If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)

Related only conceptually to the original If These Walls Could Talk, this sequel is an anthology film (a TV film made by the reputable HBO, as with the first) portraying the life trials of three unrelated lesbian couples, who each lived in the same house during different periods of time. It's a very emotionally charged and politically meaningful movie, with a great cast boasting Michelle Williams and Ellen Degeneres. The impeccable Vanessa Redgrave won an Emmy, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award for her breathtaking performance in the first segment.

Year 1961

Rainbow Rating: Five Rainbows out of Five. (5/5)

The phrase this 1961 story brings to mind is "preposterously magnificent;" or perhaps "evisceratingly brilliant" gets to the heart of it more accurately. From the very first moment it had me yearning to rip my heart straight through my rib cage and throw it as far across the room as it will go, to spare myself the bittersweet agony. It starts out immensely beautiful and then takes a turn for the brutally depressing... which itself was immensely beautiful in its own melancholic way. The only shame is it didn't receive the feature length film in its own right which it sorely deserved.

The narrative concerns Edith and Abby, two lovers in their twilight years who have spent nearly their entire lives together. The strength of their immutable bond is apparent from the start. But when Abby passes away, distant relatives who barely knew the woman come to pillage her Earthly possessions and kick the person she loved out of the house they shared and paid for together. Aside from being a fantastic drama and one of the greatest anythings I've ever seen, it's also a strikingly affecting illustration of one reason why marriage equality is so incredibly important.


Year 1972

Rainbow Rating: Three Rainbows out of Five. (3/5)

The second segment takes place in the politically charged 1970s among a group of college women who share the titular house. They're heavily involved in the Women's Rights movement with their fellow classmates, but trouble arises when their hetero brethren decide the group's message will be better recieved if they kick out the lesbians.

The clever twist is, our protagonists fall into some ignorance of their own when one of the group falls for a butch lesbian who believes in strict gender archetypes, which they see as flying in the face of the women's movement. It's more compelling as a political story than as a romance, but the acting is excellent throughout.

Year 2000

Rainbow Rating: Two Rainbows out of Five. (2/5)

To be perfectly honest, this story wasn't great. It concerns a lesbian couple and their quest to choose a sperm donor for their child. But there really didn't embellish the story much at all. Other than a few flourishes of depth, it was mostly light-hearted fluff. Essentially all they do is flip through the book of candidates and choose one, plus a sex scene.

I wasn't a huge fan of the segment, but I loved the actresses and I understand why they chose to end it this way. After so much heartbreak, they wanted to end it with some love and happiness. Much better than ending it on a sad note. Since this film is so true to life, it's good that we get to end it looking up. The film encompasses nearly 40 years of time, hopefully in another 40 years none of these discrimination issues will even be relevant anymore. We can at least hope.