I missed this film the first time it came around in 1995 and I’m going to guess it’s because the title, The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls In Love, sounds like a progressive Nickelodeon show that they’d only air after 8pm. It’s a mouthful to say, as well as type, and I can’t help but think it forced numerous movie theater employees to quit on days it was time to change the marquees. Surely no theater was equipped for a title that long, so I assume they simply shortened the title, which I’m going to do now, to Two Girls In Love.
Randy is a young woman with what would’ve been called a tomboy appearance, spending her time hating school and working at a dead end job at a small gas station. She spends her time sharing quickie hookups in the gas station bathroom with an older closeted married woman and seemingly thats all she wants out of life. That is until she meets Evie, a more popular and straight-laced girl from school who has a terrible boyfriend and a curiosity streak. Randy might live barely above the poverty level with her lesbian aunt, her lover, and her lover’s ex-lover, but she believes she’s found something special with this wealthy and college bound new found friend with an admiration for Walt Whitman.
First and foremost, I must applaud this film for not only primarily focusing on women (the male characters are almost all abusive pieces of trash except for Randy’s gay best friend) but focusing mostly on LGBTQ+ characters and their lives. And guess what? Their lives are pretty freaking normal. Far too often in LGBTQ+ films there is either disfunction or tragedy around every corner and Two Girls in Love does it’s best to focus on exactly what the title states.
The relationships between the two leads, played by Laurel Holloman (Randy) and Nicole Ari Parker (Evie) is a wonder to watch. They are sweet and kind and highlight two people who want to genuinely know each other and share their world. Certainly there are road blocks. Evie’s friends can’t understand why she’s now dating a woman, and Evie hasn’t told her mother yet. Even Randy, who’s entire family is gay, are a little leery of the new girl in their life mainly because she comes from a wealthier family.
Director Maria Maggenti has wisely presented many of the familiar tropes of romantic comedies, and how each character deals with these situations is something you’d see in any other film of it’s like during this time, but given them just enough of a twist. It’s genuinely romantic at times, and maddeningly teenage at others, but overall it’s consistent in its quality throughout.
Anyone who has ever felt unease in a new relationship will easily relate to Evie and Randy as they try their best to navigate not only a situation that is new to them, but new feelings as well. It’s a highly enjoyable film that has a simple message and doesn’t take itself too seriously.
“People should act out of love, not obligation.”
Unfortunately, unless you’re lucky enough to already own it on DVD it’s tough to find. There has been no blu ray release and it’s not streaming anywhere. I had to watch it in eleven parts on Youtube complete with spanish subtitles. This film deserves a wider audience.
Rated 3 out of 5 Stars
