Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies
Our readers name their favorite gay films. There's a major upset in the rankings!
Brace yourselves. This list of the Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies is probably going to generate some howls of protest thanks to a rather major upset in the rankings. Frankly, one that surprised the hell out of us here..
But before we get to that, an introduction. A few weeks ago we asked readers to submit up to ten of their favorite films by write-in vote. We conducted a similar poll several years ago, but a lot has happened culturally since then, and a number of worthy movies of gay interest have been released. We wanted to see how your list of favorites had changed.
So, after voting closed we sorted through the nearly 35,000 nominations (representing over 600 individual film titles) to identify your top 100 favorite gay films. Then we announced the top 10 on our Facebook page in alphabetical order and let you vote one last time to decide the top 10 order.
And surprise, Brokeback Mountain was not the number one movie. We double-checked the numbers, it got beat out by three votes.
Several factors may have weighed into this outcome. First, it's very likely that the ultimate winner (a great little indie film) has passionate fans who made a concerted effort to get out the vote. And second, maybe a lot of people just assumed – as we did – that the Ang Lee classic starring the late Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal would yet again take top honors, so they didn't bother to actually vote for it.
But just maybe there was something else at work here: the current gay zeitgeist. Could it be that we've grown weary of gay tragedies? Enough with the gay guy dying at the end, maybe today's LGBT filmgoers crave more upbeat and hopeful fare. Brilliant as Brokeback is, one can't exactly call it a feel good movie, and the film that bested it in this year's list was a sweet gay romance with a happy ending.
There are other surprises to be found in this list, but we'll leave it to you in the comments to interpret the rankings. Without further ado, your Top 100 Greatest Gay Movies!
100. Doing Time On Maple Drive (1992)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: William McNamara, Jim Carrey, Bibi Besch, James Sikking
Summary: In this Ken Olin directed made-for-TV drama, the “perfect family” is forced to confront all of the lies and secrets that have been eating away at its foundations. Starring Bibi Besch and James Sikking as the heads of a dysfunctional household, “Doing Time” also gives us one of Jim Carrey’s earliest dramatic performances. William McNamara portrays the favorite son who tries to deny being gay because he doesn’t want to disappoint his parents.
Further Reading:
99. Noah’s Arc: Jumping The Broom (2008)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 19
Starring: Daryl Stephens, Jensen Atwood, Rodney Chester, Christian Vincent, Doug Spearman
Summary: A movie sequel to the Logo series. After various complications, lead character Noah ties the knot with longtime boyfriend Wade.
Further Reading:
98. Breakfast With Scot (2007)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Tom Cavanagh, Ben Schenkmen, Noah Bennet
Summary: A married gay couple find themselves fostering a most unusual boy. The gender-bending child challenges them both, particularly Eric (Tom Cavanagh) who has very specific ideas on what it means to be masculine.
Further Reading:
97. Howl (2010)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: James Franco, Todd Rotondi, Jon Prescott
Summary: As Allen Ginsberg talks about his life and art, his most famous poem is illustrated in animation while the obscenity trial of the work is dramatized.
Further Reading:
96. Christopher and His Kind (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Matt Smith, Pip Carter, Imogen Poots, Lindsay Duncan
Summary: The story of author Christopher Isherwood (played by Doctor Who's Matt Smith) in 1930's Berlin and the friends and lovers that he encounters there.
Further Reading:
95. eCupid (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Andy Anderson, John Callahan, Morgan Fairchild
Summary: The search for true love and happiness takes a detour through the internet in this romantic comedy. Marshall is nearing thirty and he has hit the doldrums. Into his life comes the internet service eCupid, which turns his life upside down.
Further Reading:
94. Law of Desire (La Ley Del Deseo) (1987)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Antonio Banderas, Eusebio Poncela, Carmen Maura
Summary: Pablo and Tina are siblings, He's gay and she's transsexual. The movie depicts their complex love lives and the challenges they both face.
Further Reading:
93. The Crying Game (1992)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Stephen Rea, Jaye Davidson, Forest Whitaker
Summary: A member of the IRA goes to look in on the girlfriend of the British soldier he kidnapped. He finds himself drawn to her, but all is not as it seems.
Further Reading:
92. Camp (2003)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Daniel Letterle, Robin de Jesus, Joanna Chilcoat
Summary: Teenage misfits, theater geeks and drama queens come together at a drama camp. Old friendships are renewed and familiar rivalries surface. Newcomer Vlad (Letterle) upsets the balance of this close-knit group, bringing drama to drama camp.
Further Reading:
91. In the Family (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Sebastian Banes, Patrick Wang, Trevor St. John
Summary: After the death of his partner, Joey finds himself bereft not only of the man they loved, but the son they were raising, The boy, Chip, is taken away to live with his legal guardian, his partner's sister. Joey must find a way to make peace with the family so that he can still have a place in Chip's life.
Further Reading:
90. You Should Meet My Son! (2010)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Joanne McGee, Carol Goans, Stewart Carrico, Steve Snyder
Summary: Brian is a good southern boy. He loves his mother, He's polite. He's kind. He's also gay. When his mother Mae finds out, she embarks on a quest to help her son find happiness.
Further Reading:
89. Heartbeats (Les amours imaginaires) (2010)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Xavier Dolan, Monia Chokri, Niels Schneider
Summary: Three friends find themselves in a love triangle.
Further Reading:
88. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World (2010)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 45
Starring: Michael Cera, Kieran Culkin, Mary Elizabeth Winstead
Summary: All Scott Pilgrim wants to do is date Ramona Flowers, but first he has to defeat her seven evil exes. Kieran Culkin plays his scene-stealing gay roommate Wallace.
Further Reading:
87. The Opposite of Sex (1998)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Christina Ricci, Martin Donovan, Ivan Sergei, Lisa Kudrow
Summary: When 16-year-old Dede comes to visit her gay half-brother, chaos comes with her.
Further Reading:
86. Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Cillian Murphy, Morgan Jones, Eva Birthistle
Summary: Set in the 1970's, this is the story of transgendered Patrick "Kitten" Braden who leaves the provincial Irish town he grew up in and goes to London to find his mother
Further Reading:
85. Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds (2006)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Jim Verraros, Brett Chukerman, Emily Brooke Hands
Summary: The lives of Marc, Kyle, Gwen and Tiffani get even more complicated in this sequel when art model Troy enters the mix.
Further Reading:
Watch Eating Out 2 free online at Logo Movie House
84. In & Out (1997)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Kevin Kline, Tom Sellick, Joan Cusack
Summary: High School English teacher Howard Brackett gets outed by a former student when the young man is accepting an Academy Award. Brackett now has to deal with being out in an American small town.
Further Reading:
83. The War Boys (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Victor Rasuk, Brian J. Smith, Benjamin Walker
Summary: Three friends, David, George and Greg, steal a tractor owned by David's father. What they find inside are not the televisions they expected.
Further Reading:
82. Going Down to La La Land (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Mathew Ludwinski, Allison Lane, Michael Medico
Summary: Adam arrives in Hollywood with dreams of stardom. Under the streets paved with gold he finds the seedy underbelly of the Hollywood machine.
Further Reading:
81. Is It Just Me (2010)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Nicholas Downs, David Loren, Adam Huss
Summary: When Blaine finds Mr. Right online, a hunky Texan named Xander, he makes the mistake of messaging him with his go-go boy roommate's account.
Further Reading:
80. A Home At The End of the World (2004)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Colin Farrell, Dallas Roberts, Robin Wright
Summary: This movie chronicles the lives of two best friends from the 60's through the 80's and the challenges they face.
Further Reading:
79. Adam and Steve (2005)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Craig Chester, Malcolm Gets, Parker Posey
Summary: The story of two couples in New York City, one gay and one straight, and the ups and downs of their relationships.
Further Reading:
Watch Adam & Steve free online at Logo Movie House
78. Bear City (2010)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Alex di Dio, Kevin E. Smith, Joe Conti
Summary: A funny, sweet story about several men who belong to the New York "bear" scene as they prepare for a huge party.
Further Reading:
77. Cabaret (1972)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Liza Minnelli, Michael York
Summary: Based on Christopher Isherwood's "Berlin Stories," this is set in 1930's Berlin as the Nazi regime is taking over. Sally Bowles falls in love with bisexual Brian Roberts. But they are both seduced by Maximillian von Heune and Sally winds up pregnant.
Further Reading:
76. Happy Together (Chun gwong cha sit) (1997)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Tony Leung Chiu Wai, Chen Chang, Leslie Cheung
Summary: Yiu-Fai and Po-Wing are friends from Hong Kong who are on vacation in Argentina. Po-Wing wants more from their relationship, but Yiu-Fai says no. But as Po-Wing works to earn enough money to get home, he finds hope and love in other places.
Further Reading:
75. Make the Yuletide Gay (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Keith Jordan, Adam Ruggiero, Hallee Hirsh
Summary: Gunn is out and proud at college, but back home he is in the closet. The barriers between his college life and his home life crumble, however, when his boyfriend Nathan shows up unexpectedly to share the holiday with him.
Further Reading:
74. Burnt Money (Plata Quemada)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Eduardo Noriega, Leonardo Sparaglia, Pablo Echarri
Summary: Nene, Angel and Cuervo are three bank robbers who flee Argentina to Uruguay after a robbery goes bad. There they must lay low until Angel recovers from his injuries.
Further Reading:
73. La Cage Au Folles (1978)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Ugo Tognazzi, Michael Serrault, Claire Maurier
Summary: This French movie was based upon a play, spawned two sequels in France, a Broadway musical, and a Hollywood movie. A gay couple running a drag cabaret are met by the return of their grown son. He is now engaged and wants to introduce his fiance and her very conservative parents to his family, but wants to bring back his estranged mother and pretend he has straight parents while hiding his drag star "step-mother" completely.
Further Reading:
72. Before Night Falls (2000)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Johnny Depp, Javier Bardem, Olatz López Garmendia
Summary: A movie that looks at the life of gay Cuban poet and novelist Reinaldo Arena, from his childhood in Cuba to his death in New York City.
Further Reading:
71. Private Romeo (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Hale Appleman, Charlie Barnett, Adam Barrie
Summary: The film is set at an all-male military academy and a group of cadets are reading Romeo and Juliet in class. Outside of the classroom, things tilt towards magical realism as they frequently live out scenes and dialog from the play. The twist here is that the cadet playing Juliet is a boy.
Further Reading:
70. Romeos (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Rick Okon, Maximillian Befort, Felix Brocke
Summary: Lukas is making the transition from female to male and trying to find his place in the world. When he meets a gay boy named Fabio, his life gets even more complex.
Further Reading:
69. Wild Reeds (Les Rouseaux Sauvages) (1994)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Élodie Bouchez,, Gaël Morel, Stéphane Rideau
Summary: Set in 1962 southwestern France, this tells the story of Maite and Francois and Serge. Francois must navigate the difficult path of being gay and finding love at the age of 18.
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68. Far From Heaven (2002)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Julianne Moore, Dennis Quaid, Dennis Haysbert
Summary: 1950's housewife Cathy Whitaker is unprepared to discover her husband kissing another man. She turns to the African-American gardener, Raymond, in an affair that violates all of society's rules.
Further Reading:
67. Touch of Pink (2004)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Jimi Mistry, Kris Holden-Ried, Suleka Mathew
Summary: Canadian Alim moved to London to escape the conservative Muslim lifestyle of his family. Now he is happy and in a loving relationship with Giles. But his mother is coming to visit, which spells trouble.
Further Reading:
66. I Killed My Mother (J'ai Tu Ma Mere) (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Anne Dorval, Xavier Dolan, François Arnaud
Summary: A young man (played by writer/director Xavier Dolan) struggles to cope with the contentious relationship he has with his mother.
Further Reading:
65. North Sea Texas (Noordzee, Texas) (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Ben Van den Heuvel, Eva van der Gucht, Thomas Coumans
Summary: Teenage romance about the boy next door.
Further Reading:
64. Love! Valour! Compassion! (1997)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Jason Alexander, Stephen Spinella, Stephen Bogardus
Summary: Four gay couples spend the summer together in a 19th-century home in upstate New York.
Further Reading:
63. Bent (1997)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Lothaire Bluteau, Clive Owen, Mick Jagger
Summary: Max and Horst are gay victims of the Nazi Regime sent to the Dachau concentration camp. Max denies he is gay and manages to get a yellow label that designates him as Jewish instead. Horst, in contrast, wears his pink triangle with pride.
Further Reading:
62. Judas Kiss (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Charlie David, Richard Harmon, Timo Descamps
Summary: A Star-Trekian time/space anomaly allows disillusioned writer Zachary to go back to meet his college self and try to change his life.
Further Reading:
61. The Big Gay Musical (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Celina Carvajal, Daniel Robinson, Joey Dudding
Summary: Set around the debut of the fictitious "Adam and Steve" musical, this story focuses on Paul and Eddie. Paul is trying to find one good man, and Eddie is trying to find a way to come out to his parents.
Further Reading:
60. Gods and Monsters (1998)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave
Summary: A film about the last days of Frankenstein director James Whale. He reflects on his successes and failures and the difficulty of being gay in early Hollywood.
Further Reading:
59. The Curiosity of Chance (2006)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Tad Hilgenbrink, Brett Chukerman, Aldevina Da
Summary: Chance has just moved to a new city, thanks to being the son of an officer in the U.S. Army. His challenges not only include coping with a crush on the cute straight neighbor boy and avoiding the local Neanderthal bully, but coming to terms with his desire to perform in drag.
Further Reading:
58. Victor Victoria (1982)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Julie Andrews, James Garner, Robert Preston
Summary: Set in 1934 Paris, when talented soprano Victoria can't get a job as a singer, she and her new friend Todd come up with a scheme. She will pretend to be a man pretending to be a woman on stage.
Further Reading:
57. Another Gay Movie (2006)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Michael Carbonaro, Jonathan Chasem, Mitch Morris and Jonah Blechman
Summary: A send-up not only of "American Pie" but of popular gay teen movies as well, this is the story of four gay friends graduating high school looking for what most high school boys look for--a chance to get laid.
Further Reading:
56. Eating Out (2004)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 39
Starring: Scott Lunsford, Jim Verraros, Emily Brooke Hands
Summary: Caleb wants to date Gwen, but she only dates gay guys, so he has to pretend to be interested in Gwen's BFF Marc.
Further Reading:
Watch Eating Out online free at Logo Movie House
55. But I’m A Cheerleader (1999)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Natasha Lyonne, Clea DuVall, RuPaul, Eddie Cibrian
Summary: As far as Megan knows, she's doing everything a girl should do in high school--she's a cheerleader, she's dating a jock, she is polite to her parents. So she's quite surprised when she's packed off to a place to cure her of being a lesbian. Even more surprising to her is that she actually is a lesbian.
Further Reading:
54. Plan B (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Manuel Vignau, Lucas Ferraro, Mercedes Quinteros
Summary: Bruno gets dumped by his girlfriend Laura. He hatches a plan to get her back, which involves befriending her new beau. The plan jumps the tracks and suddenly he finds himself in bed with his ex's new boyfriend.
Further Reading:
53. Transamerica (2005)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Felicity Huffman, Kevin Zegers, Fionnula Flanagan
Summary: Bree is transitioning from male to female. She discovers that she sired a son who is now hustling in New York, and she goes to try and help him.
Further Reading:
52. The Sum of Us (1994)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Jack Thompson, Russell Crowe, John Polson
Summary: This Australian film is based upon a play of the same name. It's about a working class father and son living together in Sydney. Jeff is out, gay, and totally accepted by his dad. While this example of parental acceptance is heart-warming, at times Dad is too comfortable with his son's love life and repeatedly walks in on Jeff snogging his date or Dad drags the date off for a chat when the boys want to get busy.
Further Reading:
51. The Trip (2002)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 38
Starring: Larry Sullivan, Steve Braun
Summary: Chronicles the long and difficult relationship of Tommy and Alan through the 70's and into the 80's as they try to find common ground between their differing world views.
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50. Mambo Italiano (2003)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 40
Starring: Luke Kirby, Peter Miller, Ginette Reno, Paul Sorvino
Summary: The son of Italian immigrants struggles to find the best way to come out to his family.
Further Reading:
49. All Over The Guy (2001)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 31
Starring: Dan Bucatinsky, Richard Ruccolo
Summary: 20-somethings thrown together by their respective best friends try to sort out their dysfunctional backgrounds in order to have a meaningful relationship
Further Reading:
48. Making Love (1982)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 37
Starring: Harry Hamlin, Michael Ontkean, Kate Jackson
Summary: A doctor falls in love with a gay man and agonizes over the break up of his marriage.
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47. Priest (1994)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 50
Starring: Linus Roache, Robert Carlyle
Summary: Father Greg Pilkington struggles with his calling as conservative Catholic priest and his own sexual orientation.
Further Reading:
46. Rent (2005)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Idina Menzel, Taye Diggs, Adam Pascal
Summary: The film version of the Pulitzer and Tony Award winning musical about Bohemians in the East Village of New York City
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45. Beginners (2010)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer
Summary: A man is stunned by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.
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44. The Bubble (2006)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 41
Starring: Ohad Knoller, Yousef 'Joe' Sweid
Summary: Director / Writer Eytan Fox's cinematic response to those who claim that Tel Aviv residents live in a "bubble": isolated from the violence and turmoil in the rest of Israel. The movie follows a group of young people, gay, straight, Jewish and Arab.
Further Reading:
43. La Mala Educacion (Bad Education) (2004)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Gael García Bernal, Fele Martínez
Summary: An examination on the effect of Christian schooling and sexual abuse on the lives of two longtime friends.
Further Reading:
42. Edge of Seventeen (1998)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 43
Starring: Chris Stafford, Andersen Gabrych
Summary: A teenager copes with his sexuality on the last day of school in 1984.
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41. Yossi & Jagger (2002)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 36
Starring: Ohad Knoller, Yehuda Levi
Summary: Two Israeli soldiers in a secret gay romance find comfort and respite from the conflict around them.
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40. Boys in the Band (1970)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 33
Starring: Laurence Luckinbill, Leonard Frey
Summary: A group of gay New Yorkers gather together for a birthday party. Alcohol and recriminations flow. Based on the off-Broadway play by Mart Crowley and directed by William Friedkin (who also directed Cruising), this is one of the first films ever to revolve around gay characters.
Further Reading:
39. My Own Private Idaho (1991)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Rivr Phoenix, Keanu Reeves
Summary: Two hustlers embark on a journey of self discovery
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38. Velvet Goldmine (1998)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 46
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Summary: Co-written and directed by Todd Haynes, the film chronicles the story of a 1970's British glam rock star loosely based on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' persona
Further Reading:
37. The Wedding Banquet (1993)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 49
Starring: Mitchell Lichtenstein, Winston Chao
Summary: Before Brokeback Mountain, Ang Lee directed this film about a gay Asian landlord who agrees to a marriage of convenience with a female tenant in order to satisfy his traditional parents.
Further Reading:
36. Boy Culture (2006)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 35
Starring: Derek Magyar, George Jonson
Summary: An upscale gay hustler yearns for something more substantial in his love life.
Further Reading:
Watch Boy Culture free online at Logo Movie House
35. Parting Glances (1986)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 29
Starring: Steve Buscemi, John Bolger
Summary:A gay couple in New York prepare for a two-year separation because of work while dealing with their circle of eccentric friends - one of whom is living with AIDS.
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34. I Love You Phillip Morris (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 24
Starring: Jim Carrey, Ewan McGregor
Summary: A middle aged married man comes out of the closet and then resorts to various cons in order to finance his lavish new gay lifestyle. After being sent to prison, he falls madly in love with his cellmate "Phillip Morris" and goes to great lengths in order to be with him.
Further Reading:
33. Undertow (Contracorriente) (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Manolo Cardona, Cristian Mercado
Summary: A deeply romantic tale of a married fisherman and his male lover.
Further Reading:
32. Patrick Age 1,5 (2008)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 16
Starring: Gustaf Skarsgård, Torkel Petersson
Summary: A gay couple uneasily settled in a suburban neighborhood anxiously await the arrival of their adopted baby. Complications ensue when the child they are sent is actually a troubled 15-year-old boy.
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31. Philadelphia (1993)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 26
Starring: Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington
Summary: Tom Hanks won his first Oscar playing a gay lawyer with AIDS who takes his former law firm to court for firing him.
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30. Jeffrey (1995)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 44
Starring: Steven Weber, Patrick Stewart, Sigourney Weaver
Summary: Based on Paul Rudnick's play, a young gay New Yorker decides that sex is too dangerous and tries celibacy. Then he meets the man of his dreams - who happens to be HIV positive.
Further Reading:
29. Love Songs (Les Chansons D’amour) (2007)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Louis Garrel, Gregoire Leprince-Ringuet
Summary: A musical interpretation of three young lovers in Paris.
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28. Summer Storm (Sommersturm) (2004)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 25
Starring: Robert Stadlober, Kostja Ullmann
Summary: A German coming of age film about two teenage boys - both members of a rowing club. Tobi is in love with Achim, but does Achim feel the same?
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27. Just a Question of Love (2000)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 18
Starring: Cyrille Thouvenin, Stéphan Guérin-Tillié
Summary: Two gay men conflict over whether the younger man should come out to his parents. Originally a French TV movie.
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26. To Wong Foo Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar (1995)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Patrick Swayze, John Leguizamo, Wesley Snipes
Summary: Three drag queens travel cross-country until their car breaks down, leaving them stranded in a small town.
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25. Torch Song Trilogy (1988)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 14
Starring: Harvey Fierstein, Matthew Broderick
Summary: The life and loves of a Jewish drag queen (and singer of torch songs) in the late 1970s and 1980s. Starring Harvey Fierstein and based on his three act play of the same name.
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24. C.R.A.Z.Y (2005)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 28
Starring: Michel Côté, Marc-André Grondin
Summary: A young gay man deals with homophobia and heterosexism while growing up with four brothers and a conservative father in 1960s and 1970s Quebec.
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23. The Broken Hearts Club (2000)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 21
Starring: Dean Cain, Zach Braff, Timothy Olyphant
Summary: A group of gay men, all members of a West Hollywood softball team, rely on each other for friendship and support as they search for love and deal with loss. Written and directed by Greg Berlanti.
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22. Shortbus (2006)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 27
Starring: Peter Stickles, Jay Brannan
Summary: A sexually graphic and largely improvised romp with an ensemble cast - all supposed frequenters of a fictional underground New York City sex salon
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21. Hedwig & The Angry Inch (2001)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 23
Starring: John Cameron Mitchell, Miriam Shor
Summary: An East German transgender rock musician chases after an ex-lover who plagiarized her songs.
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20. Longtime Companion (1989)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Dermot Mulroney, Bruce Davison
Summary: The film's title comes from the phrase The New York Times began using in the eighties to describe the surviving same-sex partner of someone who had died of AIDS. This was the first major film to deal with the subject of AIDS.
Further Reading:
19. Big Eden (2000)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 9
Starring: Arye Gross, Eric Schweig ,Tim DeKay
Summary: A succesful gay artist returns to his hometown in Montana to care for his ailing grandfather. There he meets up with his old childhood crush, as well as a shy Native American shopkeeper who has a crush on him.
Further Reading:
18. The Birdcage (1996)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 34
Starring: Robin Williams, Nathan Lane
Summary: The U.S. remake of La Cage aux Folles. A flamboyant gay couple go to comic lengths so as not to embarrass their son to his fiancee's staunchly conservative family.
Further Reading:
17. Trick (1999)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 11
Starring: Christian Campbell, J.P. Pitoc, Tori Spelling
Summary: Two boys and a very long night in New York City.
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16. Prayers For Bobby (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 17
Starring: Sigourney Weaver, Scott Bailey
Summary: A Christian woman who refused to accept her son's sexual orientation must deal with the guilt she feels after he commits suicide. Based on a true story.
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15. Angels in America (2003)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 22
Starring: Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson
Summary: A six-part miniseries from HBO adapted from Tony Kushner's two-play political epic about the AIDS crisis during the mid-1980s.
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14. My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 20
Starring: Daniel Day-Lewis, Saeed Jaffrey
Summary: A young Indian man in Margaret Thatcher's London takes over his uncle's laundrette business while conducting a secret romantic relationship with a white punk.
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13. Mysterious Skin (USA, 2004)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 12
Starring: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Brian Lackey
Summary: Two young boys who share a secret meet again as emotionally scarred teenagers. From director Gregg Araki
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12. Get Real (1998)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 10
Starring: Ben Silverstone, Brad Gorton
Summary: A gay teenager decides to come out to the world.
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11. Were The World Mine (2008)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 8
Starring: Tanner Cohen, Nathaniel David Becker
Summary: A gay high school musical fantasy inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream
Further Reading:
10. Maurice (1987)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 7
Starring: James Wilby, Rupert Graves, Hugh Grant
Summary: Two male English school chums fall in love while at Cambridge, but then take very different paths. From the posthumously published E.M. Forster novel
Further Reading:
9. Milk (2008)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 2
Starring: Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin
Summary: The story of gay activist Harvey Milk, from his arrival in San Francisco, to becoming California's first openly gay elected official, to his eventual assassination.
Further Reading:
8. A Single Man (2009)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 6
Starring: Colin Firth, Julianne Moore, Matthew Goode
Summary: A middle aged gay man in 1960's Los Angeles searches for a reason to continue living himself after the love of his life dies in a car accident. From the Christopher Isherwood novel.
Further Reading:
7. Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 15
Starring: Terrence Stamp, Hugo Weaving, Guy Pearce
Summary: Two drag queens and a transsexual take an eventful road trip, meeting up with homophobes, Aborigines and true love while grooving to a near limitless supply of ABBA tracks.
Further Reading:
6. Weekend (2011)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: N/A
Starring: Tom Cullen, Chris New
Summary: A drunken and drug-fueled one-night stand becomes something more over the course over a weekend.
Further Reading:
5. Latter Days (2003)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 5
Starring: Wes Ramsey, Steve Sandvoss, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
Summary: A young and promiscuous gay man sets his sights on seducing his Mormon missionary neighbor. The resulting affair changes both their lives.
Further Reading:
4. A Beautiful Thing (1996)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 4
Starring: Glen Berry, Scott Neal
Summary: Two teenage boys in a London housing estate fall deeply in love with each other.
Further Reading:
3. The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 42
Starring: Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick
Summary: The cult musical about a mad transvestite scientist and his dumb, beefy, gold hot pants wearing monster.
Further Reading:
And now for the major upset...
2. Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 1
Starring: Heath Ledger, Jake Gyllenhaal
Summary: In the 1960's two Wyoming ranch hands embark on a beautiful but ultimately doomed lifelong romance. Based on the short story by E. Annie Proulx.
Further Reading:
1. Shelter (2007)
Ranking on 2010 Poll: 3
Starring: Trevor Wright, Brad Rowe
Summary: A young man reexamines his decision to forgo his own dreams in order to take care of his family when he falls in love with the gay brother of his best friend.
Further Reading:
What did you think of the 100 Greatest Gay Movies? Were you as surprised as we were that Brokeback got knocked from its perch at number 1? How would you rank the films at the top?
