The Incredibly True Adventures Of Two Girls In Love Review

Trapped in a dull relationship with an older woman, tomboy Randy Dean meets rich, pretty and pampered Evie and the two embark on a first-love affair.

by Louise Brealy |
Published on
Release Date:

20 Sep 1996

Running Time:

98 minutes

Certificate:

15

Original Title:

Incredibly True Adventures Of Two Girls In Love, The

Despite the giveaway title, anybody still having problems deducing the plot of this latest addition to America's burgeoning indie colony should have their doubts cleared up in the opening frames, as a middle-aged bleached blonde hurriedly French kisses a tomboy young enough to be her daughter.

Trapped in this dead end snog-a-week relationship with a married older woman, troubled teen and school outcast Randy Dean (Holloman), is working at a run-down petrol station when the black, pretty, rich and pampered Evie (Parker) brings her car in for a service and comes into her life.

All the ingredients of first love between the two are present and politically correct: notes left in lockers; meeting the parents; getting the place to yourselves overnight for the first time.

Writer-director Maggenti unpeels events in a way that has audiences gagging for the pair to get together, but the main point in the film's favour is that she never bangs a drum about lesbianism. So even when the girls come up against bigotry, from Evie's ex-chums and mother, it is treated less with grand melodrama than wry amusement. And her heroines are far from perfect: Evie is apallingly naive, but shows flashes of maturity; while Randy is fresh and likeable, only occasionally becoming irritating.

Only the ending disappoints, with the perfectly paced action giving way to what seems to be a cinematic shouting match. On the whole, though, this is a pacy, sweet and candid treat.

On the whole this is a pacy, sweet and candid treat.
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