Liebe vor Gericht

Groundbreaking drama of lesbian mother (Rowlands), happily sharing a home with her lover (Alexander) and their respective children. Rowlands' children were previously unaware of the sexual relationship. When the oldest son finds out, he leaves and moves in with his father, who then proceeds to initiate legal proceedings to win custody of the other children. Extraordinarily well-acted and directed, with very little sentimentality and virtually no political dogma. This film set the standard for mature, thoughtful presentations of homosexuality in everyday life, and every one of the players is exceptional. Oddly, this received very little backlash at the time it first aired, while today it would bring the pious out in droves to stage protests and boycotts. As the forerunner of a long string of films tackling the subject matter in the 80s and 90s, this is the film to look at to see just how far we haven't come.