Go Fish

Critics Consensus

No consensus yet.

Movie Info

This hit arthouse ensemble piece traces the romantic and political ups and downs of a group of multicultural Chicago lesbians. The central story involves an unlikely romance between Max (Guinevere Turner), a hip young babe, and Ely (V.S. Brodie), a slightly older woman involved in a long-term, long-distance relationship that's basically a smokescreen for her fear of romantic risk. When the pair are introduced by Max's roommate, teacher/activist Kia (T. Wendy McMillan), Max isn't interested in Ely, whose long hair, hippie accoutrements, and fondness for decaffeinated herbal tea don't impress the younger, more fashion-conscious woman. Soon, though, fate, friends, and Ely's butch new hairstyle conspire to push the women closer together. As this new romance inches along, the pair's friends have problems of their own: Kia must help her closeted girlfriend, Evy (Migdalia Melendez), come to grips with the disapproval of her conservative Latina mother, while their pal Daria (Anastasia Sharp) incurs the disapproval of the lesbian community for her decision to sleep with a man. Filmed in black and white on-location in Chicago, Go Fish features a number of non-standard narrative devices, most notably the Greek chorus, or "jury," of lesbians who comment on not only the plot, but also the political and social ramifications thereof. Shown in competition at Sundance in 1994, Go Fish went on to earn critical and commercial success and establish the careers of director Rose Troche and actress Turner, who together co-wrote and co-produced the picture. Turner would appear in several additional indies and co-write the script for American Psycho, while Troche would go on to helm 1998's Bedrooms & Hallways.

Rating:

R
Genre:

Comedy, Drama, Romance, Gay & Lesbian
Directed By:

Rose Troche
Written By:

Guinevere Turner, Rose Troche
In Theaters:

Jun 1, 1995 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Jul 24, 2001
Runtime:

85 minutes
Studio:

Hallmark Entertainment

Cast

V.S. Brodie
as Ely

Guinevere Turner
as Max

T. Wendy McMillan
as Kia

Migdalia Melendez
as Evy

Anastasia Sharp
as Daria

Mary Garvey
as Student/Jury Member

Daniel Falcon
as Student/Jury Member

Tracy Kimme
as Student/Jury Member

Jennifer Allen
as Student

Walter Youngblood
as Student

Arthur C. Stone
as Student

Elizabeth Kydd
as Angry Student

Brooke Webster
as Mel

Mimi Wadell
as Mimi

Scout
as Haircutter

Susan Gregson
as Bride/Jury Member

Carolyn Kotlarski
as Bride/Jury Member

Joanna Brown
as Bride/Jury Member

Betty Jeannie Pejko
as Evy's Mother

Alfredo Troche
as Junior

JoAnne C. Willis
as Sam

Jonathan T. Vincent
as Boy

Jamika Ajalon
as Jury Member

Michael Cullom
as Jury Member

Marianna
as Herself

Shelly Schneider-Bello
as Bella

Stephanie Boles
as Alice

Julia LaFleur
as Andy

Lisa Raymond
as Dinner Guest

Nina Von Voss
as Dinner Guest

Dorothea Reichenbacher
as Della

View All

Critic Reviews for Go Fish

All Critics (17) | Top Critics (6)

Go Fish is a blithe and funkily stylish celebration of community -- a twentysomething girl-meets-girl comedy whose charm is in its matter-of-fact disregard for what a straight audience might think.

Feb 13, 2018 | Full Review…

David Ansen
Newsweek
Top Critic
The most significant lesbian film of the past 20 years, this comedy is refreshingly not about coming out--it challenges prevalent stereotypes about lesbians without the stiff and sanctimonious tone of films like Claire of the Moon.

Aug 2, 2006 | Rating: A-

Emanuel Levy
Variety
Top Critic
It pushed social boundaries back then and remains poignant today.

May 24, 2019 | Full Review…

Tom Meek
Cambridge Day
The writers Rose Troche (who directs) and Guinevere Turner (who plays the lead) switch deftly between sexual polemic, comedy of manners and budding romance.

Dec 7, 2017 | Full Review…

Quentin Curtis
Independent on Sunday
Rose Troche is credited as the film's director, co- writer, co-producer and editor, and it is in the last category that so far she shows most accomplishment.

Nov 14, 2017 | Full Review…

Adam Mars-Jones
Independent (UK)
The film's limited budget prompted some creative editing and filmmaking techniques.

Jul 2, 2003 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Michael W. Phillips, Jr.
Goatdog's Movies
Entertaining and spunky drama about lesbian love.

Aug 30, 2002 | Full Review…

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat
Spirituality and Practice
Go Fish features a largely non-professional cast -- and there are too many scenes where the players' lack of acting ability shows. The result is a labored quality.

Jan 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Chris Hicks
Deseret News (Salt Lake City)

View All Critic Reviews (17)

Audience Reviews for Go Fish

Nov 28, 2009

Rose Troche does a great job in directing this film. First of all, we see women though a woman's eye. It's unusual, and it focuses on completely different things, than what men usually pay attention to. Here we have an obsession with faces, eyes and hands- not boobs. Very refreshing from that point of view! Also the black & white photography maximizes the effort to capture all those sexually ambiguous women. The fact that I am only watching this film 15 years after it was made, is a shame. I wish I knew it was out there when I was first questioning myself and my identity. It would have been a tremendous step towards realizing that even freaks of nature (according to the western society's standards) deserve to be happy and can be loved. Love can be found in the weirdest of places. Ely maybe "U.G.L.Y." but she can make Max happy. Max has to give up on the idea of the ideal girlfriend, and explore more tangible options. I loved it, even though it's totally NOT "L word" and girls are not necessarily attractive and worn out in the gym.

Anastasia B Super Reviewer