''Claire of the Moon'' is a 1992

lesbian A lesbian is a homosexual woman or girl. The word is also used for women in relation to their sexual identity or sexual behavior, regardless of sexual orientation, or as an adjective to characterize or associate nouns with female homosexu ...

-themed

erotic Eroticism () is a quality that causes sexual feelings, as well as a philosophical contemplation concerning the aesthetics of sexual desire, sensuality, and romantic love. That quality may be found in any form of artwork, including painting, sculp ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. The drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular ...

directed by

Nicole Conn Nicole Conn (born October 29, 1959) is an American film director, novelist, producer, and screenwriter most famous for her debut feature, the lesbian love story '' Claire of the Moon'' (1992). Her screenplay for ''Claire of the Moon'' was also ...

and starring Trisha Todd and Karen Trumbo.

Plot

''Claire of the Moon'' is set in the 1990s in the Pacific Northwest. Claire Jabrowski (Todd), a famous heterosexual author, decides to attend a retreat for all-female writers. Claire's roommate at the retreat is Dr. Noel Benedict, author of a book called ''The Naked Truth''. The movie culminates in a sexual encounter between the two authors.

Synopsis

Claire Jabrowski (Trisha Todd) is a famous writer who has just broken up with her boyfriend and is stricken with a mild case of

writer's block Writer's block is a non-medical condition, primarily associated with writing, in which an author is either unable to produce new work or experiences a creative slowdown. Writer's block has various degrees of severity, from difficulty in coming ...

. She drives from her home in Los Angeles to coastal Oregon where she has signed herself up to attend the all-women's Arcadia Writers Retreat. After arriving, Claire is assigned to share a cabin with psychiatrist Dr. Noel Benedict (Karen Trumbo), the author of a sex therapy book titled, ''The Naked Truth'', and who is attending the retreat to find inspiration for her next book. Claire and Noel do not get along with each other for Noel is uptight and annoyed by Claire's disorderly habits involving writing and fashion sense. Claire, Noel and the other writers attend weekly group meetings to discuss their work and gender politics, moderated by Maggie (Faith McDevitt). At one meeting, Noel comes out to the group by admitting that she is a lesbian which disturbs the group's brash, Southern-accented romance novelist Tara O'Hara (Caren Graham). Noel later complains to Maggie about Claire and her habits, but Maggie insists that Claire will help Noel loosen up. Bored with the retreat, Claire drives to nearby Portland one evening where she meets and seduces a man named Brian (Damon Craig) that she meets at a local bar. The next morning, Noel proposes they establish a set of house rules, but Claire's messiness continues to irritate her. One night at the bar, Noel feels alienated as Tara and the other heterosexual women discuss penis size. When Brian approaches their table to say hello to Claire, Noel abruptly leaves. Sometime later, Claire is disturbed by a dream about kissing Noel, and she resumes her relationship with Brian. Another evening or two later at the bar, Noel and Claire get into a debate about intimacy between men and women. Noel buys Claire a drink to apologize for their disagreements. Claire questions Noel about the logistics of lesbian sexual intercourse, claiming she has an "academic" interest in the subject. One evening at the cabin, Claire claims she is bored and suggests she and Noel play backgammon and drink tequila. When she loses the game, Claire agrees to impart the details of a sexual fantasy. Noel counters with her personal story, but begins to imagine Claire as her sexual partner. Claire's bond with Noel continues to deepen, despite that Claire continuing to maintain that she is straight and becomes very confused to why she is attracted to Noel. One night, the writers group all get drunk and have a dance party, and Claire pulls Noel into a close embrace. Just as they are about to kiss, one of the other women bursts into tears over her recent fallout with her husband. Claire and Noel return to their cabin intoxicated, and Claire suggests they have sex. Noel refuses to get involved with a straight woman, thinking that Claire's attraction to her stems from curiosity. Claire backs down and insists she is simply afraid to act on impulse. The next day, Noel reads Claire's latest novel and Claire goes for a jog on the beach, falling to her knees in distress. Later, the women meet while walking through the sand. They kiss, then return to their cabin where they finally make love for the first time.

Cast

* Trisha Todd as Claire Jabrowski * Karen Trumbo as Dr. Noel Benedict * Faith McDevitt as Maggie * Craig Damon (credited as Damon Craig) as Brian * Caren Graham as Tara O'Hara * Sheila Dickenson (credited as Sheila Dickinson) as B.J. * Patricia Blem as Arrow * Melissa Mitchell as Adrienne King * Gathering Marbet as Amy * Sherilyn Lawson as Lynn Schroeder * Doug Rouhier as Mr. 501 * Misty Cooper as Noel's Fantasy Woman

Reception

The film received solid reviews from the ''

Los Angeles Reader ''Los Angeles Reader'' was a weekly paper established in 1978 and distributed in Los Angeles, United States. It followed the format of the (still-active) ''Chicago Reader''. The paper was known for having lengthy, thoughtful reviews of movies, ...

'' and was successful in

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Seattle Seattle ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Washington and in the Pacific Northwest region of North America. With a population of 780,995 in 2024, it is the 18th-most populous city in the United States. The city is the cou ...

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Portland Portland most commonly refers to: *Portland, Oregon, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Oregon *Portland, Maine, the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maine *Isle of Portland, a tied island in the English Channel Portland may also r ...

and the entire

Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose. The Association of Bay Area Governments ...

with the exception of

San Francisco San Francisco, officially the City and County of San Francisco, is a commercial, Financial District, San Francisco, financial, and Culture of San Francisco, cultural center of Northern California. With a population of 827,526 residents as of ...

. However, lesbian critics gave the film poor reviews. Conn described ''Claire'' "...as a social phenomenon in the sense that it divided and explored the vast differences between the political dyke and Jane Q. Lesbo."

References

External links