Imagine Me & You (2006)

Before I start, I feel the need to clarify that by bisexual, I’m talking about sexuality directed towards members of more than one gender identities. I’ll admit that the clarification will seem pointless since the films I’m about to mention barely involve characters who aren’t either male or female. However, that is due to the lack of gender-queer representation in media and not how I personally perceive bisexuality.

Now, bi-erasure, for those who might not know, simply identifies the often common phenomenon of bisexuality not being acknowledged. This can be in cinema, music, art, novels, or even in real life. This has happened to every community that falls under the umbrella term 'queer', you might be thinking. However, bisexuality has a more prominent history of being subjected to this. Bisexual coming-out scenes are extremely scarce, and most bisexual stories acknowledge only homosexual tendencies or otherwise just portray bisexuality as a phase or an experimental experience. It sometimes manifests from the urge to steer narratives away from heteronormativity. In an attempt to portray heteronormativity negatively, homosexual experiences are highlighted to the point where bisexuality doesn’t get acknowledged. So is it really queer-positive if it comes at the cost of bi-erasure?

A very common form of bi-erasure is when a character who’s only had heterosexual experiences, starts experiencing homosexual tendencies and is then shown to realize that they were homosexual all along and pretended to be heterosexual. This is bi-erasure because quite often, the character might just be bisexual, and by saying they finally realized they’re gay, the narrative is essentially erasing the possibility of the character being bi. If only a few stories were of this kind, it wouldn’t be an issue, but this is extremely rampant (Brokeback Mountain, Call Me By Your Name, and Teorema to name a few, are all considered to be gay films).

One of the most classic examples of bi-erasure from Hollywood in the 21

Century is Jennifer’s Body. Starring Megan Fox as the titular Jennifer, the film was marketed as an overly sexual horror film that specifically caters to the male gaze of heterosexual adolescents. However, its cinematography is abundant in the female gaze, which usually includes focusing on hands, lips, and eyes, sensuously but emotionally perceiving the characters on screen. The male gaze, on the other hand, tends to focus on the body itself, with a certain lust in its framing of female characters specifically. Plus, Jennifer Check actually says the words “I go both ways” in reference to her sexual preference. Still, being perceived as a heterosexual narrative is blatant bi-erasure. However, I have good news for you. The film is being re-evaluated and reclaimed as an important work in queer horror.

Imagine Me & You tells the story of Rachel, a newlywed bride who begins to question her sexuality after meeting Luce, an out lesbian who does the floral arrangements for her wedding. As the two begin to develop a closer bond, Rachel finds herself falling for Luce while trying to figure out what this means for her as a woman. Though slightly dated, Imagine Me & You still holds up as a fun, comedic, and romantic rom-com that gives a voice to a community that is too often ignored.

Imagine Me & You is, overall, a pretty average movie. It holds a special place in my heart as it was the first lesbian flick I ever watched as a young girl questioning my sexual orientation, and I’ll always think highly of it for that. But really, everything about the movie is just okay—yet it still works. It’s a cheesy 2005 film that is entirely of its time, but that did something that few films before it had done. Though the plot isn’t a unique one—woman falls for someone else while promised to another—the movie is unique in the sense that it takes a classic rom-com story and makes it about two women.

The romance in Imagine Me & You still holds up—Rachel and Luce are gentle, and watching them fall in love feels genuine, with all the first touches and glances and moments of Rachel questioning what it all means. They stand out as the most intriguing aspect of the story, which bodes well for the film as everything is based on the connection between them. Actresses Piper Perabo and Lena Headey do a wonderful job at bringing life to these women and their romance, and everything about their story feels genuine. It is never tiring to watch, and every scene between them is viewed with baited breath, wondering if something will finally happen that will cause them to admit their feelings for one another.

The most disappointing characters in Imagine Me & You are the leading men. Heck, Rachel’s husband, isn’t necessarily a bad guy—the film never makes him out to be the villain, and he never spews any vitriolic hate towards Rachel and Luce that would make the audience hate him. But overall, he’s too average to even be likable. The film tries too hard to make him the nice, understanding guy, so hard that it erases any personality he might have entirely. He’s not hate-worthy, but he’s not lovable, either. The film would be stronger if it gave his character more life, even if that meant making him more detestable. As is, he feels like a wasted aspect of the film, and scenes with him in it drag the story down.