lesbians?
Are the two main characters lesbians?
It seems that get pretty worked up around each other.
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MovieChat Forums > Julia (1978) Discussion > lesbians?
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An outraged Lillian knock a man flat when he jokes that he knows they were lovers in school.. . . which makes her seem to me to be a lesbian in denial, which I think was precisely the point that the script was making (though subtly so).
Hi! My name's Mike, and I'm a recovering Demi-basher. share
Well, the movie takes pains to say no -- although it's funny that Lillian's first hit play, "The Children's Hour," is mentioned throughout, it's strong lesbian content is never brought up.
Knowing "The Children's Hour" as I do, I wonder if Hellman wasn't bisexual, and didn't in fact have something like a crush on Julia -- even if she herself couldn't name it as such.
Cheers, all.
EP in DC
"I don't want life to imitate art; I want life to BE art." -- Postcards from the Edge
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Alright, I should have been more precise and used the word "bisexual." And however "open" and "liberal" they were has nothing to do with being in denial about sexual orientation, especially some three quarters of a century ago. (Even Barney Frank had six or seven years in Congress before he publicly discussed his homosexuality, and even Barney Frank with his reputation for "openness" and "liberalness" is actually quite bigoted where transsexuals are concerned. Seems he's got some fear of running into a tranny in the bathroom. )
Hi! My name's Mike, and I'm a recovering Demi-basher.
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Anyone who asks this question has not seen the film or wasn't paying attention when they did.
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I believe there was some sort of attraction between them. For example, when Lilly looks at Julia, there's an intensity and sparkle in her eyes that I can only think it happens when you like somebody. But it doesn't, as many of you wrote before, make you a lesbian or bisexual. It's pretty normal to feel attracted to people of your same sex, especially when you're young. Emotions are more intense at that age.
shareI believe there was some sort of attraction between them. For example, when Lilly looks at Julia, there's an intensity and sparkle in her eyes that I can only think it happens when you like somebody. But it doesn't, as many of you wrote before, make you a lesbian or bisexual. It's pretty normal to feel attracted to people of your same sex, especially when you're young. Emotions are more intense at that age.
In the book, Hellman acknowledges the romantic/sexual attraction briefly, when she's describing how close they were in their early years. I forget the wording, but she says "of course, that was there," then goes on to discuss its more primary aspects.
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Read Pentimento by Hellman--it's not in your face like people like it today, but it's acknowledged by those who carry around half a brain. They have an attraction, of which in those days, would get you blacklisted or worse; simple as that.
shareSounds interesting. I haven't read anything from Lili Hellman yet, I'll look for this book. Thanks.
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