Fairyland review – moving memoir of queer parenting and new kinds of family in 70s San Francisco

May 26, 2026 - 19:32

The new film "Fairyland" offers a deeply moving look at queer parenting and the creation of unconventional families against the backdrop of 1970s San Francisco. Based on Alysia Abbott's memoir, the story follows a young girl raised by her gay father in a city that was both a haven for counterculture and a place of profound personal struggle. The movie avoids sentimental cliches, instead presenting a raw and honest portrait of a father and daughter navigating love, loss, and identity.

Set in the Haight-Ashbury district, the narrative captures the freedom and chaos of the era. The father, Steve Abbott, is a poet and a free spirit, trying to build a life for himself and his daughter after the death of his wife. The film does not shy away from the difficulties of this arrangement, including the father's own search for community and intimacy, which sometimes clashes with his responsibilities. The daughter, Alysia, grows up surrounded by artists, activists, and drag queens, learning about family not as a fixed structure but as a chosen network of support.

What makes "Fairyland" stand out is its refusal to treat its subject as a simple triumph or tragedy. It acknowledges the pain of the AIDS crisis that would later devastate this community, but it also celebrates the joy and creativity of the time. The performances are understated and powerful, capturing the quiet moments of connection and the unspoken tensions between parent and child. This is not a film about perfect people, but about real ones trying to love each other in a world that often did not understand them. It is a testament to the resilience of queer families and a reminder that the bonds we choose can be just as strong as the ones we are born into.