She and her roommate and college professor Kia are in a coffee shop when they run into Ely, a hippieish woman with long braided hair, whom Max initially dismisses.

It takes on almost an episodic structure shows dialogue between close knit groups of lesbian friends and focusing on love and acceptance in a supporting community place.

Director Rose Troche described it as an "antidote to despair," highlighting how the film's joyous portrayal of community offered an alternative to the bleak landscape for LGBTQ+ people in cinema at the time.

[11] Director Rose Troche and co-writer/actress Guinevere Turner collaborated closely with friends, casting local acquaintances and filming in everyday locations, which allowed the narrative to feel rooted in reality and accessible to a broader audience.

By focusing on the lives, love, and friendships of lesbian women, Go Fish broke new ground in queer cinema, making it a significant cultural marker in LGBTQ+ representation and visibility.

[12] Rose Troche and Guinevere Turner read B. Ruby Rich's article "New Queer Cinema" in Sight and Sound and were inspired to contact Christine Vachon for production support.

The website's consensus reads: "With sensitive direction from Rose Troche and terrific work from co-writer/star Guinevere Turner, Go Fish plays a winning hand.

[19] Melissa Pierson of Entertainment Weekly gave the film a "B+", explaining her reasoning by writing that "In matters of both sex and artistic license, this is a rental to make you say, "Vive la difference"".