As My Bt Friend’s Weddg turns 25, Ey Maskell looks at the problematic legacy, fluential gear shifts and evolvg future of rom- cema’s Gay Bt Friend.
Contents:
- CAN YOUR GAY BT FRIEND BE YOUR BRISMAID?
- ALWAYS THE BRISMAID: IS THERE A FUTURE FOR CEMA’S GAY BT IEND?
- IN ‘MY BT FRIEND’S WEDDG,’ I FOUND MY GAY ROLE MOL: JULIA ROBERTS
- IT’S BEEN 20 YEARS SCE MY BT FRIEND’S WEDDG — AND THE RISE OF THE ‘GAY BT FRIEND’ TROPE
CAN YOUR GAY BT FRIEND BE YOUR BRISMAID?
When pickg brismaids, most bris choose their bt iends for this role as they are the people clost to them. But, what if your bt iend is gay? * gay best friend bridesmaid *
Sendary to the ‘ma character energy’ most of are endlsly strivg for, relegated to the bleachers, or out of foc the back of the shot is where the gay bt iend n often be found. It is fair to say that while the gay bt iend is alive and well (some of them anyway—more on that, soon), their portrayal has been bolstered wh a newfound self-awarens of late. But the stereotype remas a paltry offerg of queer reprentatn that is plited and often ntradictory, beggg the ultimate qutn: is time to shelve the trope of the gay bt iend, or n the GBF be succsfully reimaged?
Jt as June is the month which LGBTQ+ folks are briefly given ma character stat—cludg by brands who sist on wavg the rabow flag—the gay bt iend on film exists a siar ntext: brief flash of celebratn an ocean of straight-domant cematic narrativ. Like any other rom- bt iend, what ltle we learn about the gay bt iend is ually direct relatn to the central character to whom they are service. Not emed valuable enough to take the res of the story, yet important enough to be by the lead’s si—how much of an vtment the gay experience do portrayals of the gay bt iend really monstrate?
Even though Buddy do not state he is gay until later the plot, he remas on the margs of the narrative and is saddled wh the classic gay bt iend rponsibili—dispensg supportive advice and leadg a makeover sequence to help Teddy get his act together. It may be hearteng to see openly gay characters on screen, but Buddy lacks any real pth or terr life a male-centric edy that has aged awfully.
ALWAYS THE BRISMAID: IS THERE A FUTURE FOR CEMA’S GAY BT IEND?
* gay best friend bridesmaid *
This year marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of one of the most inic gay bt iends on the big screen: My Bt Friend’s Weddg’s Gee Down (Rupert Everett), the edor and btie of food cric protagonist Jul (Julia Roberts). Everett me out publicly 1989; don’t seem outrageo to nclu that an out, gay man playg this gay bt iend lent the character himself more plexy than the typil archetype. ” Craftg an outlier the non, Everett’s Gee marked a new era of queer portrayal and a turng pot for the gay bt iend character.
Everett plays Gee wh a ground sense of self and narrative-drivg nfince, offerg a rehg—and long-overdue—take on the stereotypil gay bt iend. Partway through, My Bt Friend’s Weddg shuffl towards the terrory of a gay character ‘playg straight’ when Gee is roped to pretendg to be Jul’ fiancé.
IN ‘MY BT FRIEND’S WEDDG,’ I FOUND MY GAY ROLE MOL: JULIA ROBERTS
My Bt Friend’s Weddg teeters on but never cross the le of the gay bt iend fallg love wh and/or beg rejected by the straight bt iend.
So, no, this gay bt iend don’t sacrifice himself to appease his heterosexual protagonist; Gee may be loyal to Jul but he remas as snappy and effervcent as ever. While other films ame as ludicro for a gay man to pretend to be straight, My Bt Friend’s Weddg lghs wh Gee at Jul’ awkwardns and the ridiculons of the suatn.
IT’S BEEN 20 YEARS SCE MY BT FRIEND’S WEDDG — AND THE RISE OF THE ‘GAY BT FRIEND’ TROPE
My Bt Friend’s Weddg holds the gay bt iend rg regard, wh Gee rightfully granted the film’s closg monologue as an orchtral versn of ‘I Say a Ltle Prayer’ plays.
“Although you que rrectly sense that he is… gay… like most vastatgly handsome sgle men of his age are, you thk: what the hell. As one astute Letterboxd member, Ben Rendich, not: there are plenty of other leadg ladi who uld have ed a gay bt iend like Gee.
When the layers are peeled away, Gee is a gay supportg character service to a straight protagonist; on more than one ocsn, he’s an oracle for Jul, droppg everythg to be by her si. A limp wrist punctuatg his ments and squealg wh Kimmy over weddg planng suat the stereotyped gay femy that was plentiful the pictn of the stock gay bt iend. In 1997, the same year as My Bt Friend Weddg’s release, Gee was joed by Simon, a gay artist As Good As It Gets, a role that earned Greg Knear an Osr nomatn.