They/Them Review: A Slasher Go to Gay Conversn Camp Clever Horror Movie

Contents:

• KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIEND
• IS BARBIE GAY AND WHY IS THE NEW MOVIE RATED PG-13?
• 'PASSAG' DIRECTOR NOUNC 'DANGERO' NC-17 RATG ON A FILM PICTG A GAY LOVE STORY
• BROS IS A GOOD, GAY TIMENICHOLAS STOLLER AND BILLY EICHNER'S LLABORATN BRGS LGBTQ+ ROMANCE TO THE MASTREAM WH A MERRY SPLASH.BY RICHARD LAWSONSEPTEMBER 10, 2022PHOTO: UNIVERSAL PICTURSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHAT WORRI I MIGHT HAVE HAD ABOUT THE FILM BROS, THE FIRST STUD-RELEASED ROMANTIC EDY ABOUT GAY MEN THAT STARS OUT GAY ACTORS, ARE PRETTY QUICKLY ALLAYED DIRECTOR NICHOLAS STOLLER’S CHARMG FILM. CO-WRTEN BY AND STARRG EDIAN BILLY EICHNER, BROS IS CERTALY AWARE THAT ’S TAKG SOME BIG STEPS TO THE MASTREAM AND IS GNIZANT OF THE ATTENDANT RPONSIBILY OF THAT. BUT THE FILM DON’T LET SELF BE HAMPERED BY S ACPLISHMENT. INSTEAD, BROS LEANS TO THE GIDDY LTLE REVOLUTN OF S OWN EXISTENCE, VG THE DIENCE TO A GOOD, GAY TIME THAT HASN’T EXACTLY HAPPENED, THIS WAY, BEFORE. OF URSE, TO MAKE THOSE LEAPS TO THE MULTIPLEX ESYSTEM, SOME PROMIS HAD TO BE MA. STOLLER IS STRAIGHT, UNLIKE ANDREW AHN, WHO DIRECTED THIS SUMMER’S HULU-RELEASED GAY EDY FIRE ISLAND. JUDD APATOW, A PROLIFIC PURVEYOR OF STRAIGHT-BOY EDY FOR OVER TWO S NOW, IS A PRODUCER WHOSE FLUENCE ON THE FILM IS FELT THROUGHOUT. BUT BROS NEVER FEELS LIKE A GAY MOVIE WHOSE MANDATE IS TO BE PALATABLE TO STRAIGHT PEOPLE. THE FILM IS DIRECTLY DIALOGUE WH S OWN MUNY, OR AT LEAST SOME SUBSET OF THAT AMORPHO AND EVER-EXPANDG GROUP. EICHNER PLAYS BOBBY, A POPULAR PODST HOST AND PUBLIC W WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME: HE’S PART OF A MTEE ASSEMBLED TO SIGN AND PROGRAM THE NATN’S FIRST-EVER LGBTQ+ HISTORY MM. INTY IS AT THE FORE BOBBY’S LIFE, HE’S FASHNED ALL HIS TIC AND VOLUBLE OBSERVATNS ABOUT HIS OWN QUEERNS (AND, LET’S BE HONT, THAT OF OTHERS) TO A PRODIG REER. IN ALL THAT OUTSIZED ASSERTN, BOBBY HAS ISOLATED HIMSELF. (I DON’T THK ’S AN ACCINT THAT HE SHAR A NAME WH THE LONELY NFIRMED BACHELOR OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S COMPANY.) HE’S 40 AND SGLE, OUTWARDLY WARY OF MMENT FOR VAGUELY POLIL REASONS—WHY SETTLE DOWN LIKE THE STRAIGHTS?—BUT WARDLY WRACKED WH ANXIETY. HE FIGUR HE’S TOO HAIRY, TOO LOUD, TOO FLAMBOYANT, AND CERTALY NOT BRAWNY ENOUGH TO EXIST AT THE HOT, WHE (CIDLY WHE) CENTER OF NEW YORK CY’S GAY GALAXY. THIS IS A FAIAR NCERN, ONE EXPRSED MYRIAD ARTISTIC FORMS OVER THE YEARS, ALBE MEDIA FAR LS MERCIAL THAN A MAJOR MOTN PICTURE. THE GAZE OF GRDR PRENTS A NARROW LTLE WORLD OF SPICLY MCLED HUNKS, SHIRTLSLY ENJOYG THEIR LIV WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WATCH ON, HORNY AND ACHG, OM THE SIL. THAT TENSN IS MA MANIFT BOBBY’S LIFE WHEN HE MEETS AARON (LE MACFARLANE), JT SUCH A GYM GOD WH A EP VOICE WHO, SOMEHOW, SEEMS TERTED BOBBY. AS BROS RAMBL ALONG, BOBBY AND AARON NEGOTIATE THEIR DIFFERENC, BOTH THE SUPERFICIAL AND THE MORE FOUNDATNAL. AARON ISN’T QUE A PARODY OF MASC-FOR-MASC SELF-LOATHG—BROS IS, ALL S ARCH VERVE, TOO HUMANE A FILM FOR THAT—BUT THERE’S AN UNEASS AT HIS CENTER THAT ULD BE TERPRETED AS NIAL. BOBBY, MEANWHILE, HAS BEE RIGID ALL HIS SUPPOSED BIG-MD UNRSTANDG; HE’S SO NVCED HE HAS FIGURED OUT THE GAY FORT THAT HE KEEPS MISSG S TRE. ANYONE FAIAR WH EICHNER’S LOOPY TELEVISN SERI BILLY ON THE STREET WILL REGNIZE THE PARTICULAR BRAND OF REFERENCE-Y, BG HUMOR THAT GIV BROS S ACERBIC PEP. WHAT’S NEW IS A LAYER OF SWEETNS AND TROSPECTN, AN APATOVIAN WISTFULNS THAT ROUNDS OUT THE FILM’S PRICKLY EDG. EICHNER PROV AS APT AT SEMI-SERNS AS HE IS AT EDY. MAYBE EVEN MORE SO—SOME OF MY FAVORE MOMENTS THE FILM ARE WHEN BOBBY (AND, PROBABLY, BILLY) TAK A BREAK OM HIS ROUTE TO SCERELY EXPLA HIMSELF, TO EXPOUND ON HIS OWN NATURE A RARE EXPRSN OF VULNERABILY. BROS JUGGL S TRA-SOCIAL POLICS WELL. SURE, THE FILM MAY BE A B LOPSID TOWARD BOBBY’S PERSPECTIVE ON THGS, BUT SUCH IS THE PERHAPS NECSARY IMBALANCE OF A ROMANTIC EDY LIKE THIS. AARON IS GIVEN HIS FAIR DUE, BUT THIS IS REALLY BOBBY’S STORY, ONE THAT SEEKS TO MERELY REGNIZE AND MULL OVER THE VAGARI OF GAY LIFE RATHER THAN SOLVE THEM. BROS DO SO WH APPEALG BR, DISCURSIVE AND SILLY AND, WHERE REALLY UNTS, SEXY. WHICH ISN’T TO SAY THAT THE FILM WILL SATISFY EVERYONE. THERE’S MUCH TO BE PICKED APART HERE, ANALYZED FOR FLTS REASON AND ARGUMENT, LAMENTED FOR A LACK OF THIS AND THAT. TO THE FILM’S CRED, THOUGH, BROS SEEMS TO WELE THAT DISURSE; THERE’S A SELF-EFFACG QUALY TO EICHNER’S WRG THAT ACKNOWLEDG S LIMS AND ENURAG MORE DIALOGUE, MORE AND VARIED NARRATIV THE FUTURE. IT’S MOSTLY A GOOD TIME, THOUGH, CHEEKY AND CLEVER. A BEVY OF WELE MEOS OM GAY POP-CULTURE INS ADDS WSOME PEPPER, WHILE EICHNER AND MACFARLANE’S SIWAYS CHEMISTRY OFFERS PLENTY TO SWOON OVER AS THEY STROLL AND CHAT A GRACLY FILMED MANHATTAN AND, FOR A BRIEF BUT NO DOUBT EXPENSIVE JNT, PROVCETOWN. EICHNER HAS GLEEFULLY ACCEPTED THE LARGSE OF A MAJOR STUD AND MA SOMETHG THAT IS PARTICULARLY HIS. WHAT HE DON’T DO, THANKFULLY, IS CLOSE THGS OFF AT THE END. THERE IS LTLE SENSE OF FIVENS HERE; BROS MAY BE SOME KD OF TRAILBLAZER PENDG ON WHICH METRIC YOU’RE G, BUT ’S NOT SMUG ABOUT THAT STAT. ITS HAPPY BLARE IS ONLY GETTG THE PARTY STARTED—OR, MAYBE MORE ACCURATELY, KEEPG GOG.A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWMORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRPHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE ON HER “SURREAL” JOURNEY FROM FLEABAG TO INDIANA JONTHE ACTORS STRIKE IS ON, THROWG HOLLYWOOD INTO TURMOILWHY A SEND TMP ADMISTRATN WOULD BE MUCH WORSEIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERIS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?THE BIGGT SNUBS AND SURPRIS OF THIS YEAR’S EMMY NOMATNSWHERE TO WATCH THE 2023 EMMY NOMEFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINRICHARD LAWSON
• ANOTHER GAY MOVIE
• ‘THEY/THEM’ FILM REVIEW: SHARP SCRIPT GIV BE TO GAY-CONVERSN CAMP HORROR STORY
• INTERNATNAL GAY CEMA: 33 LGBTQ MOVI TO SEE OM AROUND THE WORLD
• ‘REMARKABLE SHAS OF GAY’: FILM REVIEW
• THEY/THEM REVIEW: A SLASHER GO TO GAY CONVERSN CAMP CLEVER HORROR MOVIE
• THE BLUE CAFTAN REVIEW – TENR MOROCN LOVE STORY BETWEEN A GAY TAILOR AND HIS WIFE
• LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN
• THE BIRDGE AT 25: A GAY EDY THAT BROKE BOUNDARI
• LOVE, SIMON IS A CHARMG GAY STUD MOVIE THAT MAK US HUNGRY FOR MORETEENS WILL SWOON, ADULTS WILL SIGH.BY RICHARD LAWSONMARCH 13, 2018PHOTO BY BEN ROTHSTE/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S GOG TO BE HARD TO TALK ABOUT LOVE, SIMON, THE NEW GAY TEEN ROMANTIC EDY OM FOX (YEP!), WHOUT TURNG TO A THERAPY SSN. BRIGHT AND ATTRACTIVE BOTH ST AND PRODUCTN SIGN, GREG BERLANTI’S FILM—ADAPTED OM THE BT-SELLG YOUNG-ADULT NOVEL SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA—HAS A PLEASANT BEARG. THOUGH TELLS AN EMOTNAL STORY ABOUT INTY AND G OUT, ’S AN EASYGOG MOVIE, GLOSSY AND KD AND ZILY RNY. AND YET, FOR ME, WAS ALSO A GHT EXPERIENCE, BOTH PAED AND GIDDY, CHEERG AND DISMAYG. IT’S A LOT, THIS LTLE MOVIE.WELL, MAYBE ’S NOT LTLE. LOVE, SIMON IS THE FIRST MAJOR STUD FILM ABOUT A GAY KID G OUT. WHICH IS A RATHER BIG AL, EVEN IF THE MOVIE IS JT A SPRG EDY. (AND ACTUALLY, MAYBE THAT ’S A SPRG EDY MAK A BIGGER AL.) LOVE, SIMON ARRIV POISED TO ACMODATE A LOT OF BAGGAGE, WH EACH GAY PERSON WHO SE HANGG A LTLE OF THEIR OWN ON THE MOVIE (OR, I SUPPOSE, JT CHOOSG NOT TO ENGAGE WH AT ALL). THE THKG—AND PART OF THE MARKETG STRATEGY—IS THAT LOVE, SIMON WILL OFFER AN OPPORTUNY TO HAVE A CERTA BURN LIFTED, THAT WILL DO THE HONORABLE REPRENTATNAL WORK OF LETTG SEE OUR PAST AND PRENT AND FUTURE SELV ON THE BIG SCREEN WARM AND CELEBRATORY WAYS. WE WILL SEE LOVE, SIMON AND FEEL UNTED, FALLY.AND, SOME WAYS, YEAH, I DID. THE STORY OF A 16-YEAR-OLD, SIMON (NICK ROBSON), WHO ISN’T QUE READY TO E OUT UNTIL HE BEGS AN ANONYMO E-MAIL ROMANCE WH ANOTHER CLOSETED BOY AT HIS SCHOOL, LOVE, SIMON IS EXCG HOW DIRECTLY AND WHOLLY FOC ON S GAYNS. SIMON IS MAYBE—WH ALL OF ROBSON’S BOYISH, STRAIGHT-ACTG PHYSILY AND TIMBRE—ONE OF THOSE “JT HAPPENS TO BE GAY” TYP, BUT HE IS NOHELS GAY, SOMETHG THE FILM REMDS OF, TEXTUALLY OR SUBTEXTUALLY, JT ABOUT EVERY SCENE. (I ONLY WISH A FANTASY SEQUENCE WHICH SIMON IMAG WHAT LIFE AS AN OUT GAY GUY LLEGE WILL BE LIKE DIDN’T END WH SIMON SAYG VOICE-OVER, “WELL, MAYBE NOT THAT GAY.” WHY NOT THAT GAY? WHY NOT MORE GAY?) IT’S THRILLG AND ALMOST SURREAL TO BE GIVEN TWO HOURS OF THIS—WHOUT ANYTHG SHAD, D, OR TRAGIC— STUD PACKAGG, CYNILLY PALIST AS MAY BE. CHERISHED AS THE SPARSE APARTMENTS AND SIMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SO MANY BELOVED STRAND AND TLA RELEAS ARE, GAY STUFF LOOKS GOOD ON A BIGGER BUDGET.THE FILM’S PERFORMANC ONLY ADD TO THE MOVIE’S AFFABLE SPARKLE. THOUGH I WISH HIS SIMON READ, ANKLY, A B GAYER, ROBSON IS NO DOUBT A CHARMER, A HANDSOME GUY WHO GIV A MTED, SENSIVE PERFORMANCE. THE ACTORS WHO PLAY SIMON’S IENDS, ANTAGONISTS, AND LOVE TERTS—AMONG THEM KATHERE LANGFORD, ALEXANDRA SHIPP, LOGAN MILLER, AND KEIYNAN LONSDALE (SWOON)—ALL PROVI STRONG SUPPORT, GIVG THE MOVIE’S TEEN SOCIALIZG A CREDIBLE ENERGY, EVEN IF THE KIDS ARE A LTLE MORE VOLUBLY ELOQUENT THAN THEIR REAL-LIFE UNTERPARTS. (SNAPPY DIALOGUE THAT WORKS A WTY BOOK DON’T ALWAYS WORK ON SCREEN, SOMETHG SCREENWRERS ELIZABETH BERGER AND ISAAC APTAKER ARE HIP TO ABOUT HALF THE TIME.) AND JENNIFER GARNER AND JOSH DUHAMEL ARE CUDDLY AND GENERO AS SIMON’S DOTG PARENTS, WH GARNER PARTICULAR NAILG THE MOVIE’S MOST THOUGHTFUL, WELL-ARTICULATED SCENE.STORY-WISE, THE MOVIE MOV ALONG WELL, TELLG A SURPRISGLY TRITE TALE OF CSH AND SECRET INTI. SOME OF LOVE, SIMON‘S PLOT VELOPMENTS ARE STARTLGLY DARK—CHIEF AMONG THEM A BLACKMAILG SCHEME THAT PROV DISASTRO—AND WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE FILM TERROGATE OR NTEXTUALIZE THAT A B MORE. MUCH OF SIMON’S ONLE ROMANCE IS JT THAT: ONLE. AND IS HARD TO DRAMATIZE E-MAILG ON FILM. SO SIMON’S RELATNSHIP TO “BLUE,” HIS INTER PARAMOUR, MAY FEEL RICHER BOOK FORM. BUT MOSTLY, THE FILM DO A GRACEFUL JOB OF ILLTRATG SIMON‘S NER TURMOIL—HIS FEAR NOT OF BEG GAY, BUT OF LIFE CHANGG TOO DRASTILLY WHEN HE ANNOUNC THAT HE IS—WHILE MATAG S SPIRED, FUNNY, HUMANE AIR. IT’S A CRGE-Y MOVIE, SO BEWARE IF YOU’RE AVERSE TO THAT SORT OF THG. (I AM, AND I SURVIVED.) B-STORI WEAVE WELL WH SIMON’S MA THROUGH-LE, AND THE MOVIE ENDS WH A SENSE OF EQUY FOR EACH OF S WELL-DRAWN KIDS. (EVEN IF LANGFORD’S CHARACTER SORTA GETS THE SHAFT. OR DON’T, SO TO SPEAK.)SO, ALL OF THAT IS GOOD. I LEFT THE THEATER A LTLE JUMPY AND LIGHTHEAD, LGHG WH A IEND ABOUT HOW SILLY AND FLHED WE FELT. LOVE, SIMON’S WELL-MEANG “FALLY!” IS A HEADY THG TO WNS, S CLOSG SCEN SO HAPPY AND AFFECTNATE THAT YOU WANT TO HUG SOMEONE. (OR KISS SOMEONE!)MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINIT WAS A FLEETG HIGH, THOUGH. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME OM THE THEATER (O.K., MY IEND AND I HAD A UPLE OF DRKS TO LM DOWN—BUT AFTER THAT), SOMETHG HAD SOURED ME, AND THE FILM BEGAN TO TAKE ON A DARKER—OR AT LEAST MORE TROUBLED—EDGE. WHAT I’VE BEEN WRTLG WH THE PAST UPLE OF WEEKS IS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS THE FILM’S DOG, AND HOW MUCH OF IS A PRODUCT OF MY OWN STUFF. ALL THAT BAGGAGE I’D TEMPORARILY LENT TO LOVE, SIMON QUICKLY STARTED TO WEIGH ON ME AGA, EVEN FEELG A B HEAVIER THAN BEFORE.I THK HAS SOMETHG TO DO WH THE KD OF IMAGG WE GAY ADULTS ARE MA TO DO ABOUT A MOVIE LIKE THIS. “WHAT IF I’D HAD THAT WHEN I WAS A KID?” WE FD OURSELV SAYG WH AWE, WH WISTFULNS, WH MAYBE (FELY?) A PANG OF JEALOY. (AND, OF URSE, “WHAT IF I’D LIVED THAT?”) OR, AT LEAST, I DO. IT’S A BTERSWEET ACTIVY, THIS NOSTALGIA FOR A YOUTH WE WISH WE HAD, AND FOR A YOUTH WE HOPE GAY KIDS ARE HAVG NOW. BUT IS A HEALTHY ONE?OF URSE ADULTS OWE TO YOUNG PEOPLE TO TE THEM, TO PROVI FOR THEM, TO HELP CLARIFY THE EMOTNAL WORLD FOR THEM. AND, Y, A PART OF THAT DUTY MAY BE GIVG THEM A LIKABLE, SOMETIM TRATGLY UNGAY GAY TEEN EDY ABOUT A WEALTHY KID WHOSE NANCY MEYERS–IAN LIFE IS DLY DISPTED UNTIL ISN’T, AND HE’S MET WH BROAD AND UNQUTNABLY LOVG SUPPORT THROUGHOUT. JUDGG OM THE REACTN TO A RECENT TIME PIECE THAT HAD THE TEMERY TO ASK IF LOVE, SIMON’S PLEASGLY BLAND PICTN OF RELATIVELY NORMATIVE GAYNS WOULD APPEAL TO TODAY’S MORE SOCIALLY NSC TEENS (A GOOD AND FAIR QUTN WORTH ENGAGG WH BEYOND THE PIECE’S HEADLE, FOLKS), THERE SEEMS TO BE A MAND, AN EAGER ANTICIPATN FOR THIS MOVIE. SO IF LOVE, SIMON DO SOMETHG—ENTERTAS, ELAT, TRANSPORTS—FOR THOSE QUEER KIDS NEED OF , THEN ’S ALL WORTH .THERE’S STILL A PART OF ME THAT WONRS IF KIDS NOW, WH YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM OFFERG UP A PLETHORA OF GAY PEERS TO LOOK ON, ARE QUE AS STARVED FOR THIS MOVIE AS OLR GENERATNS WERE. BUT WHETHER OR NOT GEN Z-ERS FD SOMETHG NOURISHG AND OF VALUE THE MOVIE, WHAT ARE WE GAY ADULTS TO DO WH ? DO EVEN MATTER WHAT WE DO WH ?WHAT I’VE BEEN SORT OF DANCG AROUND HERE IS THIS: A FEW HOURS AFTER SEEG LOVE, SIMON, I FELT KDA PRSED. ALL THAT SWEET LONGG FOR A TEENAGEHOOD I NEVER HAD—AND A MOVIE THAT I NEVER GOT—HARNED TO A REGRET, A BTERNS. THE SAME GO, SOME WAYS, FOR CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, THOUGH THAT FILM’S MEDATIVE WHISPERS HAVE PROVEN A MORE LASTG BALM THAN LOVE, SIMON’S QUICK AND CLUMSY BURST OF POIGNANCY. I THK I MIGHT JT BE A LTLE TIRED—FOR THE MOMENT—OF THKG MELANCHOLILLY ABOUT WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN, TIRED OF TILLG THE EARTH OF MY TEENAGE YEARS AND IMBUG WH THE FANTASI, AND THEN ASSUMG THAT MEANS I’VE BEEN FULFILLED, THAT I’VE BEEN SATISFYGLY REPRENTED CEMA.MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINLOVE, SIMON IS NOT BEG MARKETED TO GAY ADULTS EXPRSLY, BUT PLENTY OF GAY ADULTS WILL SEE —HUNGRY FOR THIS FIRST MOVIEGOG EXPERIENCE, THE ONE LARGELY NIED TO THEM AS KIDS. WHICH IS GOOD. I HOPE THEY LOVE , AND THAT S TEND DIENCE OF TEENS LOV , AND THAT THE MOVIE MAK A BOATLOAD OF MONEY. AND I HOPE SOME OF THAT MONEY WILL THEN BE ED TO MAKE STUD MOVI ABOUT, AND FOR, GAY ADULTS, AND GAY OLD PEOPLE, AND GAY PEOPLE WHO ARE GAYER THAN NICK ROBSON, AND GAY MOVIE CRICS STARG DOWN THE BARREL OF THEIR 35TH BIRTHDAY. ALL KDS OF GAY PEOPLE!I—AND MANY OTHERS, I’M SURE—ULD BENEF OM A REMR THAT GAY LIV ARE NOT SOLELY FED BY PRIMAL DISVERY, THAT THEY EXIST LONG PAST FIRST BLH. FIRST BLH ARE GREAT, AND WE’VE BEEN BLSED WH SEVERAL GOOD FILMS ABOUT THEM RECENTLY, CLUDG LOVE, SIMON. BUT AS MUCH AS LOVE, SIMON’S WNG, IF SLIGHTLY BOWDLERIZED, G-OUT STORY IALLY MA ME YEARN FOR AN ALTERED YOUTH, ’S SCE MA ME YEARN EVEN MORE FOR STORI THAT REFLECT MY GAY LIFE TODAY, OR MY GAY LIFE AS MIGHT BE YEARS OM NOW. (AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE.) HERE’S HOPG FOR THOSE MOVI THE NEAR FUTURE. THK OF THIS WAY: IF THOSE FILMS GET MA NOW, THEY’LL BE THERE WAG FOR TODAY’S TEENS—SOON TO BE SMTEN WH SIMON—WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY GET OLR AND GROW HUNGRY FOR SOMETHG MORE. DO FOR THEM, HOLLYWOOD. AND FOR , TOO.RICHARD LAWSON
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• GAY DIRECTOR ADAM KALRON PICTS HOMOPHOBIA THE SWIMMG WORLD WH ‘THE SWIMMER’

KEN HAS ALWAYS BEEN BARBIE’S GAY BT FRIEND—NOT HER BOYIEND

But fish strong, as the nflict over Richie’s bathhoe project grows and Mx has to nsir whether ’s too risky for the magaze to speak to gay men, or even gay moments like this, the historil fictn feels not entirely historil. The film won’t say , but a post-creds punchle about Ken’s handwrg, plete wh hearts and stars surroundg his name, tells what we need to heavily implied nature of Ken’s gayns Toy Story 3 harkens back to Hollywood’s tradnal gay bt iend-type characters. In the Hays Co era, explic referenc to homosexualy weren’t allowed, so characters like Van Buren (Frankl Pangborn) 1937’s Easy Livg, Kip (David Wayne) 1949’s Adam’s Rib, or Addison (Gee Sanrs) 1950’s All About Eve stead were imbued wh effemate characteristics, offerg a glimpse outsi of heteronormativy whout explicly beg of the characters were the same—some were tty, others sweet.

As a rult, gay men bought the doll drov, and spe Mattel ultimately rellg the doll and wipg away any trace of Earrg Magic Ken, was near-impossible to see Ken as anythg but the glor homosexual he was born to be om then on. While there is no way to “drs gay, ” there are several dolls that seem to suggt otherwise, such as:Fashnista Ken #193, who looks very exced to tell you about his new obssn, Troye Sivan;Travel Ken Doll, who has a satchel perfect for bathho and a purple overnight bag that lerally proclaims he’s “extra;”Ken Looks Doll, servg “I’m gonna give you a makeover”-type realns while sportg black pleather pants;This Ken, who wears the least heterosexual double nim I have a feelg the new Barbie movie will put the work to nvce that Ken is a hetero du who lov nothg life more than Barbie herself, the wrg’s already on the wall: Ken is, and always will be, Barbie’s gay bt obssg! ) And Kate McKnon, playg a so-lled Weird Barbie who experienced an extreme haircut and makeover at the hands of an experimental child, never actually answers the qutn anybody would have upon seeg her gay-ass haircut and knowg the actor’s sexualy.

IS BARBIE GAY AND WHY IS THE NEW MOVIE RATED PG-13?

”In addn to the trans actor playg a female role, “Barbie” is also guilty of “phg lbian, gay, bisexual and transgenr character stori, ” acrdg to Moviegui, a Christian movie review se found by Ted and Lili Baehr. “The new Barbie movie fets s re dience of fai and children while terg to nostalgic adults and phg lbian, gay, bisexual, and transgenr character stori, ” the staff-thored article reads, plete wh the alarmist headle “WARNING: DON’T TAKE YOUR DAUGHTER TO BARBIE. Last month, a vio of Christian pastor nmng Barbie for beg full of “transsexual and transgenr and homosexualy” went viral on that sounds like a pretty great Barbie movie, that’s not really what’s gog on Gerwig’s versn.

A bevy of wele meos om gay pop-culture ins adds wsome pepper, while Eichner and Macfarlane’s siways chemistry offers plenty to swoon over as they stroll and chat a gracly filmed Manhattan and, for a brief but no doubt expensive jnt, Provcetown.

'PASSAG' DIRECTOR NOUNC 'DANGERO' NC-17 RATG ON A FILM PICTG A GAY LOVE STORY

The artist David Wojnarowicz, who died of AIDS 1992, ed his queerns as a radil pose, a way of sayg, as Chris McKim’s documentary “Wojnarowicz: F**k You F*ggot F***er” not, “I’m not gay as I love you, I’m queer as fuck off.

BROS IS A GOOD, GAY TIMENICHOLAS STOLLER AND BILLY EICHNER'S LLABORATN BRGS LGBTQ+ ROMANCE TO THE MASTREAM WH A MERRY SPLASH.BY RICHARD LAWSONSEPTEMBER 10, 2022PHOTO: UNIVERSAL PICTURSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEWHAT WORRI I MIGHT HAVE HAD ABOUT THE FILM BROS, THE FIRST STUD-RELEASED ROMANTIC EDY ABOUT GAY MEN THAT STARS OUT GAY ACTORS, ARE PRETTY QUICKLY ALLAYED DIRECTOR NICHOLAS STOLLER’S CHARMG FILM. CO-WRTEN BY AND STARRG EDIAN BILLY EICHNER, BROS IS CERTALY AWARE THAT ’S TAKG SOME BIG STEPS TO THE MASTREAM AND IS GNIZANT OF THE ATTENDANT RPONSIBILY OF THAT. BUT THE FILM DON’T LET SELF BE HAMPERED BY S ACPLISHMENT. INSTEAD, BROS LEANS TO THE GIDDY LTLE REVOLUTN OF S OWN EXISTENCE, VG THE DIENCE TO A GOOD, GAY TIME THAT HASN’T EXACTLY HAPPENED, THIS WAY, BEFORE. OF URSE, TO MAKE THOSE LEAPS TO THE MULTIPLEX ESYSTEM, SOME PROMIS HAD TO BE MA. STOLLER IS STRAIGHT, UNLIKE ANDREW AHN, WHO DIRECTED THIS SUMMER’S HULU-RELEASED GAY EDY FIRE ISLAND. JUDD APATOW, A PROLIFIC PURVEYOR OF STRAIGHT-BOY EDY FOR OVER TWO S NOW, IS A PRODUCER WHOSE FLUENCE ON THE FILM IS FELT THROUGHOUT. BUT BROS NEVER FEELS LIKE A GAY MOVIE WHOSE MANDATE IS TO BE PALATABLE TO STRAIGHT PEOPLE. THE FILM IS DIRECTLY DIALOGUE WH S OWN MUNY, OR AT LEAST SOME SUBSET OF THAT AMORPHO AND EVER-EXPANDG GROUP. EICHNER PLAYS BOBBY, A POPULAR PODST HOST AND PUBLIC W WHO HAS BEEN GIVEN THE CHANCE OF A LIFETIME: HE’S PART OF A MTEE ASSEMBLED TO SIGN AND PROGRAM THE NATN’S FIRST-EVER LGBTQ+ HISTORY MM. INTY IS AT THE FORE BOBBY’S LIFE, HE’S FASHNED ALL HIS TIC AND VOLUBLE OBSERVATNS ABOUT HIS OWN QUEERNS (AND, LET’S BE HONT, THAT OF OTHERS) TO A PRODIG REER. IN ALL THAT OUTSIZED ASSERTN, BOBBY HAS ISOLATED HIMSELF. (I DON’T THK ’S AN ACCINT THAT HE SHAR A NAME WH THE LONELY NFIRMED BACHELOR OF STEPHEN SONDHEIM’S COMPANY.) HE’S 40 AND SGLE, OUTWARDLY WARY OF MMENT FOR VAGUELY POLIL REASONS—WHY SETTLE DOWN LIKE THE STRAIGHTS?—BUT WARDLY WRACKED WH ANXIETY. HE FIGUR HE’S TOO HAIRY, TOO LOUD, TOO FLAMBOYANT, AND CERTALY NOT BRAWNY ENOUGH TO EXIST AT THE HOT, WHE (CIDLY WHE) CENTER OF NEW YORK CY’S GAY GALAXY. THIS IS A FAIAR NCERN, ONE EXPRSED MYRIAD ARTISTIC FORMS OVER THE YEARS, ALBE MEDIA FAR LS MERCIAL THAN A MAJOR MOTN PICTURE. THE GAZE OF GRDR PRENTS A NARROW LTLE WORLD OF SPICLY MCLED HUNKS, SHIRTLSLY ENJOYG THEIR LIV WHILE EVERYONE ELSE WATCH ON, HORNY AND ACHG, OM THE SIL. THAT TENSN IS MA MANIFT BOBBY’S LIFE WHEN HE MEETS AARON (LE MACFARLANE), JT SUCH A GYM GOD WH A EP VOICE WHO, SOMEHOW, SEEMS TERTED BOBBY. AS BROS RAMBL ALONG, BOBBY AND AARON NEGOTIATE THEIR DIFFERENC, BOTH THE SUPERFICIAL AND THE MORE FOUNDATNAL. AARON ISN’T QUE A PARODY OF MASC-FOR-MASC SELF-LOATHG—BROS IS, ALL S ARCH VERVE, TOO HUMANE A FILM FOR THAT—BUT THERE’S AN UNEASS AT HIS CENTER THAT ULD BE TERPRETED AS NIAL. BOBBY, MEANWHILE, HAS BEE RIGID ALL HIS SUPPOSED BIG-MD UNRSTANDG; HE’S SO NVCED HE HAS FIGURED OUT THE GAY FORT THAT HE KEEPS MISSG S TRE. ANYONE FAIAR WH EICHNER’S LOOPY TELEVISN SERI BILLY ON THE STREET WILL REGNIZE THE PARTICULAR BRAND OF REFERENCE-Y, BG HUMOR THAT GIV BROS S ACERBIC PEP. WHAT’S NEW IS A LAYER OF SWEETNS AND TROSPECTN, AN APATOVIAN WISTFULNS THAT ROUNDS OUT THE FILM’S PRICKLY EDG. EICHNER PROV AS APT AT SEMI-SERNS AS HE IS AT EDY. MAYBE EVEN MORE SO—SOME OF MY FAVORE MOMENTS THE FILM ARE WHEN BOBBY (AND, PROBABLY, BILLY) TAK A BREAK OM HIS ROUTE TO SCERELY EXPLA HIMSELF, TO EXPOUND ON HIS OWN NATURE A RARE EXPRSN OF VULNERABILY. BROS JUGGL S TRA-SOCIAL POLICS WELL. SURE, THE FILM MAY BE A B LOPSID TOWARD BOBBY’S PERSPECTIVE ON THGS, BUT SUCH IS THE PERHAPS NECSARY IMBALANCE OF A ROMANTIC EDY LIKE THIS. AARON IS GIVEN HIS FAIR DUE, BUT THIS IS REALLY BOBBY’S STORY, ONE THAT SEEKS TO MERELY REGNIZE AND MULL OVER THE VAGARI OF GAY LIFE RATHER THAN SOLVE THEM. BROS DO SO WH APPEALG BR, DISCURSIVE AND SILLY AND, WHERE REALLY UNTS, SEXY. WHICH ISN’T TO SAY THAT THE FILM WILL SATISFY EVERYONE. THERE’S MUCH TO BE PICKED APART HERE, ANALYZED FOR FLTS REASON AND ARGUMENT, LAMENTED FOR A LACK OF THIS AND THAT. TO THE FILM’S CRED, THOUGH, BROS SEEMS TO WELE THAT DISURSE; THERE’S A SELF-EFFACG QUALY TO EICHNER’S WRG THAT ACKNOWLEDG S LIMS AND ENURAG MORE DIALOGUE, MORE AND VARIED NARRATIV THE FUTURE. IT’S MOSTLY A GOOD TIME, THOUGH, CHEEKY AND CLEVER. A BEVY OF WELE MEOS OM GAY POP-CULTURE INS ADDS WSOME PEPPER, WHILE EICHNER AND MACFARLANE’S SIWAYS CHEMISTRY OFFERS PLENTY TO SWOON OVER AS THEY STROLL AND CHAT A GRACLY FILMED MANHATTAN AND, FOR A BRIEF BUT NO DOUBT EXPENSIVE JNT, PROVCETOWN. EICHNER HAS GLEEFULLY ACCEPTED THE LARGSE OF A MAJOR STUD AND MA SOMETHG THAT IS PARTICULARLY HIS. WHAT HE DON’T DO, THANKFULLY, IS CLOSE THGS OFF AT THE END. THERE IS LTLE SENSE OF FIVENS HERE; BROS MAY BE SOME KD OF TRAILBLAZER PENDG ON WHICH METRIC YOU’RE G, BUT ’S NOT SMUG ABOUT THAT STAT. ITS HAPPY BLARE IS ONLY GETTG THE PARTY STARTED—OR, MAYBE MORE ACCURATELY, KEEPG GOG.A GUI TO HOLLYWOOD’S BIGGT RACARROWMORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRPHOEBE WALLER-BRIDGE ON HER “SURREAL” JOURNEY FROM FLEABAG TO INDIANA JONTHE ACTORS STRIKE IS ON, THROWG HOLLYWOOD INTO TURMOILWHY A SEND TMP ADMISTRATN WOULD BE MUCH WORSEIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERIS ALL THIS AMATR THERAPY-SPEAK JT MAKG US LONELIER?THE BIGGT SNUBS AND SURPRIS OF THIS YEAR’S EMMY NOMATNSWHERE TO WATCH THE 2023 EMMY NOMEFROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINRICHARD LAWSON

" Based on enthiastic cril reactn at the Toronto Internatnal Film Ftival, and robt social media attentn, Universal Pictur had expected Bros – which is the first gay romantic edy wh a mostly LGBTQ st to be given a wi release by a major stud — to open the range of $8-10 ln. Veteran screenwrer John Logan mak his directorial but wh “They/Them, ” a Blumhoe horror movie set a gay nversn mp, and his formidable screenwrg prows is what really sets this picture apart om others the horror genre. Ala Guirdie’s sexy and sry “Stranger by the Lake” has earned cricisms for nflatg homosexualy wh crimaly, but ’s hard not to be drawn to the world of a nu beach that serv as a regular cisg spot for lonely gay men.

Eichner plays Bobby Leiber, a born and bred New Yorker who hosts a queer history podst lled 11th Brick (bee as a cis whe gay man that’s probably the brick he’d have thrown at Stonewall) and is the director of the first natnal LGBTQ history mm, on the brk of fally openg s doors.

While most of the characters are unrveloped, Eichner’s razor-sharp w and tic humor sh through the dialogue and suatnal edy as he skewers many aspects of gay datg culture, om Grdr hookups to obssive gym age to group sex.

ANOTHER GAY MOVIE

But there's also somethg at odds wh Eichner’s missn to brg queerns, gay sex, and gay datg all s texture to mastream Hollywood stud-backed cema, while the same breath sanizg queerns to be palatable to straight culture.

Bobby and Aaron discs how often straight male actors w praise for playg gay wboys, but beyond digs at both “Brokeback Mounta” and “The Power of the Dog” (directed by and starrg straight people), the only other queer film mentned is Lu Guadagno's “Call Me By Your Name” a throwaway joke about how 's the one queer movie to which all straight people pare other queer films. His geoly lurid illtratns of bulgg male mculature, tumcent crotch, extravagant mtach and grane jawl not only fed the inography for a joyoly irreverent gay subculture that had prevly been given ltle exprsn, also tablished a hypermasc gay dreamboat ial that riv a lot of s power om s sheer unattaabily. For a time, this seems to be the movie Nolas is makg: a sensively observed, unually graphic gay romance that will perhaps chart a relatnship marked by dispary age and appearance and stat — maral and otherwise.

Still, as Casey ran full-speed through Sydney, lifted away om his terrible weight, fully open for love, I was swept up by "Lonome, " and glad that  se a realy outsi of harm and unrelentg trma for s gay protagonist. gay, sexual, relatnships, feelgs or homophobic sex, sexual, relatnships, erotic or sensual teenager, iendship, sad, adolcents or g of age romance, emotn, relatnships, feelgs or ptivatg marriage, emotn, romance, relatnships or feelgs. It perfectly picts the stag of the "I like this guy but I don't know if he is gay" suatn, the fear, the "untentnal" are no dance clubs here, no drag queens, no sexual inty crisis, jt two perfectly mascule guys slowly fallg for each other.

‘THEY/THEM’ FILM REVIEW: SHARP SCRIPT GIV BE TO GAY-CONVERSN CAMP HORROR STORY

The tle of Daishi Matsunaga’s groundbreakg new film “Egoist, ” which is based on the eponymo semi-tobgraphil novel by Makoto Takayama, hts at more of the same when a gay fashn magaze edor (Ryohei Suzi) turns his hot personal traer (H Miyazawa) to his pensated lover.

INTERNATNAL GAY CEMA: 33 LGBTQ MOVI TO SEE OM AROUND THE WORLD

PARK CITY — A story of prested romance that’s so vted the lonels of s leads feels like an afterthought when they fally meet, Yen Tan’s P Stop offers an abundance of sympathy for gay men livg small-town Texas but not a lot more. In a media landspe where gay romanc are rarely allowed the happy endgs of straight on, 's an arguable fact that the real people's real liv, the (prumed—she hasn't publicly stated otherwise) straight woman survived, but the gay man didn't, what do you do wh that? Photos of 8 Disney, Marvel characters who are gay, lbian or bisexualUSA TODAY lls 'Strange World' 'extremely morn'"Fans of pulpy 1930s and ’40s hero such as Doc Savage and Flash Gordon will dig the over-the-top actn vibe, yet “Strange World” is extremely morn s them.

‘REMARKABLE SHAS OF GAY’: FILM REVIEW

It taps to real-world issu of nservatn and staabily of natural rourc, and there’s a strong sense of cln – Ethan’s a biracial gay teen, Legend mak up for a missg leg wh boundls energy – and the most wele aspect is that 's all pretty normal. Feels timid'"Ethan is the stud’s bajillnth 'first ever gay character' (and his fay is one of a few terracial fai all of Disney), but as progrsive as is, even that feels timid: His csh appears one scene at the begng of the movie, and apart om a short nversatn is not mentned aga — easily cut to appease the ternatnal censors that provi Disney wh so much of s revenue.

THEY/THEM REVIEW: A SLASHER GO TO GAY CONVERSN CAMP CLEVER HORROR MOVIE

)"Vulture: 'Ethan is Black and unmistakably queer'"That Strange World’s sendary hero, Ethan, is Black and unmistakably queer (no “exclively gay moments” here — he do some sweetly awkward flirtg wh his csh one of his earlier scen) is noteworthy. In rponse, the last few years have seen the stud attempt to tout var first “gay moments” and queer characters that for the most part were ’s a pleasant surprise that Ethan and his obv csh on his iend Diazo arrive wh mimal fanfare (pecially pared wh “Lightyear” and some Marvel stallments). That’s a b of a stretch, bee this buddg romance is a si plot, referred to by a number of characters, but by no means a major topic of maybe that’s the pot — if ’s not a major plot pot, nor is a sneeze-and-you-miss moment like, for example, that quick glance “Bety and the Beast” 2017 that was herald as the first Disney “gay moment.

THE BLUE CAFTAN REVIEW – TENR MOROCN LOVE STORY BETWEEN A GAY TAILOR AND HIS WIFE

Sure, some untri will lose their mds over there beg a gay character a Disney movie, which mak all the more urageo that producer Roy Conli emed time to expand the stud’s “Someday My Prce Will Come” ia of romance. "Hollywood Reporter: 'Strange World' character's sexualy is a fact of life"A particularly tenr sequence which Searcher meets Ethan’s csh, Diazo (Jonathan Melo), sets up, wh ltle fanfare, a historic moment for the nservative stud: Ethan is the first out gay teenager a Disney animated and Nguyen treat Ethan’s sexualy as a fact of life stead of a battleground on which he mt seek faial acceptance, a move that reliev Ethan of the banaly of beg an avatar. "Deadle lists among 'Biggt Bombs' of 2022"Some might say Disney’s embrace of a gay character the film turned off red-state dienc, while crics found the fantasy pic to be clunky and prehensible, and the animatn retro and stale.

LIST: 'STRANGE WORLD' REVIEWS ABOUT DISNEY'S FIRST OUT GAY, CHARACTER, BIRACIAL QUEER TEEN

It’s not some die or “some streamg thg which feels disposable, ” as he said to Variety, words he then clarified after they were terpreted as a slight agast fellow gay rom- Fire Island, which premiered on Hulu June.

THE BIRDGE AT 25: A GAY EDY THAT BROKE BOUNDARI

Eichner has done so much work to load down Bros wh qualified historil signifince, and to sist that ’s not like those other gay movi, that ’s a pleasant surprise to fally watch the thg and fd to be sexy, msy, and joyful, and rmed ls by a sense of s own importance than by a vague uncertaty that may have arrived too late to the party. In that, as well as an appearance om Bowen Yang, has somethg mon wh Fire Island — the btersweet love story at s re is ls wh a person than wh the ia of gay muny, which s ma characters value even as they feel nsigned to s outskirts. Still, Bobby’s the newly appoted director of the first-ever LGBTQ mm, and the movie tak pas to tablish him as the host of a succsful gay-history podst first, maly to give him an exce for a disgted monologue to the mic about how he was approached by a Hollywood producer to wre the kd of gay romantic-edy “a straight guy might watch wh his girliend.

When Bros begs, ’s hard to image how a plsible romance is gog to stggle out om everythg the movie feels mt reprent wh regard to bigotry, sirabily, beg visibly gay, and havg relatnships that don’t feel beholn to heteronormative ials. "The film centr on a gay uple, Armand (Rob Williams) and Albert (Nathan Lane), hostg an ill-fated der party for their son's future -laws (Cred: Alamy)Nichols' brazen film, one of the director's last before his reer slowed the 2000s, is many ways a classic farce. What is particularly astute about the film's edy is the way which mix s farcil hijks wh a satiril tent, takg aim at both homophobia and the crisis of masculy, as navigat the filtratn of nservatism to a liberal space.

LOVE, SIMON IS A CHARMG GAY STUD MOVIE THAT MAK US HUNGRY FOR MORETEENS WILL SWOON, ADULTS WILL SIGH.BY RICHARD LAWSONMARCH 13, 2018PHOTO BY BEN ROTHSTE/TWENTIETH CENTURY FOXSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEIT’S GOG TO BE HARD TO TALK ABOUT LOVE, SIMON, THE NEW GAY TEEN ROMANTIC EDY OM FOX (YEP!), WHOUT TURNG TO A THERAPY SSN. BRIGHT AND ATTRACTIVE BOTH ST AND PRODUCTN SIGN, GREG BERLANTI’S FILM—ADAPTED OM THE BT-SELLG YOUNG-ADULT NOVEL SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA—HAS A PLEASANT BEARG. THOUGH TELLS AN EMOTNAL STORY ABOUT INTY AND G OUT, ’S AN EASYGOG MOVIE, GLOSSY AND KD AND ZILY RNY. AND YET, FOR ME, WAS ALSO A GHT EXPERIENCE, BOTH PAED AND GIDDY, CHEERG AND DISMAYG. IT’S A LOT, THIS LTLE MOVIE.WELL, MAYBE ’S NOT LTLE. LOVE, SIMON IS THE FIRST MAJOR STUD FILM ABOUT A GAY KID G OUT. WHICH IS A RATHER BIG AL, EVEN IF THE MOVIE IS JT A SPRG EDY. (AND ACTUALLY, MAYBE THAT ’S A SPRG EDY MAK A BIGGER AL.) LOVE, SIMON ARRIV POISED TO ACMODATE A LOT OF BAGGAGE, WH EACH GAY PERSON WHO SE HANGG A LTLE OF THEIR OWN ON THE MOVIE (OR, I SUPPOSE, JT CHOOSG NOT TO ENGAGE WH AT ALL). THE THKG—AND PART OF THE MARKETG STRATEGY—IS THAT LOVE, SIMON WILL OFFER AN OPPORTUNY TO HAVE A CERTA BURN LIFTED, THAT WILL DO THE HONORABLE REPRENTATNAL WORK OF LETTG SEE OUR PAST AND PRENT AND FUTURE SELV ON THE BIG SCREEN WARM AND CELEBRATORY WAYS. WE WILL SEE LOVE, SIMON AND FEEL UNTED, FALLY.AND, SOME WAYS, YEAH, I DID. THE STORY OF A 16-YEAR-OLD, SIMON (NICK ROBSON), WHO ISN’T QUE READY TO E OUT UNTIL HE BEGS AN ANONYMO E-MAIL ROMANCE WH ANOTHER CLOSETED BOY AT HIS SCHOOL, LOVE, SIMON IS EXCG HOW DIRECTLY AND WHOLLY FOC ON S GAYNS. SIMON IS MAYBE—WH ALL OF ROBSON’S BOYISH, STRAIGHT-ACTG PHYSILY AND TIMBRE—ONE OF THOSE “JT HAPPENS TO BE GAY” TYP, BUT HE IS NOHELS GAY, SOMETHG THE FILM REMDS OF, TEXTUALLY OR SUBTEXTUALLY, JT ABOUT EVERY SCENE. (I ONLY WISH A FANTASY SEQUENCE WHICH SIMON IMAG WHAT LIFE AS AN OUT GAY GUY LLEGE WILL BE LIKE DIDN’T END WH SIMON SAYG VOICE-OVER, “WELL, MAYBE NOT THAT GAY.” WHY NOT THAT GAY? WHY NOT MORE GAY?) IT’S THRILLG AND ALMOST SURREAL TO BE GIVEN TWO HOURS OF THIS—WHOUT ANYTHG SHAD, D, OR TRAGIC— STUD PACKAGG, CYNILLY PALIST AS MAY BE. CHERISHED AS THE SPARSE APARTMENTS AND SIMPLE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SO MANY BELOVED STRAND AND TLA RELEAS ARE, GAY STUFF LOOKS GOOD ON A BIGGER BUDGET.THE FILM’S PERFORMANC ONLY ADD TO THE MOVIE’S AFFABLE SPARKLE. THOUGH I WISH HIS SIMON READ, ANKLY, A B GAYER, ROBSON IS NO DOUBT A CHARMER, A HANDSOME GUY WHO GIV A MTED, SENSIVE PERFORMANCE. THE ACTORS WHO PLAY SIMON’S IENDS, ANTAGONISTS, AND LOVE TERTS—AMONG THEM KATHERE LANGFORD, ALEXANDRA SHIPP, LOGAN MILLER, AND KEIYNAN LONSDALE (SWOON)—ALL PROVI STRONG SUPPORT, GIVG THE MOVIE’S TEEN SOCIALIZG A CREDIBLE ENERGY, EVEN IF THE KIDS ARE A LTLE MORE VOLUBLY ELOQUENT THAN THEIR REAL-LIFE UNTERPARTS. (SNAPPY DIALOGUE THAT WORKS A WTY BOOK DON’T ALWAYS WORK ON SCREEN, SOMETHG SCREENWRERS ELIZABETH BERGER AND ISAAC APTAKER ARE HIP TO ABOUT HALF THE TIME.) AND JENNIFER GARNER AND JOSH DUHAMEL ARE CUDDLY AND GENERO AS SIMON’S DOTG PARENTS, WH GARNER PARTICULAR NAILG THE MOVIE’S MOST THOUGHTFUL, WELL-ARTICULATED SCENE.STORY-WISE, THE MOVIE MOV ALONG WELL, TELLG A SURPRISGLY TRITE TALE OF CSH AND SECRET INTI. SOME OF LOVE, SIMON‘S PLOT VELOPMENTS ARE STARTLGLY DARK—CHIEF AMONG THEM A BLACKMAILG SCHEME THAT PROV DISASTRO—AND WOULD BE NICE TO SEE THE FILM TERROGATE OR NTEXTUALIZE THAT A B MORE. MUCH OF SIMON’S ONLE ROMANCE IS JT THAT: ONLE. AND IS HARD TO DRAMATIZE E-MAILG ON FILM. SO SIMON’S RELATNSHIP TO “BLUE,” HIS INTER PARAMOUR, MAY FEEL RICHER BOOK FORM. BUT MOSTLY, THE FILM DO A GRACEFUL JOB OF ILLTRATG SIMON‘S NER TURMOIL—HIS FEAR NOT OF BEG GAY, BUT OF LIFE CHANGG TOO DRASTILLY WHEN HE ANNOUNC THAT HE IS—WHILE MATAG S SPIRED, FUNNY, HUMANE AIR. IT’S A CRGE-Y MOVIE, SO BEWARE IF YOU’RE AVERSE TO THAT SORT OF THG. (I AM, AND I SURVIVED.) B-STORI WEAVE WELL WH SIMON’S MA THROUGH-LE, AND THE MOVIE ENDS WH A SENSE OF EQUY FOR EACH OF S WELL-DRAWN KIDS. (EVEN IF LANGFORD’S CHARACTER SORTA GETS THE SHAFT. OR DON’T, SO TO SPEAK.)SO, ALL OF THAT IS GOOD. I LEFT THE THEATER A LTLE JUMPY AND LIGHTHEAD, LGHG WH A IEND ABOUT HOW SILLY AND FLHED WE FELT. LOVE, SIMON’S WELL-MEANG “FALLY!” IS A HEADY THG TO WNS, S CLOSG SCEN SO HAPPY AND AFFECTNATE THAT YOU WANT TO HUG SOMEONE. (OR KISS SOMEONE!)MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINIT WAS A FLEETG HIGH, THOUGH. BY THE TIME I GOT HOME OM THE THEATER (O.K., MY IEND AND I HAD A UPLE OF DRKS TO LM DOWN—BUT AFTER THAT), SOMETHG HAD SOURED ME, AND THE FILM BEGAN TO TAKE ON A DARKER—OR AT LEAST MORE TROUBLED—EDGE. WHAT I’VE BEEN WRTLG WH THE PAST UPLE OF WEEKS IS HOW MUCH OF THAT IS THE FILM’S DOG, AND HOW MUCH OF IS A PRODUCT OF MY OWN STUFF. ALL THAT BAGGAGE I’D TEMPORARILY LENT TO LOVE, SIMON QUICKLY STARTED TO WEIGH ON ME AGA, EVEN FEELG A B HEAVIER THAN BEFORE.I THK HAS SOMETHG TO DO WH THE KD OF IMAGG WE GAY ADULTS ARE MA TO DO ABOUT A MOVIE LIKE THIS. “WHAT IF I’D HAD THAT WHEN I WAS A KID?” WE FD OURSELV SAYG WH AWE, WH WISTFULNS, WH MAYBE (FELY?) A PANG OF JEALOY. (AND, OF URSE, “WHAT IF I’D LIVED THAT?”) OR, AT LEAST, I DO. IT’S A BTERSWEET ACTIVY, THIS NOSTALGIA FOR A YOUTH WE WISH WE HAD, AND FOR A YOUTH WE HOPE GAY KIDS ARE HAVG NOW. BUT IS A HEALTHY ONE?OF URSE ADULTS OWE TO YOUNG PEOPLE TO TE THEM, TO PROVI FOR THEM, TO HELP CLARIFY THE EMOTNAL WORLD FOR THEM. AND, Y, A PART OF THAT DUTY MAY BE GIVG THEM A LIKABLE, SOMETIM TRATGLY UNGAY GAY TEEN EDY ABOUT A WEALTHY KID WHOSE NANCY MEYERS–IAN LIFE IS DLY DISPTED UNTIL ISN’T, AND HE’S MET WH BROAD AND UNQUTNABLY LOVG SUPPORT THROUGHOUT. JUDGG OM THE REACTN TO A RECENT TIME PIECE THAT HAD THE TEMERY TO ASK IF LOVE, SIMON’S PLEASGLY BLAND PICTN OF RELATIVELY NORMATIVE GAYNS WOULD APPEAL TO TODAY’S MORE SOCIALLY NSC TEENS (A GOOD AND FAIR QUTN WORTH ENGAGG WH BEYOND THE PIECE’S HEADLE, FOLKS), THERE SEEMS TO BE A MAND, AN EAGER ANTICIPATN FOR THIS MOVIE. SO IF LOVE, SIMON DO SOMETHG—ENTERTAS, ELAT, TRANSPORTS—FOR THOSE QUEER KIDS NEED OF , THEN ’S ALL WORTH .THERE’S STILL A PART OF ME THAT WONRS IF KIDS NOW, WH YOUTUBE AND INSTAGRAM OFFERG UP A PLETHORA OF GAY PEERS TO LOOK ON, ARE QUE AS STARVED FOR THIS MOVIE AS OLR GENERATNS WERE. BUT WHETHER OR NOT GEN Z-ERS FD SOMETHG NOURISHG AND OF VALUE THE MOVIE, WHAT ARE WE GAY ADULTS TO DO WH ? DO EVEN MATTER WHAT WE DO WH ?WHAT I’VE BEEN SORT OF DANCG AROUND HERE IS THIS: A FEW HOURS AFTER SEEG LOVE, SIMON, I FELT KDA PRSED. ALL THAT SWEET LONGG FOR A TEENAGEHOOD I NEVER HAD—AND A MOVIE THAT I NEVER GOT—HARNED TO A REGRET, A BTERNS. THE SAME GO, SOME WAYS, FOR CALL ME BY YOUR NAME, THOUGH THAT FILM’S MEDATIVE WHISPERS HAVE PROVEN A MORE LASTG BALM THAN LOVE, SIMON’S QUICK AND CLUMSY BURST OF POIGNANCY. I THK I MIGHT JT BE A LTLE TIRED—FOR THE MOMENT—OF THKG MELANCHOLILLY ABOUT WHAT ULD HAVE BEEN, TIRED OF TILLG THE EARTH OF MY TEENAGE YEARS AND IMBUG WH THE FANTASI, AND THEN ASSUMG THAT MEANS I’VE BEEN FULFILLED, THAT I’VE BEEN SATISFYGLY REPRENTED CEMA.MOST POPULARTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINLOVE, SIMON IS NOT BEG MARKETED TO GAY ADULTS EXPRSLY, BUT PLENTY OF GAY ADULTS WILL SEE —HUNGRY FOR THIS FIRST MOVIEGOG EXPERIENCE, THE ONE LARGELY NIED TO THEM AS KIDS. WHICH IS GOOD. I HOPE THEY LOVE , AND THAT S TEND DIENCE OF TEENS LOV , AND THAT THE MOVIE MAK A BOATLOAD OF MONEY. AND I HOPE SOME OF THAT MONEY WILL THEN BE ED TO MAKE STUD MOVI ABOUT, AND FOR, GAY ADULTS, AND GAY OLD PEOPLE, AND GAY PEOPLE WHO ARE GAYER THAN NICK ROBSON, AND GAY MOVIE CRICS STARG DOWN THE BARREL OF THEIR 35TH BIRTHDAY. ALL KDS OF GAY PEOPLE!I—AND MANY OTHERS, I’M SURE—ULD BENEF OM A REMR THAT GAY LIV ARE NOT SOLELY FED BY PRIMAL DISVERY, THAT THEY EXIST LONG PAST FIRST BLH. FIRST BLH ARE GREAT, AND WE’VE BEEN BLSED WH SEVERAL GOOD FILMS ABOUT THEM RECENTLY, CLUDG LOVE, SIMON. BUT AS MUCH AS LOVE, SIMON’S WNG, IF SLIGHTLY BOWDLERIZED, G-OUT STORY IALLY MA ME YEARN FOR AN ALTERED YOUTH, ’S SCE MA ME YEARN EVEN MORE FOR STORI THAT REFLECT MY GAY LIFE TODAY, OR MY GAY LIFE AS MIGHT BE YEARS OM NOW. (AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE, AND YOUR GAY LIFE.) HERE’S HOPG FOR THOSE MOVI THE NEAR FUTURE. THK OF THIS WAY: IF THOSE FILMS GET MA NOW, THEY’LL BE THERE WAG FOR TODAY’S TEENS—SOON TO BE SMTEN WH SIMON—WHEN THEY EVENTUALLY GET OLR AND GROW HUNGRY FOR SOMETHG MORE. DO FOR THEM, HOLLYWOOD. AND FOR , TOO.RICHARD LAWSON

The film mak Senator Keeley's polil perspectiv the butt of the joke, such as his vexatn at Clton's (qualified, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell") acceptance of "gays the ary" and belief that homosexualy is "weakeng" the US. By the same token, empowers s gay characters: they are ntrol of the realy to which the -laws enter, and Armand and Albert are never characters that are lghed at, only Birdge enurag all to be more like Albert, to see his gay femy a kd of strength we all too often mock and disparage – Manuel BetanurtIn one particularly memorable scene, after Albert ially cis to disguise himself as Val's uncle, Armand attempts to teach Albert the 'ways' of the straight man. Elae May's screenplay replit almost every sgle ic beat of the French film, om g John Wayne as a se study for how to walk like a man to Armand and Albert servg the -laws their meal sexually explic patterned film rerv most ridicule for Gene Hackman's stra-laced senator (here pictured wh Dianne Wit as wife Louise and Calista Flockhart as dghter Barbara) (Cred: Alamy)However, the ntexts which the films were released gave them very different ronanc: self adapted om a 1973 play, Edouard Molaro's origal film me to the screen the pre-Aids, gay liberatn era of the 1970s, though was also wily regard as ahead of s time.

IS LU PIXAR’S FIRST GAY MOVIE? MAYBE

Released the same year as Aids diagnos peaked, was the first time a major stud explicly tackled the Aids crisis on-screen: Tom Hanks played a Philalphia lawyer sug his prev firm for HIV-related discrimatn after he was fired once a visible ln appeared on his Birdge showed that queer inti uld exist penntly of, and whout reference to, the epimic – Dr Matthew JonIn s attempt to reach mastream dienc, Philalphia offered a nscly sympathetic gay character who uld help rrect the public’s ignorance on homosexualy and Aids. In fact, both films were regnisable breakthroughs for the portrayal of queer characters on-screen, while beg oppose tone: Philalphia centred on batg discrimatn and homophobia, and The Birdge simply foced on the liberatg joy of beg one's self.

'DEAR EX': A MAN DI, LEAVG BEHD A WIFE, A SON AND A SECRET GAY LOVER

In both cematic versns, a pse om the lghter a ccial scene of relibratn jt before the -laws arrive, the middle of the film, when Albert and Armand's bickerg lat and Albert dramatilly walks out – before the gay uple rne, and poignantly agree to be buried bi each-other so as to "never miss a lgh".

Inspired by Hanks' impassned Amy Award bt-actor speech for Philalphia, which he thanked his gay high-school teacher, the film foced on Howard (Kev Kle), a closeted Midwt teacher who is outed by an Osr-wng pupil and tri to nvce the world around him, and himself, that he’s not gay. While Howard ni his queerns, the very ia of a homosexual prence the small town throws s habants to s foreground, unapologetic queerns, was a film that sat an unalloted space between the New Queer Cema and HollywoodIn one scene, Howard is termated on the basis that the school prcipal fears his queerns will "spread" to the stunts. The load phrase was not a cince, the ntext of the moral panic around Aids at the time, unrled the posn of many mastream gay films: that queer characters uld not be acquted the ey of the rt of the world om their associatn wh the adly vis.

The story of a 16-year-old, Simon (Nick Robson), who isn’t que ready to e out until he begs an anonymo e-mail romance wh another closeted boy at his school, Love, Simon is excg how directly and wholly foc on s gayns. Simon is maybe—wh all of Robson’s boyish, straight-actg physily and timbre—one of those “jt happens to be gay” typ, but he is nohels gay, somethg the film remds of, textually or subtextually, jt about every scene.

GAY DIRECTOR ADAM KALRON PICTS HOMOPHOBIA THE SWIMMG WORLD WH ‘THE SWIMMER’

That outle holds an obv potential for queer allegory, and ed many Pixar fans trackg the film’s velopment quickly labeled Lu as the stud’s “gay movie”—a g-out story to be placed on Pixar’s mantle alongsi s medatns on grief, artistic exprsn, lonels, Ayn Rand-ian objectivism, and parentg.