Loving Annabelle is a film about a troubled teen named Annabelle (Erin Kelly) who is forced into a Catholic private school after getting kicked out of several other schools. Once there, she falls in love with her poetry teacher, Simone Bradley (Diane Gaidry), and they enter into a controversial relationship.
This film contains examples of:
- Ambiguously Bi: It's unclear if Ms. Bradley is bisexual (as she's with a man, and shown having sex with him) or just a closeted lesbian in denial trying to pretend she's straight (also possible, given her unhappiness, which he senses).
- Bathtub Scene: Ms. Bradley is shown in the bath a couple of times with her nipples seen.
- The Beard: Ms. Bradley's boyfriend may be hers, though her sexuality is unclear.
- Boarding School: Annabelle is sent to a Catholic boarding school by her mother, as she's been expelled from her past two schools. We're told that if she's expelled from this as well, she'll go to military school. It doesn't work, and she will likely be sent there in the wake of the film's events.
- Broken Bird: Ms. Bradley seems depressed and withdrawn over the loss of her girlfriend years ago, plus her repressed attraction to women.
- The Bully: Katherine, especially towards Colins. Annabelle defends Colins as best she can.
- Catholic Schoolgirls Rule: All of the school girls wear the stereotypical uniform, while none of them we see actually follows Catholic rules on sexuality (Annabelle being a prime example, with her same-sex affair).
- Caught in the Rain: Annabelle and Ms. Bradley kiss in the rain during the school dance.
- Downer Ending: Ms. Bradley is arrested over having sex with Annabelle (who's underage), and will likely go to prison or at least get registered as a sex offender. Certainly, her teaching career is over, along with their affair. Annabelle can only watch heartbroken as the police escort her lover away, placing her most prized possession, the prayer beads that her girlfriend gave to her, in Ms. Bradley's hand before they took her.
- Revised Ending: The DVD contains an extended ending where the charges against Ms. Bradley are dropped according to a newspaper article, and an overjoyed Annabelle heads to her beach house, either to join her or to wait for her.
- Forbidden Love: The Catholic school doesn't want Annabelle and Ms. Bradley to be together because they're female... while Annabelle's seventeen too, making their relationship illegal (plus Ms. Bradley's her teacher).
- Gayngst: Ms. Bradley clearly suffers anxiety over her attraction to women. Partly it's no doubt because Ms. Bradley is a Catholic, but also with Annabelle as the latter is her student.
- Good Shepherd: Father Harris, the school's resident priest, is a kind man who often tells jokes and does all he can to help his flock (though he isn't aware of all their troubles).
- High-School Dance: The school stages one. It's this event that draws together Annabelle and Ms. Bradley at last.
- Illegal Religion: Annabelle is not permitted to have Buddhist prayer beads, presumably as it's a Catholic school. It isn't that she's Buddhist herself (they're a memento from her girlfriend), but the effect is the same. She's punished for first refusing this by wearing a huge crucifix but gives in later.
- Jailbait Taboo: Annabelle is seventeen, yet Ms. Bradley (after resisting for most of the film) has sex with her. In the end, when it's learned they slept together, she's arrested.
- Last-Name Basis: Simone Bradley, who's almost always referred to as "Ms. Bradley", given that she's a teacher. Only her aunt, head teacher Mother Immaculata, calls her Simone.
- Lingerie Scene: Played for Drama. Mother Immaculata catches Ms. Bradley and Annabelle while they're putting on their clothes (they only got to the underwear when she came in) after the pair had sex, revealing their relationship.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Annabelle, who's pretty feminine (though perhaps with a slight tomboyish streak), while Ms. Bradley (assuming she's not bisexual) would also be an example with her even more traditional looks.
- The Lost Lenore: Ms. Bradley's first girlfriend died years ago-she keeps her cross as a memento. It also subtly overshadows the film, as it's implied she's mourned ever since, and repressed her attraction to women (possibly both due to being Catholic, plus avoiding further heartbreak).
- Meaningful Name: Mother Immaculata, a Catholic nun who runs the school, referencing the doctrine of Immaculate Conception in regard to Mary.
- Queer Romance: Annabelle, a rebellious student at a Catholic boarding school, is quickly drawn to her female teacher Ms. Bradley, who returns her feelings, and they get into a relationship.
- Secret Relationship: Annabelle and Ms. Bradley have one, more to keep Ms. Bradley from getting arrested than because of it being same-sex (though the Catholic school they're at doesn't like that of course).
- Self-Harm: Colins is shown to cut herself, probably to deal with her social anxiety and getting bullied.
- Smoking Is Cool: Katherine and Annabelle, the cool girls of their dorm, are smokers.
- Teacher/Student Romance: Annabelle is very attracted to her teacher Ms. Bradley. Ms. Bradley reciprocates her attraction but initially resists given that she's her teacher. However, she eventually gives in and they start a relationship.
- Tragic Keepsake:
- Annabelle carried Buddhist prayer beads her girlfriend had, whom she's been forcibly separated from.
- Simone is shown to keep her dead girlfriend's crucifix.
- Unresolved Sexual Tension: The entire movie up until the climax and prompt ending has this by Annabelle with Ms. Bradley.
