Girl Play

I have to agree with those who believe that the 'good' reviews here come from relatives, friends and colleagues of the women who made this. What I can't understand is why these two real-life women thought their love story was interesting enough to write a play, and then a movie about it. It was like listening to proud parents talk about their gorgeous baby (the one WE know looks like a frog) for 80 minutes. The leads are irritating: Robin (constantly pouting) delivers her lines as though she's performing a high school English oral, whereas Lacy seems to lead with her huge jaw (and drag her knuckles on the ground). The music and flash-backs are as cheesy as they get. The tell-rather-than-show narration does not translate well from the stage, but more importantly, the characters do NOTHING to endear themselves to the viewer. I just didn't CARE. I kept watching only because I'd paid to rent the damn film, but in hindsight that's 80 minutes of my life I can't get back. In short: you know how your best friend spends two hours on the phone telling you (without stopping for breaths) just how greatandsplendidandgorgeousandneat her new girlfriend is? That's what this movie is like. Be warned.

As in ZERO chance of crossing over to anyone who wasn't in the cast or crew of this arrogant little video that is completely full of itself. Most of the video consists of one of the two 'unfunny-comedians turned untalented-actresses' standing on a stage talking to an empty audience -- a sign perhaps?-- and smirking at their own jokes. Robin Harmon and Lacy Greenspan's performances are so terrible that the poor editor often has to cut in the middle of WORDS.

How can a person standing on a stage be that hard to videotape? This is basic stuff but vision less direction and bland acting make for an endless night of awkwardly paced and over edited monologues. It mostly feels like the movie is just complaining at you.

Razzie winner Dom Deluise appears in it just long enough to show us why he can't get acting gigs. His scene was so obviously shot separate from everything else. It felt like he was just there to pay off some kind of favor.

The whole mess looks like it's shot on home video and mostly sounds like it was recorded on an answering machine. The script is awful. When it isn't congratulating itself with annoying in jokes, it takes tired -- mostly offensive -- pot shots at "aggressive" lesbians, "meddling" Jewish women, and "swishy" gay men.

Welcome to the 21st century, where just saying 'it's a lesbian movie' isn't enough. We lesbians want our movies to be about something. This might have been a minor accomplishment 20 years ago -- minus the mean spirited antisemitic and homophobic stereotypes -- but amateur director Lee Freelander is simply out of her league. She tries to stage dated clichés and pretends they're revolutionary. She REALLY pats herself on the back with the longest most boring, sexless, sex scene ever put on video. Lesbians have needs!

We have amazing, funny, complex and powerful lesbian-themed indie films like 'Monster' 'DEBS' 'The Politics of Fur' and hit shows like 'The L Word' and 'Six Feet Under' so thank goodness we are no longer forced to put up with garbage like 'Girl Play.'

This is easily the worst 'lesbian movie' ever made (and I sat through 'Cat Woman') AVOID THIS VIDEO! Stay home and argue with your girlfriend for free.

Obviously, we just loved this movie. The acting was wonderful and the story was enthralling (all the more so because it is true). You don't have to be gay to enjoy this. It has everything and then some. Lacie Harmon and Robin Greenspan wrote the movie and also play themselves. What charmers. We saw it at the Festival in DC and intend to see it again when it comes to NYC. There was mention of a sequel when the writers were questioned in DC. I hope this is so. If they ever sell the DVD rights, this will be added to our permanent library. I don't understand why it has such a low rating on this website. It would seem that someone is just being vindictive. What a shame to ridicule such a wonderful film.

Hey everyone, I just saw this fantastic film at Melb Queer Film Festival last night. Definitely my pick for best film. I loved the music, but forgot to write down the name of the female singer who sung most of the original songs on the soundtrack.

I found it eerie and beautiful the way the story captured so much of how it feels to be me, how several of the conversations held between the characters are exact replicas of conversations I've had, exact replications of feelings I've had.

Well worth seeing, heck I want to see it again! Does anyone know if this will be available on DVD in Australia any time soon?

Cheers

GIRL PLAY is a vibrant, smart, hilarious, and unsentimental love story about two stage actors, Robin Greenspan and Lacie Harmon, cast as the leads in a romantic play. The women come fully equipped with compelling reasons why their falling in love with each other is simply not an option: Robin lives with her life partner in a clearly defined world, replete with Post-it reminders and insurance policies, and Lacie has recently come to embrace her commitment-phobia in full. But when their eccentric stage director (played to perfection by Dom Deluise) insists at rehearsals that the two women experience one electrifying and vulnerable moment after another, their chemistry has no place to go but up.

For all kinds of reasons, these two should not fall in love, and yet we all know where this story is going. But we don't know what fresh, unexpected, and delightful trouble it will trigger; nor whether these women will actually overcome their obstacles and make it – especially given Robin's terror at the mere possibility of hurting and disappointing her live-in girlfriend. The fear takes her back to the dread-filled moments that led to her coming out to her provincial mother (flawlessly played by Mink Stole). And Lacie clings to her independence after she revisits her most recent unbearably awkward, horror-show-down breakup with a demi-semi-steady.

The story unfolds beautifully, mixing narrative and direct-address narration. Because the writing, acting, direction, and editing are so incredibly deft, this hybrid means of story-telling and story-showing works beautifully. It reminds me of High Fidelity in that seamless way of mixing narrative, direct address, and flashbacks.

Mink Stole and Dom Deloise might have stolen the movie, had Robin Greenspan and Lacie Harmon not given such strong and appealing performances. Forgive the reductive Hollywood-ese of this analysis, but Robin Greenspan's hilarious neurotic practicality is young-Woody-Allen good, and Lacie Harmon's hilarious wry cynicism is young-Bruce-Willis sexy! What's more, these two leading ladies also wrote the movie. What's more than THAT…the movie is based on their true story. What's not to love!?