Porcupine Lake

Porcupine Lake is a more personally relatable WLW movie to me than most. The film takes place in Canadian cottage country. This is a place I spent a lot of my summers including, like the protagonist, my 13th year. Unlike the protagonist of Porcupine Lake however, I never met a girl who confirmed to me that I liked girls during one of these summers. A shame, really as that would’ve saved me several years’ worth of sexual confusion.

The film follows Bea, a shy and anxious 13 year old. Her father has got a job at a restaurant in a small, vacation town. So, Bea and her family move there for the summer. Here, Bea meets Kate. More outgoing than Bea and less socially awkward, Kate decides that her and Bea are now best friends. The girls spend their days together mostly doing normal friendship stuff but occasionally also awkwardly kissing. Unfortunately, Bea’s mother doesn’t approve of Kate who is from the wrong side of the Canadian tracks. Kate idolizes her older brother but he has impulse control and anger issues and involvement with some questionable people. However, at Bea’s home, her parents aren’t getting along and Bea is terrified that they might get divorced.

My main drawback to the film is I kept asking myself, does this movie have an important story to tell? Not really. But also yes. There is little conflict and much of it will be resolved or even undone by the simple passage of time. However, I do think there is huge benefit in telling stories of younger characters experiencing queer feelings. There aren’t many films about a character this young having less than straight feelings. So for that reason, Porcupine Lake sets itself apart. Had the protagonist been a few years older, my opinion on this would definitely change.

Porcupine Lake excels in depicting an innocent in its characters even as they are exploring the first blushes of romantic feelings. Honestly, it’s maybe too innocent. The girls steal a topless calendar from a shop in town and that’s the most titillating thing they can think of. I guess there’s no internet in Porcupine Lake. The lack of internet does feel unlikely but it allows for a more timeless coming-of-age story. The activities Bea and Kate get up to could happen in the 60’s or present day.

Overall, Porcupine Lake is a success. It makes excellent use of a Canadian setting and manages to tell an innocent story about budding sexuality. But as I mentioned, I am biased in its favour as this movie is more relatable to me personally than both. I do ultimately celebrate the film for innocently exploring the first romantic and queer feelings of such a young character with respect and class. But is this a movie I’ll ever rewatch? Probably not.

Overall rating: 6.3/10

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