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Writer's pictureCarlee Wiley

Desert Hearts (1985)

My Quick Take: Desert Hearts is a slow burn that keeps you guessing about what will happen next. I got an 80s vibe while watching and had to keep reminding myself that the movie was supposed to be set in the 50s to make sense of its occasional shame and judgment regarding lesbian women. While it didn't really have a romantic love story, it was a good watch.


Synopsis: A professor (Helen Shaver) from New York divorces her husband and becomes captivated by a younger woman (Patricia Charbonneau) in 1959 Reno.


Representation: Cay is a lively young woman who is confident in her sexual identity and what she wants in her life. She is longing to find her person whenever Vivian, ten years her senior, arrives and piques her interest. One of the characters informs us that Cay was expelled from college due to her “unnatural” ways. Cay’s stepmother, Frances, also says that Vivian and Cay are not normal and that she will never understand two women being together. While the film includes these judgments and struggles of lesbian women, it also portrays a passionate connection and the possibilities of what could happen if you choose to overcome fear.




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