In Reattachment Theory Lee Wallace argues that homosexuality—far from being the threat to “traditional” marriage that same-sex marriage opponents have asserted—is so integral to its reimagining that all marriage is gay marriage. Drawing on the history of marriage, Stanley Cavell's analysis of Hollywood comedies of remarriage, and readings of recent gay and lesbian films, Wallace shows that queer experiments in domesticity have reshaped the affective and erotic horizons of heterosexual marriage and its defining principles: fidelity, exclusivity, and endurance. Wallace analyzes a series of films—Dorothy Arzner's Craig's Wife (1936); Tom Ford's A Single Man (2009); Lisa Cholodenko's High Art (1998), Laurel Canyon (2002), and The Kids Are All Right (2010); and Andrew Haigh's Weekend (2011) and 45 Years (2015)—that, she contends, do not simply reflect social and legal changes; they fundamentally alter our sense of what sexual attachment involves as both a social and a romantic form.

"“Reattachment Theory is a pointed engagement with contemporary queer theory and politics, making the fresh and compelling argument that homosexuality rescripted the marriage plot long before the legalization of same-sex marriage. Lee Wallace is an extraordinarily gifted close reader who sets new terms for queer marriage debates and film theory alike.”" - Women’s Cinema, World Cinema: Projecting Contemporary Feminisms

"This well-researched, clearly argued, beautifully written, and brave book has few flaws." - Critical Inquiry