately, a shadowy organization is trying to hunt them down for its own nefarious reasons. Our main group must learn to trust each other if they'll have any hope of survival. The story follows the group as they learn more about who they are and fight against those who would harm them. Two of the main characters begin as explicitly queer: Nomi (Jamie Clayton) is a trans lesbian and Lito (Miguel Ángel Silvestre) is a cis gay man. The show is not without it's issues; there are some frustrating tropes regarding character nationalities and the show is too sympathetic toward the fact that one of the characters is a cop. But, if you're looking for a feel-good story about a group of queer outsiders trying to survive and thrive while an evil international organization hunts them, this is one for you. (CW: suicide, domestic abuse, parental abuse, blood, violence)

Beautiful Thing (1996)

Jamie (Glen Berry), Ste (Scott Neal), and Leah (Tameka Empson) are three teenagers who live in a council estate in London (aka a housing project). Jamie's got a crush on Ste; Ste's dealing with an abusive father and brother; Leah's obsessed with Mama Cas (from The Mamas & The Papas). They are a trio of outsiders. The film is a coming of age story in which these three teens (and Jamie's mother), all find family, community and joy amongst the struggle of living in working class London. The epitome of a feel-good film...I first watched this in 2004, and I still get a lump in my throat any time I hear "Make Your Own Kind of Music." (CW: discussion of domestic abuse, shown bruising)

Saving Face (2004)

Wil (Michelle Krusiec) is a closeted lesbian and surgeon in New York City. Vivian (Lynn Chen) is a professional dancer. One day at a community function, Wil and Vivian meet. Sparks fly and the two begin dating. Meanwhile Wil's mother, Hwei-Lan (Joan Chen), ends up moving in with Wil when she has her own unexpected secret revealed to her parents (Wil's grandparents). What follows is a story about trying to live authentically while navigating social pressures and family dynamics which can make that difficult. (I can't remember if there are any content warnings for this film)

But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)

This is a campy, hilarious comedy about the horrifying ordeal of conversion therapy. Megan (Natasha Lyonne) is a cheerleader. Graham (Clea DuVall) is very much not. And yet the two hit it off and fall for each other while forced to attend a conversion therapy program run by Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty). In the program we meet a number of wacky characters, men and women, and much of the story focuses on the dynamics between these characters. The genius of this film is that it highlights the absurdity of conversion therapy and heteronormativity in general by using bright bold colors and humor. But although the setting is absurd, the love is real. (CW: conversion therapy, but also I can't remember if there are any others)

Shelter (2007)

Zach (Trevor Wright) is a working-class artist living with his sister and nephew in a beach town southern California. His life is full of obligation as he spends most of his time working and caring for his nephew. Shaun (Brad Rowe), is the wealthy brother of Zach's friend, and an aspiring screenwriter in Los Angeles. One day Shaun returns to his hometown for a few weeks, where he and Zach hit it off. The film focuses on Zach's struggle to find love and purpose in his life beyond the obligation he feels towards his sister and nephew. He slowly broadens his ideas of what is possible in his life - and at the end finds joy and family. (CW: parental neglect, verbal domestic violence)

Honorable Mentions: There are a few series that I was going to include but didn't because they came out so recently and have been so popular on Tumblr it felt redundant: Heated Rivalry, Schitt's Creek, and Heartstopper. You might also check out a series called Looking (on HBO)...it's about a group of gay 20-somethings and 30-somethings in San Francisco looking for...a lot of things, but especially love. It's great, but it's also about people who're established in their queerness already and so I didn't include it on the list.