Token Gay of the Day: Harry ‘Mamma Mia’ – IndieWire

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• THE NEXT MAMMA MIA! SHOULD GIVE COL FIRTH THE GAY LOVE STORY HE DERVFIRTH’S HARRY SERV AN EPIC ROMANCE—AND THE FAILURE TO GIVE HIM ONE IS THE ONLY BUM NOTE MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA.BY LRA BRADLEYJULY 21, 2018BY JONATHAN PRIME/UNIVERSAL STUDS.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEMAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA LIVERS JT ABOUT EVERYTHG A MAMMA MIA! SEQUEL N BRG TO THE TABLE: MORE ABBA, MORE BELL-BOTTOMS, MORE CHER. THE MIL SEQUEL OFFERS, AS V.F.’S OWN RICHARD LAWSON PUT HIS REVIEW, “UNPLITED JOY PLITED, SPAIRG TIM.” SO, TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ME BASHG THE FILM. IF ANYTHG, ’S ME IMPLORG THE POWERS THAT BE TO GIVE ANOTHER MOVIE, THIS TIME LIVERG THE ONE THG THAT BOTH MAMMA MIA! FILMS NEGLECTED TO GIVE THE FIRST TIME AROUND: A LOVE STORY WORTHY OF THE STAMMERG, IMPECBLY IFFED FOX THAT IS COL FIRTH’S HARRY BRIGHT. O.K., MAYBE NOT ANOTHER MOVIE—BUT EVEN A SHORT FILM OR MIC VIO WOULD DO THE TRICK.IN THE ORIGAL MIL UPON WHICH MAMMA MIA! IS BASED, HARRY TABLISH THAT HE IS GAY—AND THE FILMS, HE’S ALSO SHOWN TO BE ATTRACTED TO MEN. IN THE FIRST MOVIE, HE NOT THAT MERYL STREEP’S DONNA WAS THE FIRST AND LAST WOMAN HE EVER LOVED—THEN FDS ROMANCE WH ONE OF HIS DGHTER’S WEDDG GUTS. (EXCELLENT PICKUP GAME, HARRY.) THE SEQUEL, HOWEVER, FDS HIM STILL SGLE, 10 (OR . . . SOME NUMBER OF) YEARS LATER.WHEN ASKED DURG A BS MEETG IF HE HAS ANY FAY, HARRY WISTFULLY REPLI THAT HE HAS A DGHTER. APPARENTLY, THERE’S NO ONE ELSE HIS LIFE. PERHAPS HARRY HAS VOLUNTARILY CHOSEN SGLEDOM; EHER WAY, AS A MOMENT LATER THE FILM— WHICH HE TI HIMSELF TO A CHAIR WKGLY—IMPLI, HARRY MIGHT GET TO A LTLE LIGHT BONDAGE HIS SPARE TIME. SO AT LEAST WE KNOW HE’S NOT TOTALLY WANTG FOR PANY. (ALSO, THOSE WHO STICK AROUND FOR THE AFTER-CREDS SCENE WILL KNOW THAT HARRY HAS AT LEAST ONE MORE ADMIRER THIS FILM AS WELL—WHETHER OR NOT HE RECIPROT THAT AFFECTN.STILL, A FILM THAT CELEBRAT ROMANCE BETWEEN BASILLY ALL OF S CHARACTERS, ’S KD OF A BUMMER TO SEE THE ANCHISE’S ONE OPENLY GAY CHARACTER REMA PERPETUALLY SGLE. BY THE END OF MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA, BASILLY EVERYONE ELSE IS PAIRED OFF. HARRY’S MAYBE-DGHTER SOPHIE (AMANDA SEYIED) HAS SKY (DOMIC COOPER), HER ONCE AND FUTURE BELOVED; CHER’S GRANDMOTHER CHARACTER, RUBY, HAS HER LONG-LOST LOVE, FERNANDO (ANDY GARCíA); STELLAN SKARSGåRD’S OUTSTANDG SWE CHARACTER, BILL, HAS ROSIE (JULIE WALTERS). PIERCE BROSNAN’S CHARACTER, SAM, HAD DONNA—YOU KNOW, BEFORE SHE DIED. EVEN CHRISTE BARANSKI’S LOTHAR, TANYA, GETS IMPLICLY PAIRED OFF BY THE END—WH A VERY UNEXPECTED GUT STAR. HARRY, MEANWHILE, IS LEFT TO REVEL EVERYONE ELSE’S HAPPS—ALTHOUGH HE AND BILL DO, AT ONE POT, SHARE A TANIC-SPOOFG MOMENT THAT WILL STAND AS ONE OF THE FILM’S GREATT HIGHLIGHTS.IT ULD EASILY BE A CINCE THAT HARRY DON’T GET A ROMANCE—BUT DON’T HE SERVE BETTER? AS THE SECURY GUARD ON THE DOCKS NOT, AGE BE HIM—LIKE A FE WE OR CHEE. HARRY IS HANDSOME, TELLIGENT, KD, WELL-OFF—AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, ONE GREE OF SEPARATN OM CHER. IF HE N’T FD TE LOVE OUT THERE, WHAT HOPE IS THERE FOR THE RT OF ?MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINLRA BRADLEY
• THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS
• TOKEN GAY OF THE DAY: HARRY ‘MAMMA MIA’
• TOKEN GAY OF THE DAY: HARRY ‘MAMMA MIA’

THE NEXT MAMMA MIA! SHOULD GIVE COL FIRTH THE GAY LOVE STORY HE DERVFIRTH’S HARRY SERV AN EPIC ROMANCE—AND THE FAILURE TO GIVE HIM ONE IS THE ONLY BUM NOTE MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA.BY LRA BRADLEYJULY 21, 2018BY JONATHAN PRIME/UNIVERSAL STUDS.SAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEMAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA LIVERS JT ABOUT EVERYTHG A MAMMA MIA! SEQUEL N BRG TO THE TABLE: MORE ABBA, MORE BELL-BOTTOMS, MORE CHER. THE MIL SEQUEL OFFERS, AS V.F.’S OWN RICHARD LAWSON PUT HIS REVIEW, “UNPLITED JOY PLITED, SPAIRG TIM.” SO, TO BE CLEAR, THIS IS NOT ME BASHG THE FILM. IF ANYTHG, ’S ME IMPLORG THE POWERS THAT BE TO GIVE ANOTHER MOVIE, THIS TIME LIVERG THE ONE THG THAT BOTH MAMMA MIA! FILMS NEGLECTED TO GIVE THE FIRST TIME AROUND: A LOVE STORY WORTHY OF THE STAMMERG, IMPECBLY IFFED FOX THAT IS COL FIRTH’S HARRY BRIGHT. O.K., MAYBE NOT ANOTHER MOVIE—BUT EVEN A SHORT FILM OR MIC VIO WOULD DO THE TRICK.IN THE ORIGAL MIL UPON WHICH MAMMA MIA! IS BASED, HARRY TABLISH THAT HE IS GAY—AND THE FILMS, HE’S ALSO SHOWN TO BE ATTRACTED TO MEN. IN THE FIRST MOVIE, HE NOT THAT MERYL STREEP’S DONNA WAS THE FIRST AND LAST WOMAN HE EVER LOVED—THEN FDS ROMANCE WH ONE OF HIS DGHTER’S WEDDG GUTS. (EXCELLENT PICKUP GAME, HARRY.) THE SEQUEL, HOWEVER, FDS HIM STILL SGLE, 10 (OR . . . SOME NUMBER OF) YEARS LATER.WHEN ASKED DURG A BS MEETG IF HE HAS ANY FAY, HARRY WISTFULLY REPLI THAT HE HAS A DGHTER. APPARENTLY, THERE’S NO ONE ELSE HIS LIFE. PERHAPS HARRY HAS VOLUNTARILY CHOSEN SGLEDOM; EHER WAY, AS A MOMENT LATER THE FILM— WHICH HE TI HIMSELF TO A CHAIR WKGLY—IMPLI, HARRY MIGHT GET TO A LTLE LIGHT BONDAGE HIS SPARE TIME. SO AT LEAST WE KNOW HE’S NOT TOTALLY WANTG FOR PANY. (ALSO, THOSE WHO STICK AROUND FOR THE AFTER-CREDS SCENE WILL KNOW THAT HARRY HAS AT LEAST ONE MORE ADMIRER THIS FILM AS WELL—WHETHER OR NOT HE RECIPROT THAT AFFECTN.STILL, A FILM THAT CELEBRAT ROMANCE BETWEEN BASILLY ALL OF S CHARACTERS, ’S KD OF A BUMMER TO SEE THE ANCHISE’S ONE OPENLY GAY CHARACTER REMA PERPETUALLY SGLE. BY THE END OF MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGA, BASILLY EVERYONE ELSE IS PAIRED OFF. HARRY’S MAYBE-DGHTER SOPHIE (AMANDA SEYIED) HAS SKY (DOMIC COOPER), HER ONCE AND FUTURE BELOVED; CHER’S GRANDMOTHER CHARACTER, RUBY, HAS HER LONG-LOST LOVE, FERNANDO (ANDY GARCíA); STELLAN SKARSGåRD’S OUTSTANDG SWE CHARACTER, BILL, HAS ROSIE (JULIE WALTERS). PIERCE BROSNAN’S CHARACTER, SAM, HAD DONNA—YOU KNOW, BEFORE SHE DIED. EVEN CHRISTE BARANSKI’S LOTHAR, TANYA, GETS IMPLICLY PAIRED OFF BY THE END—WH A VERY UNEXPECTED GUT STAR. HARRY, MEANWHILE, IS LEFT TO REVEL EVERYONE ELSE’S HAPPS—ALTHOUGH HE AND BILL DO, AT ONE POT, SHARE A TANIC-SPOOFG MOMENT THAT WILL STAND AS ONE OF THE FILM’S GREATT HIGHLIGHTS.IT ULD EASILY BE A CINCE THAT HARRY DON’T GET A ROMANCE—BUT DON’T HE SERVE BETTER? AS THE SECURY GUARD ON THE DOCKS NOT, AGE BE HIM—LIKE A FE WE OR CHEE. HARRY IS HANDSOME, TELLIGENT, KD, WELL-OFF—AND, MOST IMPORTANTLY, ONE GREE OF SEPARATN OM CHER. IF HE N’T FD TE LOVE OUT THERE, WHAT HOPE IS THERE FOR THE RT OF ?MOST POPULARSOUND OF FREEDOM: THE WILD TE STORY BEHD 2023’S MOST CONTROVERSIAL FILMBY EVE BATEYTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRUTH HANDLER: SEX TOYS, FANCIAL CRIM AND THE ORIG OF BARBIEBY ANTHONY BREZNINLRA BRADLEY

Is based, Harry tablish that he is gay—and the films, he’s also shown to be attracted to men.

THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS

(Also, those who stick around for the after-creds scene will know that Harry has at least one more admirer this film as well—whether or not he reciprot that, a film that celebrat romance between basilly all of s characters, ’s kd of a bummer to see the anchise’s one openly gay character rema perpetually sgle. Gay revelers (and their lucky straight iends) are wavg their arms, strikg genue pos and shamelsly sgg along to the sugary 45-year-old pop standard that’s bee synonymo wh queer nightlife. ” and “Macho Man” for themselv, but there’s no way they’ll take this one om to multiple stage and screen rnatns of “Mamma Mia!, ” fabuloly garish stum om gay signer Owe Sandström and nsummately crafted songs more retroactively popular than their ’70s and early ’80s heyday, ABBA has for s been the bull’s-eye of the LGBTQ mil universe.

Ostensibly cheerful but packed wh drama and peppered wh Sndavian melancholy, the Stockholm mixed-genr quartet’s pop has blueprted the glz of untls gay and gay-iendly acts om Kylie Mogue to Lady Gaga, Adam Lambert to Lil Nas X — a sgular achievement for a band that hadn’t pleted an album 40 years.

This week releasg “Voyage, ” s first new LP sce 1981 and a teaser for next year’s London ncerts featurg 3D avatars, ABBA is to many gay fans what the Rollg Ston are to straights — archetyp whose appeal transcends time, place and age. While even ins like Madonna polarize opn, nearly every lor of the gay rabow agre on wasn’t always the se. Back when Donna Summer reigned as disputable dancg queen, ABBA didn’t get much gay club play, not even you-know-what.

TOKEN GAY OF THE DAY: HARRY ‘MAMMA MIA’

Y, there were exceptns: Larry Levan — the fluential gay Black DJ at New York’s legendary and largely Black/LGBTQ Paradise Garage — adored Cher’s “Take Me Home. ” But gay DJs and their dienc mostly favored unrground divas and obscure orchtral matros they disvered and popularized, not succsful pop acts plucked om AM changed the early ’80s when the U.

Straight clubs shifted to eclectic funk and new wave, but the well of speedy gay dancefloor arias nearly ran dry. ” “The first time he did that, was a mistake, ” rells Robbie Llie, DJ veteran of New York Cy’s the Sat, the ultimate ’80s gay dis. ”Like Llie’s siarly beloved mix of Jimmy Ruff’s “Hold on to My Love, ” Rodriguez’s ABBA transformatn appeared only on Dis, a gay-owned subscriptn remix service.

This forced a 12-ch release overseas of “Lay All Your Love on Me’s” paratively ordary LP cut that prerved the exclivy of Rodriguez’s versn, while s longevy proved that dancers — particularly gay on — still craved fast and lty club anthems. In 1982, ABBA’s North Amerin label issued s kdred uptempo tune “The Visors” as a sgle, but once aga, a gay subscriptn-only remix service, Hot Tracks, supplied the extend ABBA that year rerd what would be for s s fal ssns, U. Producers such as Stock Aken Waterman filled the void wh gay-targeted “hi-NRG” tracks that crossed to the mastream via Dead or Alive, Bananarama, Mogue and Summer, while everyone om the Lat Rasls to the Pet Shop Boys replited Rodriguez’s mache-gun hi-NRG ran s urse, England’s Erasure released 1992’s “Abba-que, ” a love letter of ver versns.

TOKEN GAY OF THE DAY: HARRY ‘MAMMA MIA’

Its gay lead sger, Andy Bell, and his straight synth sikick Vce Clarke even re-created their source material’s “Take a Chance on Me” vio drag, wh U. In 1994, the oldi promently popped up the movi “Muriel’s Weddg, ” which gave gay fave Toni Collette her big break, and “The Adventur of Priscilla, Queen of the Dert, ” a trans-tastic road edy. At the absolute nadir of the AIDS plague, ABBA was reborn to paragons of gloom-relievg if bombastic outfs and bubblegum hooks had been the only gear ABBA gave to LGBTQ culture, s gay appeal would’ve plummeted after the lifavg arrival of antiviral cktails.