If you were young and figuring yourself out, these were the flicks you paid extra attention to.
We might not have been out in the '90s — we might not even have realized we were gay — but there were certain movies that captured our attention. For the most part, these weren't heavy-hitting dramas: it would be another decade before we could fully appreciate films like Philadelphia, for example. But these movies gave us some hint of a life we both craved and feared. Plus, boys kissing: that wasn't something you saw every day.
"The Object of My Affection"
Nina (Jennifer Aniston) knows her best friend George (Paul Rudd) is gay, but she falls for him, because duh, he's Paul Rudd. The bond between a gay man and his straight female best friend was appealing: we wanted a close non-sexual relationship like these two had. And we also just wanted Paul Rudd.
Image by 20th Century Fox
"The Birdcage"
Armand (Robin Williams) has to pretend to be straight for his son's fiancée's conservative family. His partner Albert (Nathan Lane) does drag as Armand's wife. The Birdcage made dressing up look fun, but it also reminded us that under some circumstances, being gay was something to hide.
Image by United Artists
"But I'm a Cheerleader"
When Meg (Nathasha Lyonne) begins to exhibit signs of gayness, her parents send her off to a camp that "cures" homosexuality. We were too young to fully grasp the film's subversiveness, or to appreciate appearances by RuPaul and Mink Stole. Still, it awakened something in us that would one day be satisfied by John Waters.
Image by Lionsgate
