This is a remake of Jane Chambers' Last Summer at Bluefish Cove, one of the first mainstream lesbian theatrical productions. However, this film takes away some of the plot elements that made the play so strong (coming out, career, etc.) and simply goes for a plot centred on closure and healing for the two protagonists of this film, Liz, one of a group of lesbian friends enjoying a weekend at their beachside hideaway, but with a dark secret (she has terminal cancer), and Eva, whose car breaks down nearby, forcing her to stay with Liz's group of friends (she is, of course, unaware that she is the only heterosexual in the whole place). One of Liz's friends dares her to try to sleep with Eva during the weekend, which forms the basis for everything to come. However, this is when everything starts going off the rails. Eva starts out as a newbie in the group to the care-taker and lover of Liz in the blink of an eye, a transformation that does not seem realistic in the slightest. It also botches its handling of the cancer plot line, which could add a lot to the film. Its veering back-and-forth from serious elements of the film – Eva's recently deceased son, and Liz's cancer – to the lighthearted aspects, like the incessant scheming of the friends to prevent Eva from leaving. The film suffers because of its maladroit handling of its plot, and in my opinion, it never recovers from it. This is not to say that the film does not have positive aspects. The film provides a feast for the eyes. The physical environment of the film is postcard-worthy, and the cast is composed of attractive women, which makes the implausible and frustrating plot a little more tolerable. But I don't think I'd watch this film again if given the opportunity.
Review of Liz in September
