My Two Loves

Did You Know?

• The film was originally set in St. Louis, but producer Alvin Cooperman rewrote the script after a week to make the location San Antonio.
• Gail Springer, a recently widowed single mother, takes a job as a chef and enters a relationship with her boss Marjorie after Marjorie confesses she is gay.
• Gail's daughter does not approve of Ben's attempts to woo her, and Gail's mother does not approve of her relationship with Marjorie.

Reception

Hal Erickson of Allmovie called the film groundbreaking and gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars, noting that one of Gail's loves is her late husband's business partner while the other is her female best friend. He described the film as impeccably tasteful and refreshingly honest at its conclusion. Jeff Jarvis of People gave the film a C−, writing that it deals only with bisexuality and that the lead actresses show no passion, making the movie feel lifeless.

LGBT significance

The film is noted for its early television portrayal of a lesbian relationship. Gene Elder of outinusa.com observed that at the time of its release in January 1986, the community still referred to itself as the GL community, shortly adding the B to become GLB, with the T coming much later. The Fort Walton Beach Playground Daily News ran an article headlined 'Lynn Redgrave enjoys challenging roles' on April 5, 1986, and the News-Press of Fort Myers, Florida ran an article headlined 'ABC tackles once-taboo subject of bisexuality' on April 6, 1986.

The Dayton Daily News of Dayton, Ohio ran an article headlined ''My Two Loves' takes lesbianism one step further' on April 7, 1986. John J. O'Connor of The New York Times wrote that television has generally been uneasy about lesbians, and that the film approaches the subject with candor and sympathy but then discreetly withdraws before difficult decisions have to be made. He praised Hartley and Redgrave for transcending the script's inhibitions, noting that passion between the women is restricted to tentative hugging and washing each other's hair.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Lynn Redgrave said she had played a nun, a hooker, a bisexual, and a saint, and did not find playing a lesbian hard. Mariette Hartley said the role could affect her career, and that her publicist had to call Celestial Seasonings Tea to inform them she would play a bisexual, adding that it was a curious feeling to think she could lose her contract by playing such a role.