Pride is celebrated in late June in the United States, yet is often spread out in different weeks in Canada. I noticed this first-hand in St. John's when the Pride celebration was in late July.
Pride among the LGBTQiA+ can't be as loud and proud as normal during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. We definitely recommend adding a few Canadian films and television to your Pride celebration in 2020.
Giant Little Ones
The question of who is gay or not gay is often ambiguous in high school. This film deals with several characters and points of view.
Better Than Chocolate
This is one of my favourite Canadian films. Lesbians and censorship are in the spotlight in this 1999 film. Judy, a trans character excellently played by Peter Outerbridge, is such a cool character.
Lost and Delirious
This Lea Pool film explores experimentation at a girls' school. The cast includes a young Jessica Paré along with American actors Piper Perabo and Mischa Barton.
Weirdos
Alice wants sex with Kit but Kit is interested in a boy they meet while hitchhiking. Not Andy Warhol talks only to Kit.
Breakfast with Scot
I was in Windsor in November 2007 and saw this film was playing. I had read about this film playing at TIFF. The main memory was that the Toronto Maple Leafs allowed the film to use its logo even though the former player on the team was gay. Marriage equality had been law in Canada since 2005. Canada had a booming tourism business of people coming to Canada to get married and then go back to the United States.
This film does play the gay relationship and potential issues as perhaps too cute for some audiences.
Canadian film review: Better Than Chocolate
Canadian film review: Weirdos
Other Canadian films that explore these themes include Mambo Italiano; When Night is Falling; Grown Up Movie Star; À tout prendre; Closet Monster; Genesis; and Vic and Flo Saw a Bear.
Thom Fitzgerald and Xavier Dolan are filmmakers in the LGBTQiA+ section of proverbial video stores. Fitzgerald is known for The Hanging Garden; Cloudburst; The Event; and Splinters. Dolan has covered this world in I Killed My Mother; Les Amours Imaginaires | Heartbeats; Laurence Anyways; Tom at the Farm; It's Only the End of the World; The Death & Life of John F. Donovan; and Matthias & Maxime. Every film except Mommy.
Pride is very applicable to Canadian television. You might have heard of a tiny show called Schitt's Creek. Wynonna Earp, Lost Girl, Orphan Black, Bomb Girls, and Workin' Moms are among many Canadian series that fit right into LGBTQiA+ themes. The Web series Carmilla is another good example.
Dan Levy created a world where homophobia didn't exist. Even Chris Elliott's mayor character Roland Schitt is cool with the LGBTQiA+ world. Love is love. Hoping your 2020 Pride is as celebratory as possible.
CanadianCrossing.com film reviews
CanadianCrossing.com film coverage
CanadianCrossing.com television coverage
Did we accidentally leave out a favourite Canadian film or Canadian TV title? Let us know in the comments.
photos credit: Giant Little Ones film; Orphan Black/Bell Media
Always appreciate your film reviews. Thanks.
Posted by: veronica | June 26, 2020 at 08:15 AM
You are welcome. Good to hear from you.
Posted by: Chad | June 26, 2020 at 10:05 AM