20). Polyamory Movies
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This article is from the Polyamory FAQ, by h-wilper@uiuc.edu (H. Wilper) with numerous contributions by others.
20). Polyamory Movies
"Another Woman's Lipstick"
(Denise Crosby)
Three episodes based on "Red Shoe Diaries", first episode concerns
a woman who has two different lovers, who satisfy different needs.
More dishonest monogamy than polyamory.
"Belle Epoque"
(Ariadna Gil)
Spanish film set just before the Spanish Civil War. An artist takes in
a deserter, who repays him by sleeping with all four of his
daughters. It's pretty light hearted and a warm farcical romp.
"Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice"
(Robert Culp, Angie Dickenson)
This is very much a wife-swapping tale, rather than being more
generally oriented. Widely known and raises many poly questions.
"Breaking the Waves"
"Cafe au Lait"
French film about a woman who becomes pregnant by one of her lovers.
The three of them wind up forming a family of sorts to raise the child.
"The Captain's Paradise"
Tale about a ferryboat captain on the Gibraltar/Africa run with a
wife on each side.
"A Change of Seasons"
(Shirley Maclaine, Bo Derek)
Maclaine's professor husband has an affair with Derek; she then has
an affair of her own, and then the four decide to go on a holiday
together to see whether they can work something out...
"December Bride"
A young woman in turn of the century Ireland falls in love with two
brothers, choosing to live with them both and raise a son and daughter
with two fathers.
"Design for Living"
(Gary Cooper, Fredrich March, Miriam Hopkins)
Adaptation of Noel Coward's stage play about an artist (Cooper) and a
playwright (March), friends and Americans in Paris and what happens
when the both fall in love with a woman (Hopkins).
"Enemies: A Love Story"
(Angelica Houston, Ron Silver)
A tale of a man and the three women in his life.
"Farinelli"
The story of the 18th century castrati opera star. There are a
number of scenes portraying the title character and his brother
sharing a woman. This movie is rated R.
"French Twist"
French film about a philandering husband who's wife becomes lovers with
another woman. The wife decides not to choose between her two lovers
and the three of them form a family in the end.
"The Harrad Experiment"
(James Whitmore, Tippi Hedron, Don Johnson)
Adaptation of the Robert Rimmer book. Unfortunately it spends so much
time on the topic of public nudity that it has little left over to
deal with poly issues.
"Harrad Summer"
"Heartbeat"
(Nick Nolte)
This is the story of "beat" reporter Jack Kerouac's affair with a
married couple.
"Henry and June"
(Uma Thurman, Fred Ward)
Writer Henry Miller has an affair with his friend Anais Nin... and
then his wife June shows up. Anais finds herself becoming attracted
to June....
"The Hunger"
(Catherine Deneuve, David Bowie, Susan Sarandon)
More bi than poly, and only a few moments of that. At the end
Sarandon's character seems to have new lovers of both genders.
"Jules and Jim"
(Oskar Werner, Jeanne Moreau)
"A Lesson in Love"
(1954) (Ingmar Bergman)
A romantic comedy about a doctor trying to win back his wife after
she leaves him over an affair of his.
"Lianna"
(John Sayles)
A professor's wife finds out he's having an affair, and at the same
time falls in love with a female professor. More a lesbian tale than
a poly one, but especially good at showing the effects on family and
friends of "coming out" different.
"Loving Couples"
"Loving Molly"
(Beau Bridges, Sally Fields)
The story of three men and the one woman that they share from the time
they are children and throughout their lives.
"Lucky Lady"
(Liza Minelli, Gene Hackman, Burt Reynolds)
It does look like the three main characters are getting set to stay
together at the end of the movie.
"Mickey and Maude"
(Dudley Moore)
Light-hearted romp about a man who gets himself married to two
different people. When everyone finds out, they try to share.
"No Way Out"
(Kevin Costner, Sean Young, Gene Hackman)
Costner gets involved with Young, who is already involved with his
boss (Hackman). Bad things happen. She actively says that she is
poly (before she is killed).
"Paint Your Wagon"
(Lee Marvin, Jean Seberg, Clint Eastwood)
Due to the scarcity of women, Marvin and Eastwood share one.
"Red Shoe Diaries"
Man finds out about girlfriends poly lifestyle after she kills
herself. Then he meets her other lover.
"The Remarkable Mr. Pennypacker"
Tale of a traveling salesman with two complete families, one in
Pittsburgh and the other in Philadelphia.
"Rita and Sue ... and Bob too"
A married man's affair with two younger women causes his wife to
leave him. Can the three lovers transmute their sexual interest into
something more lasting?
"Same Time Next Year
(Alan Alda)
Alda has a once a year meeting with his lover (as opposed to his wife),
most of the time is spent examining the changes in the two people in
the intervening times.
"The Seduction of Joe Tynan"
(Alan Alda)
Alda plays a politician who falls in love with another woman at a
convention.
"Sharing Richard"
A lawyer, a real estate agent, and an office worker, who are best
friends, separately meet and start dating a recently divorced doctor.
Instead of breaking it off, they decide to share him without his
knowledge.
"She's Gotta Have It"
One of Spike Lee's earliest films, deals with a polyamorous young
woman and the three men who want her to choose. There are also
alot of Afro-American male/female issues addressed in this movie.
"Small Circle of Friends"
Genuine poly values are central to the plot of this film about
a MFM triad. Low-budget production, but asks good questions.
"A Strange Affair"
(Judith Light)
A wife is in the process of leaving her husband for another man
when her husband suffers an accident and requires full time care.
So she moves her new lover in.
"The Substitute Wife"
(Lea Thomson, Farrah Fawcett)
Thomsons character is dying, and she finds Fawcett to be a new
wife for her husband. The family falls in love with the new woman
and then Thomson miraculously recovers. They decide to keep the
family together with both women.
"Summer Lovers"
(Darryl Hannah, Valerie Quenessen, Peter Gallagher)
A young American couple on a summer vacation in the Mediterranean
get involved with a French archaeologist.
"Threesome"
(Laura Flynn Boyle, Steven Baldwin, Josh Charles)
The story of 2 men and 1 woman who find themselves assigned to the
same dorm room, and the relationship that develops. Their multi-partner
relationship is portrayed in a very poly-friendly way.
"The Unbearable Lightness of Being"
(Daniel Day-Lewis, Lena Olin)
The womanizing Tomas falls in love with the monogamous Tereza, but
cannot give up his lover Sabina....Meanwhile, Russian tanks roll over
Prague...
"Willie and Phil"
(Michael Ontkean, Margot Kidder, Ray Sharkey)
Seventies movie about a polyamorous triad involved in the protest
movement. Somewhat of a remake of "Jules and Jim"
"The Wedding Banquet"
(Winston Chao, Mitchell Lichtenstein, May Chin)
In spite of his partner's reservations, a gay man and a starving artist
decide to marry, he to get his traditional, matchmaking parents off his
back and she to keep from being deported. Things get....complicated.
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