Clea Creates

Don’t you just love it when good things continue to happen to good people? I’ve been a Clea DuVall fan for well over a quarter century (which, ouch, I old). Of course 2000’s “But I’m a Cheerleader” cemented my eternal love for her work. But over the years it’s been extremely gratifying to watch her blossom as a filmmaker and director. And I think those of us who can remember her long-ago closeted days (I still have that OUT magazine somewhere with her and Natasha Lyonne posing as two ostensibly straight actors), feel even more gratified that her body of work behind the camera continues to be out and proud. From “Happiest Season” (yes, I know, it had its problems but STILL) to “High School” (which was criminally underappreciated, go watch it on FreeVee, it’s FREE), she is forging a super gay path filled with super interesting work. You love to see it!

So I’m thrilled to see that her next two projects appear to both center women and at least for one have queer storylines. It’s been announced that Clea will write and direct the series “Perfume & Pain” as well as direct the film “ Abbi and the Eighth Wonder.”

The latter is a “female-driven comedy adventure film.” There isn’t much else out there about the plot right now, but according to a script review site the period piece set in the 1930s follows the female assistant to a famous, and famously misogynist explorer, who dies suddenly and decides to take his place adventuring. She teams up with a female gossip columnist named Jo, and try to find the Eighth Wonder of the World. (The script review site was also sad that the misogynist explorer explorer was killed off and the story instead featured two women working together with a “feminism is awesome” theme, so take it all with a snow shovel of salt.) I don’t know if anything gay happens, but it has a female character named Jo, so there’s that.

Meanwhile Clea’s TV project “Perfume & Pain” does have explicit sapphic themes. The series is described as ““a sexy and twisted character drama following a hopelessly romantic and equally reckless sapphic novelist on the verge of superstardom and simultaneously total self-destruction – depending which way the wind blows and what pill she pops next. Astrid will need to write her own deliverance into healing, true love, and success… before she succumbs to the vices that threaten to tear her apart.” The series is being produced by Christine Vachon’s extremely queer-friendly Killer Films. So, you know, that’s exciting.

I don’t know when either project will be completed (they both seem to be in the early stages without any cast attached). But, goodness, will we have a county of Clea-created goodness to look forward to.

p.s. The crush I had on Clea circa her Graham Era remains undefeated, greasy hair and all.