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From:Andra Akers , Sheila Balter , Brenda Beck , Dean Butler (II) , Patricia Charbonneau , MGM (Video & DVD) ,
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User Rating: Amazon Sales Rank:#27877 |
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5 of 5 customers found the following review helpful:
 Amazing...An actual plot precedes the sex scenes!, 2001-07-01
Lesbian films have a bad habit of making sex into some sort of miracle cure that suddenly makes maintaining a professional life, fixing your personal problems and finding out who the other person really is...totally unimportant. If the two lovers get to have sex everything is wonderful. I am a firm believer that film can not only reinforce culture but create it. Its unfortunate that this film from the 80's didn't set the standard for what was to follow it.Deitch took the time to create a real place in the 50's complete with real characters. The professor played by Shaver is the perfect example of a well educated 50's woman. Readers who fault this character for not suddenly turning into a raving moonstruck lesbian after falling for Charbonneau (like the psychologist in Claire of the Moon perhaps??) are seeing her through modern eyes. In the 50's a woman who had attained the rank of Professor was very rare and that persona had to be lived to the max, in love or not. You just didn't run off and work for IBM if you got canned for impropriety! And isn't it better that Shaver's character wanted to further Charbonneau's education and chances in life rather than abandoning her decorum and finding a gay friendly job at the Casino? This film even dared to give more than a surface treatment to the deeper reasons behind Charbonneau's mother's distaste for her relationship with Shaver. We saw her lonliness and alcoholism. Most films show characters expressing simple bigotry and leave it at that. But people usually aren't that simple. These characters were explored rather than just presented on a mattress. This is film making....not just a lead up to sex. Its a shame Deitch didn't do more films!
5 of 10 customers found the following review helpful:
 Shaver's Performance Too Edgy and Uptight, 2001-04-02
Patricia Charbonneau and Audra Lindley give fantastic, fully dimensional performances in this predictable but enjoyable film. In fact, in several scenes, they steal the show. However, Helen Shaver's performance as Vivian Bell, the prim professor in search of a quickie divorce, set me on edge. Shaver walks around like she is perpetually constipated or has a stick shoved up her Summa Cum Laude derriere. Even when Vivian finally sexually succumbs to the luscious, free-spirited Cay (Charbonneau), Shaver's professor still is edgy and uptight. Can this woman ever relax? Perhaps Shaver was not that comfortable in this role, the end result being a two-dimensional, emotionally wooden character. I would think that there'd be a substantial change in Vivian after she discovers her true sexuality and her love for Cay, but Shaver never breaks free of her stiff portrayal. If Shaver had shown more depth and warmth with her character, this would have been an excellent film. The soundtrack is great and the costuming and sets superb for depicting life in the late 1950's.
 Hottest Lesbian Love Story Ever!!, 2001-03-27
...and the performances weren't bad, either!! A star making vehicle for Patricia Charbonneau and Helen Shaver!!
2 of 11 customers found the following review helpful:
 Disappointing, 2001-03-26
The acting is stiff, the plot is pointless, the theme is clichéd, the ending predictable... My partner could only say "Awful awful awful..." The characterisations are jagged, partial, and not credible. The film did not engage in genuine issues, and instead indulged in a lot of shouting and other melodrama....END
Lesbian Classic, 2001-03-19
Like "Personal Best," this is a must-see for any self-respecting lesbian. Not because it is outstanding filmmaking, which it isn't, but because it is a film every lesbian has seen and must be able to discuss at parties. When there were no mainstream films about lesbians that told the truth, this one saved us all from the porn industry's portrayal of lesbians as women who simply could not get a man. If you really want the whole story, though, read the book Desert of the Heart by Jane Rule.
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