History Film / Gia

* BodyHorror: Gia's mother Kathleen describing the effect AIDS had on her body posthumous.

* FaceDeathWithDignity: Knowing she's going to die from AIDS, Gia makes arrangements for her funeral and bids farewell with her loved ones one last time,

* LastSecondChance: Linda offers one to Gia, choose her or the drugs.

* ParentalSubstitute: Wilhelmina became this to Gia, which made her death all the more devastating.

* RapeAsDrama: A very effective example, when Gia is raped by her drug dealer.

[[quoteright:320:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/gia_dress_muff_618.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:320:She's dressed as though she's in a fairy tale... when her life was anything but.]]

* ISurrenderSuckers: Gia seems to have chosen Linda over the hardcore drugs -- only to take them back not a second later and walk out.

* TakeThat: At one point, a group of big-wig fashion industry people are in a meeting being led by someone who is clearly based on Anna Wintour. Also while looking at photos of various models (which she declares them as "boring", "fat", or even ''"too dumb"''), she then sees a picture of a blonde, smiling model which makes her yell out, "Oh, God! I am so sick of seeing ''her'' face!" The model is never identified, but good candidates could be either Christie Brinkley or Cheryl Tiegs.

* FashionModel: Gia models many clothes in the movie.

* TragicAIDSStory: Being about model Gia Marie Carangi, it shows her substance abuse problem and subsequent infection from an HIV-infected needle leading to her death complications from AIDS at the age of 26.

The film follows Gia as she moves to New York City to become a fashion model, immediately catching the attention of powerful agent Wilhelmina Cooper. Gia's attitude and beauty help her rise quickly to the forefront of the modelling industry, but her persistent loneliness drives her to experiment with mood-altering drugs like cocaine. She becomes entangled in a passionate affair with Linda, a make-up artist. However, after a while, Linda begins to worry about Gia's drug use, and their relationship starts to fall apart. Failed attempts at reconciliation with Linda and with her mother drive Gia to begin abusing heroin. Although she is eventually able to break her drug habit after much effort, she has already contracted HIV by a needle containing infected blood and dies from complications from AIDS in 1986 at the age of 26.

''Gia'' is a 1998 television {{biopic}} about the life and death of model Gia Marie Carangi. The film stars Creator/AngelinaJolie in the title role, alongside Creator/FayeDunaway, Mercedes Ruehl, and Creator/ElizabethMitchell, and was directed by Michael Cristofer. It was broadcast on {{Creator/HBO}}. Jolie and Dunaway both won Golden Globe awards for their roles.

* DownerEnding: As it's based on a real person's tragic life.

* DownerBeginning: The beginning shows Gia as a child witnessing her parent's abusive marriage and her mother walking out on the family.

''Gia'' is a 1998 television {{biopic}} about the life and death of model Gia Marie Carangi. The film stars Creator/AngelinaJolie in the title role, alongside Creator/FayeDunaway, Mercedes Ruehl and Creator/ElizabethMitchell, and was directed by Michael Cristofer. It was broadcast on {{Creator/HBO}}. Jolie and Dunaway both won Golden Globe awards for their roles.

The film follows Gia as she moves to New York City to become a fashion model, immediately catching the attention of powerful agent Wilhelmina Cooper. Gia's attitude and beauty help her rise quickly to the forefront of the modelling industry, but her persistent loneliness drives her to experiment with mood-altering drugs like cocaine. She becomes entangled in a passionate affair with Linda, a make-up artist. However, after a while Linda begins to worry about Gia's drug use, and their relationship starts to fall apart. Failed attempts at reconciliation with Linda and with her mother drive Gia to begin abusing heroin. Although she is eventually able to break her drug habit after much effort, she has already contracted HIV by a needle containing infected blood and dies from complications from AIDS in 1986 at the age of 26.

* AmbiguouslyBi: Linda who has a boyfriend prior to entering into a romance with Gia.
* ArmoredClosetGay: Linda who enjoys sex with Gia but is in denial about it and keeps going back to her boyfriend.

** Gia's mother wishes her daughter go back to modeling and making money. She regrets it when Gia steals her money, jewelry and wedding ring.

* BrokenAce[=/=]BrokenBird: Gia was a beautiful, talented and charismatic supermodel and something of a trailblazer for other models like herself to follow, namely of those who are brunette and not super-tall. In spite of this, she also was an incredibly lonely, damaged and heartbroken young woman who even over her highly successful career just wanted someone to love and accept her unconditionally and turned to drugs and self-destructive behavior to cope, which ultimately led to tragedy.
* ButchLesbian: Not too butch but Gia does sport a short haircut and dresses more androgynous (when she's not modeling), along with some {{tomboy}}ish mannerisms in comparison to her lover Linda.

* GrossUpCloseUp: The close up shots of Gia's heroin needles in her arms.

* ImagineSpot: Under the influence of drugs, Gia imagines talking with her mother, kissing her girlfriend Linda and bonding with her agent Wilhelmina.

* ParentalAbandonment: Gia's mother abandons the family after some domestic abuse from her husband, leaving Gia devastated as a child. And again as an adult, when she abandons Gia at her most worst all over again.

* PleaseDontLeaveMe: Gia begs Linda to stay with her post coital but Linda still leaves due to various circumstances. Gia also begs her mother to stay with her when the latter chooses to leave and go back home to her be husband despite her daughter's protests.

* PublicExposure: During a photo shoot, all the other models leave in disgust when the photographer tells them to "lose the clothes". Gia is the only one willing to go through with it.

* ShowerOfAngst: Gia shakes from her heroin fix, while taking a shower with Linda.

* SkewedPriorities: The woman at Gia's Japanese themed modeling shoot is more concerned over keeping vomit off an expensive dress than Gia's health when she complains of drug-related nausea.

* TakeThat: At one point, a group of big-wig fashion industry people are in a meeting being led by someone who is clearly based off of Anna Wintour. Also while looking at photos of various models (which she declares them as "boring", "fat" or even ''"too dumb"''), she then sees a picture of a blonde, smiling model which makes her yell out, "Oh, God! I am so sick of seeing ''her'' face!" The model is never identified, but good candidates could be either Christie Brinkley or Cheryl Tiegs.

** In-Universe example, when Gia tells Linda (while quietly dying from AIDS) that she plans to settle down and have some kids. Linda thinks that Gia is going to be straight.

%%Not a trope-replace if you find one that works.* OneLastChance: Linda offers one to Gia, choose her or the drugs.

* YourCheatingHeart: Linda already had a boyfriend when she slept with Gia.

* OneLastChance: Linda offers one to Gia, choose her or the drugs.

* DomesticAbuse: Gia's father is shown abusing her her mother during her childhood.

* FanDisservice: Gia's rape at the hands of her drug dealer.

* FanService: Gia and Linda's sex scenes post nude photoshoot.
** Gia and Linda's shower together.

* KarmaHoudini: The drug dealer who rapes Gia gets away Scot-free.
** KarmaHoudiniWarranty: However, since Gia was already HIV-positive at the time of the rape, it's possible the drug dealer who raped her got infected with it too.

* LoveTriangle: Gia/Linda/Billy.

* NoBisexuals: Lisa's past hookup with a model named Joe who is openly gay. He doesn't sleep with women. Not that it stopped her.