Best movies like Boys on the Side
Last updated March 2024
Looking for movies similar to Boys on the Side? Contribute your insights to steer others toward movies and tv series you've seen before that may also fascinate them. Support broadening the circle of people referring videos between each other. We appreciate your engagement!
Plot Summary:
After breaking up with her girlfriend, a nightclub singer, Jane, answers a personal ad from Robin, a real estate agent with AIDS, seeking a cross-country travel partner. On their journey from New York City to Los Angeles, the two stop by Pittsburgh to pick up Robin's friend Holly, who is trying to escape an abusive relationship. With three distinct personalities, the women must overcome their differences to help one another.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA, France
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: road movie, sentimental, touching, emotional, erotic, thought provoking, lgbt cinema, cult classic, hilarious, humorous
Best tv shows and movies like Boys on the Side (1995):
Similar in 86%
Grandma (2015)
Plot Summary:
Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her past and Sage to confront her future.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 79 min
Plot tags: road movie, depressing, suspense, humorous, semi serious, sincere, realistic, feel good, social, witty
Similar in 81%
Outrageous! (1977)
Plot Summary:
Gay hair stylist Robin Turner does a lot of work for drag queens, all the while dreaming that he'll someday find the courage to perform in drag himself. When his schizophrenic friend, Liza, turns up looking for a place to stay, he little suspects that she'll be the one to finally motivate him. But over time the two form an increasingly tight bond, Robin helping Liza through an unplanned pregnancy and Liza pushing Robin to develop a successful nightclub act.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Canada
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: thinking, independent film, clever, touching, offbeat, humorous, realistic, witty, semi serious, queer cinema
Similar in 87%
Please Give (2010)
Plot Summary:
In New York City, a husband and wife butt heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives in the apartment the couple owns.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: depressing, melancholic, sincere, humorous, semi serious, clever, touching, philosophical, smart, indie film
Similar in 82%
Walking and Talking (1996)
Plot Summary:
Things have been tough lately for Amelia. Her best friend moved out of the apartment, her cat got cancer, and now her best friend, Laura, is getting married. She copes with things, from the help of Andrew, Frank, Laura, and a brief romance with Bill "The Ugly Guy".
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA, Germany, France
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: humorous, touching, romantic, independent film, clever, realistic, witty, emotional, entertaining, erotic
Similar in 86%
Metroland (1997)
Plot Summary:
After ten years absence Toni, Chris's best friend, suddenly reappears in London to bring chaos and doubt into Chris's calm, tranquil, slightly boring, predictable life. Chris starts to remember his carefree youth as a photographer in Paris when he lived with and enjoyed a torrid affair with Annick. It was also in Paris that he first met and fell in love with Marion. The temptations and pressure exerted on Chris by Toni to return to their former carefree life of sex, drugs and rock'n'roll soon starts to have an impact on Chris's marriage. He starts to question his values, his lifestyle choices and his relationship with Marion and even suspects her of starting an affair with Toni whom she dislikes! Eventually circumstances come to a head and Chris is forced to decide whether to follow Toni back to the hedonistic, irresponsible life of his youth or face the harsh realities of the present and stay with Marion.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Spain, France, UK
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: cult classic, sexual, comedy drama, sentimental, touching, humorous, realistic, semi serious, crying, weeping
Similar in 86%
Crazy in Alabama (1999)
Plot Summary:
An abused wife heads to California to become a movie star while her nephew back in Alabama has to deal with a racially-motivated murder involving a corrupt sheriff.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 7000
Genere: Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: humorous, stylized, intense, captivating, gothic, touching, realistic, semi serious, crying, road movie
Similar in 76%
Home Fries (1998)
Plot Summary:
Dorian and Angus chase down their womanizing stepfather with a helicopter, frightening him to death. In his effort to cover their tracks, Dorian begins investigating his stepfather's mistress, Sally. She works at a fast-food drive-through, she's pregnant and Dorian quickly falls in love with her. Unfortunately, his scheming mother wants Sally dead. And Sally isn't sure she wants Dorian to be her child's father and also his brother.
IMDB Rating: 5.1
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, black comedy, offbeat, humorous, realistic, semi serious, light, romantic, road movie, sexy
Similar in 90%
Chutney Popcorn (1999)
Plot Summary:
Reena is a young Indian American lesbian who lives and works in New York. Her sister Sarita, who is happily married, discovers that she is infertile. Reena offers to be a surrogate mother for her sister's baby, hoping to improve her relationship with their mother, who disapproves of Reena's sexual orientation. Reena has second thoughts when her girlfriend Lisa feels left out.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: multicultural, independent film, clever, touching, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious, queer cinema
Similar in 84%
Muriel's Wedding (1994)
Plot Summary:
Muriel’s Wedding is P.J. Hogan’s film debut. A humorous emancipation story of an unemployed woman who evolves from a dreamer into a self sustaining successful woman. An amusing comedy that’s funny, silly, angry and serious.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Australia, France
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: funny, light, humorous, melancholic, sweet, emotional, sentimental, realistic, feel good, semi serious
Similar in 90%
The Opposite of Sex (1998)
Plot Summary:
A 16-year-old girl visits her gay half-brother and ends up seducing his boyfriend, thus wreaking havoc on all of their lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: biting, dark comedy, independent film, black comedy, teen, erotic, humorous, witty, talky, sexual
Similar in 87%
Nowhere (1997)
Plot Summary:
The third film in a trilogy by writer-director Gregg Araki. Described as "90210 on acid", the film tells the story of a day in the lives of a group of high school kids in Los Angeles and the strange lives they lead.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: France, USA
Duration: 82 min
Plot tags: surreal, independent film, stylized, futuristic, erotic, disturbing, cult classic, sexual, mind bending, slasher
Similar in 81%
Strange Relations (2001)
Plot Summary:
Drama - A NYC psychiatrist is diagnosed with leukemia - and when he finds out he was adopted, he travels to England in search of his birth mother and some answers. - Paul Reiser, Amber Sealey, Lachele Carl.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 807
Genere: Drama, Comedy
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: touching, humorous, emotional, semi serious, realistic, crying
Similar in 86%
Breakfast on Pluto (2005)
Plot Summary:
In the 1970s, a foundling lad, Patrick "Kitten" Braden, comes of age by leaving his Irish town for London, in part to look for his mother and in part because his trans-gender nature is beyond the town's understanding.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: Ireland, UK
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: surreal, touching, sentimental, compassionate, sincere, serious, stylized, emotional, dark comedy, indie film
Similar in 80%
Steel Magnolias (1989)
Plot Summary:
This heart wrenching drama is about a beauty shop, in Louisana owned by Truvy, and the tragedies of all of her clients.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 62000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: touching, sentimental, sad, inspirational, emotional, tear jerker, sweet, compassionate, sincere, romantic
Similar in 81%
Happy Endings (2005)
Plot Summary:
An ensemble cast telling 10 stories with intertwining characters. One story is about a father and son who are dating the same woman . Another features a woman who long ago gave her baby up for adoption but is now being blackmailed by a documentary filmmaker who claims to know the now-grown child's whereabouts.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: semi serious, clever, psychological, captivating, disturbing, twisted, sexy, sentimental, humorous, realistic
Similar in 85%
Running with Scissors (2006)
Plot Summary:
Young Augusten Burroughs absorbs experiences that could make for a shocking memoir: the son of an alcoholic father and an unstable mother, he's handed off to his mother's therapist, Dr. Finch, and spends his adolescent years as a member of Finch's bizarre extended family.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: disturbing, stylized, intense, touching, realistic, talky, humorous, tragicomedy, psychological, cult classic
Similar in 79%
The Kids Are All Right (2010)
Plot Summary:
Two women, Nic and Jules, brought a son and daughter into the world through artificial insemination. When one of their children reaches age, both kids go behind their mothers' backs to meet with the donor. Life becomes so much more interesting when the father, two mothers and children start to become attached to each other.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 134000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA, France
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: touching, independent film, sexy, witty, sexual, semi serious, comedy drama, sincere, realistic, feel good
Similar in 88%
All About My Mother (1999)
Plot Summary:
A single mother in Madrid sees her only son die on his birthday as he runs to seek an actress' autograph. Beside herself with grief, she returns to Barcelona to tell the boy's father about the death of the son he never knew he had.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 102000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Spain, France
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sad, hispanic, art house, sincere, touching, emotional, realistic, controversial, stylized, sensual
Similar in 79%
Show Me Love (1998)
Plot Summary:
Åmål is a small insignificant town where nothing ever happens, where the latest trends are out of date when they get there. Young Elin has a bit of a bad reputation when it comes to guys, but the fact is that she has never done *it*. Another girl in her school, Agnes, is in love with her but is too shy to do anything about it. For different reasons, Elin ends up at Agnes' birthday party as the only guest. They have a girl's night out together but after that Elin desperately avoids Agnes, refusing to even consider her own homosexuality.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 55000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Sweden, Denmark
Duration: 89 min
Plot tags: sexual, heartbreaking, teen, sentimental, emotional, cult classic, realistic, touching, lgbt cinema, art house
Similar in 90%
Kissing Jessica Stein (2001)
Plot Summary:
Jessica, a Jewish copy editor living and working in New York City, is plagued by failed blind dates with men, and decides to answer a newspaper's personal advertisement. The advertisement has been placed by 'lesbian-curious' Helen Cooper, a thirtysomething art gallerist.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: romantic, touching, feel good, humorous, romantic comedy, independent film, realistic, talky, sex comedy, offbeat
Similar in 76%
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love (1995)
Plot Summary:
An adventurous love story between two young women of different social and economic backgrounds who find themselves going through all the typical struggles of a new romance.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: teen, independent film, sentimental, sincere, touching, lgbt cinema, semi serious, crying, realistic, humorous
Similar in 88%
Saving Face (2004)
Plot Summary:
A Chinese-American lesbian and her traditionalist mother are reluctant to go public with secret loves that clash against cultural expectations.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: romantic, touching, sexy, humorous, romantic comedy, intercultural, realistic, witty, lgbt cinema, sex comedy
Similar in 86%
But I'm a Cheerleader (1999)
Plot Summary:
Megan is an all-American girl. A cheerleader. She has a boyfriend. But Megan doesn't like kissing her boyfriend very much. And she's pretty touchy with her cheerleader friends. Her conservative parents worry that she must be a lesbian and send her off to "sexual redirection" school, where she must learn how to be straight.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: feel good, funny, surreal, sexual, cult classic, hilarious, teen, dark comedy, clever, touching
Similar in 85%
The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)
Plot Summary:
A down-on-his-luck crab fisherman embarks on a journey to get a young man with Down syndrome to a professional wrestling school in rural North Carolina and away from the retirement home where he’s lived for the past two and a half years.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 99000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: touching, inspirational, uplifting, sincere, independent film, feel good, southern gothic, captivating, funny, motivational
Similar in 84%
Tumbleweeds (1999)
Plot Summary:
A woman constantly runs from town to town with her 12 year old daughter to escape failed relationships. The film opens with one escape and the shift into a new start in San Diego. There Mom takes up with a controlling trucker and fights with her weirdo boss. Meanwhile, the daughter, used to making the constant shifts, finds a fit at school including getting chosen for a play lead.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: touching, road movie, feel good, realistic, sentimental, talky, entertaining, sincere, humorous, semi serious
Similar in 82%
Mr. Church (2016)
Plot Summary:
A unique friendship develops when a little girl and her dying mother inherit a cook - Mr. Church. What begins as an arrangement that should only last six months, instead spans fifteen years.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: sad, sentimental, compassionate, emotional, melancholic, touching, dramatic, motivational, sincere, thought provoking
Similar in 79%
Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
Plot Summary:
A family loaded with quirky, colorful characters piles into an old van and road trips to California for little Olive to compete in a beauty pageant.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 508000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: road movie, feel good, funny, melancholic, independent film, emotional, black comedy, dark comedy, sweet, humorous
Similar in 80%
Terms of Endearment (1983)
Plot Summary:
Aurora and Emma are mother and daughter who march to different drummers. Beginning with Emma's marriage, Aurora shows how difficult and loving she can be. The movie covers several years of their lives as each finds different reasons to go on living and find joy. Aurora's interludes with Garrett Breedlove, retired astronaut and next door neighbor are quite striking.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 64000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: tear jerker, touching, emotional, sad, heartbreaking, sentimental, compassionate, romantic, crying, realistic
Similar in 79%
Stepmom (1998)
Plot Summary:
Jackie is a divorced mother of two. Isabel is the career minded girlfriend of Jackie’s ex-husband Luke, forced into the role of unwelcome stepmother to their children. But when Jackie discovers she is ill, both women realise they must put aside their differences to find a common ground and celebrate life to the fullest, while they have the chance.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 73000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sad, inspirational, touching, emotional, tear jerker, heartbreaking, romantic, romantic comedy, depressing
Similar in 82%
Fried Green Tomatoes (1991)
Plot Summary:
Amidst her own personality crisis, southern housewife Evelyn Couch meets Ninny, an outgoing old woman who tells her the story of Idgie Threadgoode and Ruth Jamison, two young women who experienced hardships and love in Whistle Stop, Alabama in the 1920s.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 80000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: feel good, sentimental, touching, captivating, inspirational, sad, tear jerker, heartbreaking, emotional, realistic