So far two different people have made the comment that the lesbian couple portrayed by Rashida Jones, and Zooey Deschanel in the film Our Idiot Brother reminded them of my girlfriend and I.
Now, when hearing this one can either come to terms and accept the representation or can be offended and battle it. I chose to go with it. Since I was younger I have had to transport myself into a heterosexual couple on TV shows or film to identify with certain emotions, however now I can rejoice and be happy that there are two women that are believable and true.
Sure their relationship in the film isn’t perfect, but most relationships in film and life are not perfect. It is the character traits that made me happy. Jones plays Cindy a professional woman lawyer with a conservative hipster/preppy style, that as a lover is, as Ms. Jones put it, “a very loyal, stable, consistent force in her girlfriend’s life” Jones is not unfamiliar when it comes to portraying a lady-lover (If These Walls Could Talk 2) she sees these roles and adds realness. Jones on her role, “I wanted to make sure it was an honest portrayal and that wasn’t a cartoon.” Rashida stated. “And I wanted to do it service after seeing The Kids Are All Right — which is such a good movie, and it’s just such a beautiful portrayal of a relationship, regardless of gender or whatever — I just really wanted people to buy it, and make it feel real.”
She did just that, and I am not ashamed to be able to relate to a lesbian couple in a film. I feel that I am always an arms distance from lesbian films. They feel over the top, and trying way too hard. However by bringing normalcy and focusing on the genderlessness and refocusing on the raw emotions of a relationship she makes this couple relate-able for anyone, homosexual or heterosexual.
I can’t wait for a day when I see a homosexual couple in a film or TV series and a heterosexual couple can honestly say they relate to their situation. Characters should be identifiable not for their sexuality but for their honesty as human beings.
