Appropriate Behavior (2014)

Shirin is struggling to become an ideal Persian daughter, politically correct bisexual and hip young Brooklynite but fails miserably in her attempt at all identities. Being without a cliché to hold onto can be a lonely experience.

Director:

Desiree Akhavan

Writer:

Desiree Akhavan (screenplay)

Stars:

Desiree Akhavan, Rebecca Henderson, Halley Feiffer

2 wins & 10 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Desiree Akhavan	...	Shirin
Rebecca Henderson	...	Maxine
Halley Feiffer	...	Crystal
Ryan Fitzsimmons	...	Brendan
Anh Duong	...	Nasrin
Hooman Majd	...	Mehrdad
Arian Moayed	...	Ali
Justine Cotsonas	...	Layli
Scott Adsit	...	Ken
Maryann Urbano	...	Jackie (as Maryan Urbano)
Michael Lonergan	...	Jacques
Annalisa Graziano	...	Felicia
D'Monaye D'Jara Careathers	...	Caribbean Nanny
Jake Katzman	...	Groucho
Kyle Ty Lewis	...	Kujo (as Kyle Lewis)

Storyline

For Shirin, being part of a perfect Persian family isn't easy. Acceptance eludes her from all sides: her family doesn't know she's bisexual, and her ex-girlfriend, Maxine, can't understand why she doesn't tell them. Even the six-year-old boys in her moviemaking class are too ADD to focus on her for more than a second. Following a family announcement of her brother's betrothal to a parentally approved Iranian prize catch, Shirin embarks on a private rebellion involving a series of pansexual escapades, while trying to decipher what went wrong with Maxine.

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Plot Keywords:

lesbian kiss | lesbian couple | f rated | lesbian cunnilingus | title directed by female | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

UK

Language:

English Persian

Release Date:

16 January 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Appropriate Behaviour

Filming Locations:

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Parkville Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Quotes

Maxine: Can't hold my thoughts still long enough to think them, I have to chase them.
Shirin: I know what you mean. The other day, I had a really good idea for a children's book while I was smoking weed and now I have no idea what it was.
Maxine: Keep smoking. You'll get it back.

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Connections

Features 200 (1975)

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Soundtracks

SHIRIN IN THE STREET
Written and performed by Josephine Wiggs
Published by Naked Mole Rat Music/BMI

User Reviews

Why movies written, directed, and starring the same person don't work.

Appropriate Behavior (2014) is a self-serving film writing by, directed by, and starring Desiree Akhaven. The movie follows Shirin, a twenty-something woman, who is tall, beautiful, bisexual, and of Iranian heritage. Sounds interesting, right? Wrong.

Shirin doesn't appear to have any connection to anything other than herself and her love life. We never see her display any interest in art, music, or theater. She isn't interested in politics or human rights. She's not particularly interested in her Iranian cultural heritage, except to decry it. She scorns her brother's perfect traditional fiancée, without realizing that this beautiful young woman is a pediatric plastic surgeon, specializing in burns.

OK--What is it that Shirin really likes? Drinking, dancing, and sex. Not too impressive a résumé, in my opinion. So . . . If you think you'll be charmed by a move with Shirin at its center, this is the film for you. If not, make a different choice. If you choose to see it, it will work well on DVD. We saw it at The Little Theatre as part of the fine ImageOut, the Rochester LGBT Film Festival.