Ellen DeGeneres and Sharon Stone in “If These Walls Could Talk 2”.
If These Walls Could Talk 2 is an iconic film composed of three vignettes. Each has their own story, but together they tell a beautiful history of a home that has seen many changes.
The first story is a tragic love story of two older lesbians who face ridicule and ignorance constantly.
In 1961, their relationship was one that was not understood or respected. They remained true to themselves and each other despite it all. Through all the years, it is clear that they are still very much in love. Vanessa Redgrave plays Edith Tree, and Marian Seldes plays her partner, Abby Hedley. A tragic accident changes everything, though.
Edith suddenly finds herself in a situation where the world around her is crumbling. She is forced to downplay the nature of their relationship; she finds that sometimes family includes cold-hearted strangers. Redgrave’s performance is nothing short of superb. Her portrayal is both beautiful and perfect. This emotional story of love, dedication, and family has a superb cast that also includes Paul Giamatti, Elizabeth Perkins, and many others. It is an incredibly powerful story that is sure to touch your heart.
1972 brings us back to the days of political and cultural change. It also exposes us to sexual orientations and (gender) identity. In a time where people so often identified themselves by various causes and movements, it is the perfect setting for a story that challenges old ideas of identity.
Michelle Williams portrays Linda, a vocal and opinionated lesbian. Chloë Sevigny plays Amy, a lesbian who prefers to dress in masculine clothes. As these two young girls struggle individually with their identities and openness, they also struggle in trying to understand and accept each other with their great differences. A lot of time and misunderstandings finally brings the girls to a much more open-minded place…and to a relationship that understands the true meaning of love.
With a cast of powerhouse actresses like Nia Long and Natasha Lyonne, 1972 encourages us to look at ourselves, our identities, and also our ability to accept others as they identify themselves.
Lastly, we are brought to the year 2000. Ellen Degeneres and Sharon Stone play a young lesbian couple seeking to start a family.
Throughout a series of comic, tragic and unusual events, we watch them struggle with fertility, hopes and dreams, their dedication to each other, and some of the difficulties homosexual couples face.
Perhaps one of the most poignant scenes takes place in the kitchen where Kal (Ellen Degeneres) monologues about the difficulties and pain of not being able to start a family in the traditional way of most hetero couples.
This story also portrays the depth of love and commitment to each other, and to this dream of having a family. Both Stone and Degeneres are perfectly sweet and funny throughout the entire vignette. Actors like Kathy Najimy, Regina King, and George Newbern provide the perfect supporting cast.
If These Walls Could Talk 2 is a movie that addresses no only the historical issues the LGBT community faced, but topics that continue to haunt us today. Powerful, relevant, ageless, emotional, comical and simply beautiful, If These Walls Could Talk 2 is a film you’ll gladly watch time and again.