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Lianna
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===Critical response=== The staff at ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave the film a positive review and wrote "John Sayles again uses a keen intelligence and finely tuned ear to tackle the nature of friendship and loving in ''Lianna''." They especially praised the acting and the supporting characters' reactions to Lianna's lesbian affair.<ref>{{cite news|title=Review: Lianna|url=https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117792568.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0|access-date=January 25, 2008|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=December 31, 1982}}</ref> In his ''[[New York Times]]'' review, Vincent Canby wrote: "Though Mr. Sayles's methods are antidramatic, the film is full of the kind of middle-class desperation that seldom finds its way into movies, where emotions are usually bigger than life. ''Lianna'' is never dull but it is so finely tuned that one has to pay attention to receive it properly. It doesn't knock you off your feet, slam you against the wall or leave you gasping for breath. It's civilized."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=January 19, 1983 |title="'Lianna', Faculty Wife with Marital Woes" |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/19/movies/lianna-faculty-wife-with-marital-woes.html |access-date=November 1, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In a joint review of ''Lianna'' and another John Sayles film, ''[[Baby It's You (film)|Baby It's You]]'', [[Michael Sragow]] commented that Sayles has his strengths but is considerably overrated, and compared both films unfavorably to his earlier ''[[Return of the Secaucus 7]]''. He elaborated that ''Lianna'' is too ideologically single-minded while failing to offer any new insight or perspective on the subject of lesbianism. He also criticized the "truly embarrassing audiovisual montages", citing as an example the lesbian love scene being accompanied by the sounds of the women whispering in French.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Sragow |first=Michael |title=Lianna and Baby It's You|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]]|date=June 9, 1983 |issue=397|page=52|authorlink=Michael Sragow}}</ref> Reviewing ''Lianna''{{'}}s release on DVD, film critic [[Glenn Erickson]] called it "daring" and "sophisticated". He found the film's strongest point to be that rather than becoming a "melodrama" of scandal, it focuses on the protagonist's isolation and self-discovery. By his analysis, the film "sidesteps position statements and stresses intimate character touches. ''Lianna'' doesn't ask us to condemn or condone anything, but simply to be understanding and sympathetic with each other."<ref>[https://www.dvdtalk.com/dvdsavant/s963lianna.html Erickson, Glenn]. ''DVD Savant'', film review, November 18, 2003. Last accessed: January 25, 2008.</ref> Critics Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat wrote: "The screenplay by John Sayles is both congenial and wise... Viewers are sure to find much to savor in the moral and emotional confrontations. ''Lianna'' muses upon love, friendship, and camaraderie in a fresh but unspectacular way. It is an appealing movie worth experiencing."<ref>[http://www.spiritualityandpractice.com/films/films.php?id=8842 Brussat, Frederic and Mary Ann]. ''Spirituality & Practice'', film review, 1970β2007. Last accessed: February 28, 2008.</ref>
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