107 | Girls Like Girls: Hayley Kiyoko's Masterpiece is All That

Val, Lisa, and Courtney review the coming-of-age film Girls Like Girls, a late-summer story about grief, first love, and the messiness of being young in a small town. They dig into the film’s 2006 setting, its roots in Hayley Kiyoko’s viral music video, and why the father-daughter relationship becomes the emotional center of the movie.

Key topics

The film’s nostalgic 2006 setting and how life before social media shapes the characters’ choices

Cole’s grief, isolation, and adjustment to life with a father she barely knows

The story’s path from Hayley Kiyoko’s 2015 music video to the YA novel and feature adaptation

Cole and Sonia’s attraction, secret hangouts, and complicated relationship

Pressure, identity, and the tension between safety and authenticity

Controlling behavior and relationship red flags

Why the father-daughter relationship stands out as one of the film’s most moving elements

The difference between representation and a healthy relationship

Loveable Quote/s:

“We need to look at the quality of the relationship and the healthiness of the people engaged in the relationship