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You all seemed to enjoy my piece on Late Bloomers in January, so I want to continue along those lines and give you some springtime movie recommendations. In the same vein as that film, these movies are generally sweet, amusing, or heartwarming in some way. Unless you are really going through it, these films shouldn’t depress you or make you feel worse about the world.

About half of these have queer or trans characters in them, and the other half are just films I enjoy that I think you all might like as well. Happy viewing, and let me know if you watch any of these after reading this list.

Alice Júnior (2019)

The Brazilian 2019 film Alice Júnior received little press in the United States, and that is a crying shame. Anna Celestino Mota plays Alice, a 17-year-old trans girl who’s just moved to the countryside with her father. Alice is a social media star, but finds that she’s less popular at her new Catholic high school, where she encounters bullies. Alice’s main focus is having her first kiss, and any mean-spirited kids can’t stop her.

I won’t spoil who her first kiss is with, but suffice it to say it’s a very satisfying conclusion to an entertaining coming-of-age film. In fact, Alice Júnior is one of the only films that falls under the category of a ‘trans girl coming-of age movie,’ a scarcity that seems absurd once you watch the film. Anne Celestino Mota is wonderful as Alice, and her bubbly, confident, high-spirited personality makes Alice Júnior a charming watch.

Big Eden (2000)

Queer folks often express a desire for cheesy, overly optimistic romances that straight people have always had. Though such films have become slightly more common, they’re still few and far between. Enter the 2000 film Big Eden, a heartwarming romance and family drama set in small town Montana. Arye Gross places Henry Hart, a New York City artist who returns to his hometown when his grandfather, Sam (George Coe), who raised him, has a stroke. Henry re-encounters a cast of colorful characters in the community, including his high school love, Dean (Tim DeKay).

Pike Dexter (Eric Schweig) runs the town general store. Pike is quite shy around Henry because he really likes the man, but Henry remains oblivious. Pike is also an Indigenous character, and his role as a romantic lead – not to mention a gay romantic lead – is quite the rarity. The other residents of the town are kooky, overbearing and funny, but it’s Pike who steals the show and becomes the film’s beating heart. Though the story has some stakes, it portrays an almost utopian universe where the whole town accepts gay folks and even schemes to get them together. Come for beautiful mountain views, stay for hijinks and true love.

Bedrooms and Hallways (1998)

If you’re a lesbian film aficionado, you probably know of Rose Troche’s 1995 movie Go Fish. It’s less likely you know of Bedrooms and Broomsticks, her second film, which came out in 1998. Written by and starring British folks – rather than her (ex) girlfriend Guinvere Turner – the film centers on the relationships of several gay men in London. Kevin McKidd (aka Owen from Grey’s Anatomy) plays Leo, an unhappily single and lonely man who’s just celebrated his 30th birthday. Leo skeptically begins attending a new-age “men’s group,” where he meets and falls for a beautiful Irishman.

Buffoonery and drama ensues – including the odd relationship between two characters played by Hugo Weaving and Tom Hollander – as Leo tries to work out what he wants in his life. I’m sure there are people out there who will be annoyed by the film’s conclusion, but ultimately, it’s a story about life’s fluidity and taking things as they come. It’s also extremely funny and includes the fast paced, witty, “in-joke” dialogue that Troche rendered so well in Go Fish.

Day Trippers (1997)

Parker Posey fans – are you there? If you’re not a Parker Posey fan, you will be after watching the 1997 film Daytrippers. Posey plays Jo, a colorful young woman dating Carl (Liev Schreiber), an intellectual who can’t stop talking about his esoteric novel. The plot begins when Jo’s older sister, Eliza (Hope Davis), finds evidence suggesting her husband Louis (Stanley Tucci) is having an affair. The entire family – including their parents and Carl – drive from Long Island to the city to discover the truth.

The trip is filled with bickering, near-disasters, and shenanigans as the family tries to locate Louis. Posey does some of the best eye-rolling caught on film here, Schreiber nails the annoying intellectual persona, and Anne Meara, who plays the mother, is a hoot and a half. An utter delight from the eventual director of Superbad, the film is a charming ride with an absolute kicker of an ending.

Muriel’s Wedding (1994)

You’re terrible, Muriel! If this line isn’t a part of your vernacular, it should be. Released in 1994, Muriel’s Wedding is an Australian comedy and the great Toni Collette’s first film role. Collette plays the title character, a young woman who spends her days listening to ABBA and daydreaming about her future wedding in the town of Porpoise Spit. Awkward and dateless, Muriel runs into a former classmate, Rhonda (an excellent Rachel Griffiths), and they hatch a plan to run away to Sidney. Now a big city girl, Muriel changes her name and attempts to change her life.

Muriel’s Wedding is the best kind of comedy – it’s uproariously funny but chock-full of pathos, it follows an imperfect character who you can’t help but root for, and it’s much more weighty than it initially appears. Colette is astounding in her film debut, and her performance elevates Muriel from a goofy caricature to a sympathetic human being. Fair warning – the film does get unexpectedly dark/sad in the latter half, but that’s part of what lends the film its sense of realness.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

1994 was a bombshell year for Australian film. It also saw the release of a film that gives Muriel’s Wedding a run for its money as the funniest Australian picture of the decade. Though there is no association between the two films, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, is in many ways a spiritual predecessor to To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything (even down to the long titles!) The film follows two drag queens – the established Anthony (Hugo Weaving) and the obnoxious young queen Adam (Guy Pierce) – who embark on a road trip so Anthony can perform his act at a remote casino and resort. They are joined by Bernadette (Terrance Stamp), an older trans woman suffering a recent loss.

Their journey across Australia – on their bus, Priscilla – is hilarious, heartwarming and at times harrowing. The film includes some of the greatest shots of the outback ever captured on film, such as the scene where the queens wander the desert in full, feathery drag. Though they experience some trials on the way, the film concludes on an uplifting note. With no disrespect to To Wong Foo, Priscilla is the more incisive, even radical film, and one of the best queer films of the 1990s.

Rez Ball (2024)

If you love an uplifting sports film – who doesn’t? – Rez Ball is a recent offering that might be right up your alley. Inspired by the centrality – and success – of high school basketball in the Navajo Nation, the film follows a team battling loss and family issues to secure the state championship title. Co-written by Reservation Dogs co-creator Sterlin Harjo, the film features a talented young ensemble cast who give life to an otherwise fairly paint-by-numbers story. Though most of the cast is filled with fresh faces, you might recognize a few of the movie’s women, including Amber Mithunder (from Prey and Legion) and Julia Jones (best known for playing Leah in the Twilight series).

The team’s coach, Heather (Jessica Matten) may be of interest to Paging Dr. Lesbian readers, as she is a queer woman in a male-dominated field. Nonetheless, despite the elements that distinguish it from a typical sports film, the characters never feel like stand-ins for larger issues or archetypes. Instead, it’s a rousing sports movie that tells its story from a new perspective.

Robot Dreams (2023)

Who needs dialogue anyway? Robot Dreams is a 2023 animated film where not a single word is spoken. It follows a lonely dog living in New York City in the 1980s. Dog sees an ad for a robot companion and orders one for himself. The pair have a wonderful summer together and Dog doesn’t feel lonely anymore. But one day at Coney Island, Robot gets trapped and Dog is unable to rescue him. Robot goes through many trials and Dog becomes lonely again. Will the two friends reunite or go their separate ways? That’s for you to find out.

To be fair, this film isn’t a pure comedy. It does get sad at various points, yet it remains optimistic. Both characters are so-well drawn that you feel like you know them even though they never speak. An easy watch that nonetheless evokes plenty of emotion, Robot Dreams is a unique little project. (For another great film with no dialogue, check out the Oscar-winning film Flow.)

Saint Francés (2019)

As a former nanny, Saint Frances gets my enthusiastic stamp of approval for its depiction of in-home childcare. Kelly O'Sullivan, who also wrote the film, plays Bridget, a 34-year-old hired to be 6-year-old Frances’ (Ramona Edith Williams) nanny despite having no experience in this area. Bridget doesn’t seem to be cut out for the job, and an unwanted pregnancy with her casual boyfriend complicates things. Frances – who is adorable and full of energy – and Bridget eventually develop a close relationship that gives Bridget a new perspective.

In gay news, Frances’ parents are two women, Maya (Charin Alverez) and Annie (Lily Mojekwu), who are struggling separately in their lives and marriage after the birth of their second child. Some of this may sound gloomy, but despite these characters’ troubles, the film has a lighthearted energy and never takes itself too seriously. Though she’s a bit of a mess, Bridget makes a compelling protagonist who doesn’t really have her life together. Indeed, it’s sort of a coming-of-age story for a woman in her 30s, and a coming-into-kindergarten story for the young Frances.

Stage Door (1937)

If nothing else, the 1937 film Stage Door is a chance to see a bunch of Old Hollywood actresses hanging out and having a laugh together. Luckily, it’s also a well-made film. Set in a boarding house for theater women in New York, the film begins with the arrival of a new resident, Terry (Katharine Hepburn). Her air of wealth and pretentious attitude don’t endear her to the rest of the residents, most of whom are struggling to get by. (One of these residents is played by a pre-I Love Lucy Lucille Ball.) Her roommate Jean (Ginger Rogers) doesn’t like Terry and makes her feelings known.

Various hijinks and shake-ups befall the women, all of whom are vying for a job. Jean and Terry eventually grow close, and her fellow residents begin to see the good in her. That’s about all I can say about the plot without getting into the nitty-gritty, but it’s almost guaranteed you’ll enjoy watching these ladies do their thing even if the plot gets increasingly complicated. Frankly, there’s something fairly queer about the film as well, which mostly centers on the relationships between women while the men are mostly nuances. Indeed, all their problems might be solved if they just kissed each other, but that’s the plot of a film that never got made.

Starman (1984)

Though most of his films are horror or action movies, his 1984 project Starman is best described as a love story. Jeff Bridges plays an alien who crash lands on Earth as a scout for his people. Starman encounters the home of Jenny Hayden (Karen Allen), a woman who recently lost her husband. Using his DNA, Starman takes the form of Jenny’s husband and ropes her into taking him to his planned rendezvous point. Obviously, they fall in love in the process.

Though it has a rather goofy premise, Starman is great fun and a cleverly plotted road movie/love story between a human and an alien. Jeff Bridges kills as Starman, portraying his stilted mannerisms and general oddness without being over the top. And the hugely underrated Karen Allen gives the film so much heart and serves as its emotional center. It’s one of Carpenter’s best films, and a must-see for sci-fi fans and lovers alike.

What a Way To Go! (1964)

An uncharitable reading of the 1964 film What a Way To Go! Would be Aretha Franklin’s famous Taylor Swift shade, “Great gowns, beautiful gowns.” But while it’s true that the best parts of the film are all the outfits, it also stars the effervescent Shirley MacLaine alongside an incredible cast of male suitors, which means there’s no way it's a flop. MacLaine plays Louisa, a woman who seems to be cursed in the arena of marriage. It’s a strange curse – Louisa keeps marrying penniless men who somehow wind up rich and then die unusual deaths.

First there’s Edgar Hopper (Dick Van Dyke), who she chooses over town magnate Leonard Crowley (Dean Martin). Next she marries a painter in Paris, Larry Flint (Paul Newman). Her third marriage is to business tycoon Rod Anderson Jr (Robert Mitchum), but his pre-existing wealth doesn’t break the curse. Then she goes for a humble clown named Pinky (Gene Kelly), but no luck. If the plot sounds convoluted, well, it is, but every actor in this film is such a delight there’s nothing to do but grin. And most importantly, it’s arguably the all-time best work of Oscar-winning costume designer Edith Head, who dressed MacLaine in more show-stopping outfits than seems possible.

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