Go Fish

One of the seminal queer movies of the '90s, and an important indie successs story, the debut film from director Rose Troche and actress Guinevere Turner, who co-wrote and co-produced the picture, is simultaneously a romantic comedy, a political debate, and a stylish piece of experimental filmmaking. The movie's commercial success probably stems from its well-written, well-acted central romantic plot, but its critical significance owes much to the other elements. From a mock Greek chorus staged as a lesbian slumber party to a wide array of interesting shot selections and inventive fantasy sequences, Go Fish challenges the notion that a film has to go for the lowest common denominator if it wants to tell a story that's sexy and sweet. Executive-produced by Christine Vachon and Tom Kalin, whose earlier projects emphasized artfulness over accessibility, Go Fish cross-pollinates New Queer Cinema with feel-good filmmaking and feminist activism. As the politically correct early '90s recede from memory, some of the weightier debates may seem a bit heavy-handed -- especially for those outside the film's gay and lesbian core audience. Yet these elements are central to the film's overall portrait of a group of Midwestern feminist lesbians. "The personal is political" is sort of a Women's Studies 101 truism, but Troche and Turner put it into action, locating all sorts of good-natured sexual and romantic fun within the context of their larger community. From the opening sequence of a history class reclaiming lost lesbian icons to the closing-credits montage of various stereotype-free sexual tableaux, Go Fish is a film by and for real lesbians rather than the soft-focus, male-identified creatures that inhabit so many other movies. ~ Brian J. Dillard, All Movie Guide