Julie Johnson (2001)

Bored New Jersey housewife Julie Johnson becomes empowered when she takes an evening computer class eventually kicking out her bossy husband and beginning a romantic relationship with her best friend Claire.
Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: UN
Release Date: 23-MAY-2006
Media Type: DVD Product Description

Boring film.

If you are looking for a good lesbian movie then do not pick this one. The movie covers a woman who wants to leave her husband to pursue a career in computers. Her best friend is Courtney love and she too leaves her husband. They kiss in a couple of scenes but it is like two sisters kissing. Movie drags about a woman trying to find a career. Boring....boring ....boring. I do not consider this a lesbian film!!! June 27, 2008

Pros and cons of "Julie Johnson"

The main reason I really liked this movie (aside from the wonderful performances on the part of the two leading actresses) was because it realistically portrayed how devastating homophobia can be to a new relationship. I think that a lot of gay and lesbian themed movies and TV shows turn out to either be in an unrealistic setting with an extraordinary amount of gay and lesbian characters in them, or they tend to get too preachy about "acceptance." "Julie Johnson" is just heartbreaking. Had it not been for all the homophobia and isolation surrounding them, the characters of Julie and Claire might have felt entitled to continue their relationship. But the homophobia in the movie is REALISTIC. In the particular setting of blue collar New Jersey, the womens' relationship would have been misunderstood and the women would have been isolated by their former friends, and a source of embarrassment to the children. It's really no surprise that one of the women would have felt the need to return to a life of comfortable acceptance.

I just think that it would have been a much more powerful movie if they would have FOCUSED on that relationship. The fact that Julie Johnson wanted to return to school was fine, and it gave the movie a nice theme about a woman throwing off the shackles that bound her, but I thought that it was kind of unnecessary to throw in the fact that Julie Johnson was some kind of repressed genius. Here's a woman who starts off sneaking Scientific American journals, but by the end of the movie cannot stop talking in scientific gibberish. This understandably alienates her even more from her old friends, from her old friend and new lover Claire, and confuses the direction the movie is going in. By the end of the movie, Julie is more interested in class and hanging out with her new intellectual friends than in helping Claire (and herself) feel comfortable with the transition in their relationship.

So, in conclusion, if this movie would have only been about a woman realizing her dream to go to school and her dream of pursuing a relationship with her best friend, it would have been an absolutely amazing movie. If it would have been about a woman (gay or straight) who finally realizes her intellectual potential later in life, and winds up alienating her friends and family because of it, then it would also have been a good movie. But the two concepts should not have been mixed together!!

Still, I'd recommend seeing this movie. The acting is superb and the love scene is so tastefully done that it's not even really a scene at all. I'd just maybe recommend a rental, or a bargain buy. October 8, 2007

Great story about a courageous woman...

The story takes place in a middle class world of friends and family with average intelligence and no college educations among them. The main character (Julie) breaks out and away by moving into the academic world and her intellect becomes apparent. Resentment and alienation follows (especially from her blue collar husband). When her "attraction" to her best friend emerges, and they both act on their feelings, the alienation from their friends and families for both of them deepens; Julie handles it, the best friend can't. I wish the audience had been a little more "let in" all along on how Julie was feeling about her friend. The story involving everyone around them and how it effects them all is compelling; you stay interested in all of the characters. Interesting choice in Courtney Love, but she really pulls this off well. Lili Taylor is always great to watch, I LOVED her as a lesbian; very believable! February 5, 2007

A great movie with believable characters!

Why this movie never hit the big screen, I'll never know. Perhaps because Courtney Love was having problems by the time is was released, or most likely the reason is the subject matter - bisexuality. Lili Taylor plays a housewife who is unhappy in her marriage to a very chauvanistic husband and Courtney Love plays her best friend. Lili's character and Courtney begin an intimate relationship which gives her the strength to leave her overbearing husband, must to the unhappiness of her two adolescent children. Soon, their relationship becomes obvious to their friends, spouses, and children and the pressure begins to mount. Their children are teased about their mother's orientation, and Courtney, fearing the social ostracism that she is enduring, has to make a decision about whether to stay in the relationship or return to her own husband. The outcome is a bit of a surprise.

The acting by Ms.Taylor and Ms. Love is wonderfully convincing, with Lili Taylor's character being the stronger of the two, not because of actinig skills - Courtney showed her acting chops again, but because her character was simply written stronger.

This is a wonderful and thought-provoking movie. Highly recommended. January 4, 2007

A feast for Drama fans!

I'm no big fan of gay or lesbian films. I only bought this DVD bcuz I'm a huge Lili Taylor admirer. So i wasn't expecting very much from it. But while watching this movie I couldn't believe my eyes how great and touching this story was. I especially liked the scene with Lili and Courtney sitting in park, and yearning to touch each other but they couldn't do it and instead they touched themselves in their minds. Another great drama point was Courtneys and Lilis alienation because of Lilis high devotion to her studies. I highly recommend this DVD to anyone who loves great Drama. you won't be disappointed. November 20, 2006

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