Director Andrew Ahn Relish All Gay Cast of New Comedy, ‘Fire Island’ – Geia Voice – Gay & LGBT Atlanta News

Contents:

• THE VERY GAY HISTORY OF FIRE ISLAND
• FIRE ISLAND GAY TRAVEL
• DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN RELISH ALL GAY CAST OF NEW COMEDY, ‘FIRE ISLAND’
• FIRE ISLAND IS A TRIP TO GAY HEAVEN—OR IS IT HELL?COMEDIAN JOEL KIM BOOSTER AND SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’S BOWEN YANG LEAD A JANE ATEN-SPIRED QUEER ROM.BY RICHARD LAWSONJUNE 2, 2022PHOTO BY JEONG PARK. COURTY OF SEARCHLIGHT PICTURSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEMY LAST TRIP TO FIRE ISLAND WAS 2019, A BUGGY, GHT WEEK DURG WHICH I FELT WOEFULLY ALIENATED OM MY HOEMAT (BY MY OWN DOG, NOT THEIRS) AND ALTOGETHER LONELY AND OLD AND GROSS AND TIRED. SUCH IS THE PERIL OF GOG TO A PLACE LIKE THAT—A GAY RETREAT THAT PROMIS THE FORTS AND EXCEMENTS OF FAIAR PANY, BUT ALSO HOLDS THE POTENTIAL FOR DIRE JAGS OF SELF-DOUBT. AT THE END OF MY TIME THERE, I GOT ON THE FERRY BACK TO LONG ISLAND AND CID I’D FALLY HAD ENOUGH. I HAD TRIED TO MAKE FIRE ISLAND WORK FOR ME, BUT I’D FAILED, TIME AND TIME AGA.IT’S A LOT EASIER TO RETURN THERE VIRTUAL FORM, NONTG AN IA OF THE PLACE OM A DIGAL DISTANCE RATHER THAN EXPERIENCG THE REAL, VODKA-SOAKED THG. WHICH IS JT WHAT THE NEW HULU FILM FIRE ISLAND (JUNE 3) OFFERS TO BOTH FIRE ISLAND VETERAN AND VIRG. DIRECTED BY ANDREW AHN AND WRTEN BY JOEL KIM BOOSTER, WHO ALSO STARS, FIRE ISLAND IS A ROMANTIC EDY OF MANNERS BASED ON JANE ATEN’S PRI AND PREJUDICE. GIVEN THE STRICT AND VEXG HIERARCHI OF FIRE ISLAND, KIM BOOSTER’S CHOICE OF TEMPLATE IS AN APT ONE. ALL OF ATEN’S Y AND PRICKLY SOCIAL MANVERG EASILY MAPS ONTO THE PARTICULAR GAY ESYSTEM PICTED THE FILM—TERPTED, OF URSE, BY VERY MORN BURSTS OF SEX AND DGS. THE GREATT ASSET OF FIRE ISLAND IS THE ISLAND SELF. MUCH OF THE FILM WAS SHOT ON LOTN THE LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL OF LAST YEAR, WHICH GIV THE FILM A CCIAL SPECIFICY. THOSE OF WHO’VE BEEN TO THE ISLAND BEFORE, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, MAY MORE POTENTLY REGNIZE THE STRANGE SIGNIFINCE OF SEEG, SAY, THE ICE PALACE LOOMG LARGE A GLOSSY, BUZZED-ABOUT MOVIE RELEASED ON A STREAMG PLATFORM OWNED BY DISNEY. BUT EVEN IF THE PLAC MEAN LTLE OR NOTHG TO A VIEWER, I’D THK THEY’LL STILL FEEL THE ENVELOPG PULL OF THE FILM’S GRANULAR TEXTURE, THE KEEN SENSE OF PLACE THAT SO MANY MOVI—FILMED ON ATLANTA SOUND STAG OR CANADIAN CI DRSED UP TO LOOK LIKE SOMETHG ELSE—SEEM TO LACK THE DAYS.AHN BATH THIS TH, SCRAGGLY LE OF SAND ACHG HU. HE AND CEMATOGRAPHER FELIPE VARA REY HAVE PTURED THE ROSY HAZE OF MAGIL SUMMER, KISSED BY WARM SUN AND FLECKED WH TWILIGHT DARKNS. (THE FILM’S WOOZY, INSTAGRAM-FILTER LOOK IS PERHAPS REMISCENT OF THE SHORT-LIVED GAY HBO SERI LOOKG—THOUGH I REALIZE THAT PARISON MAY READ AS NEGATIVE TO SOME. I MEAN A GOOD WAY.) AHN HAS SET A LOVELY STAGE FOR BUDDG ROMANCE AND FOR THE DULL PANGS OF VATN MALAISE. FIRE ISLAND PRENTS A WORLD BOTH SPRIGHTLY AND SOMBER, BEFTG OF THIS PARTY MEC WHERE EVEN A QUIET AFTERNOON BY THE POOL RRI WH AN ANX CH. KIM BOOSTER PLAYS NOAH, A HANDSOME, BED-HOPPG NURSE WHO IS MAKG AN ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO FIRE ISLAND WH HIS ART IENDS. HOWIE (BOWEN YANG) IS VISG OM SAN FRANCIS, WHERE HE HAS MPED TO FOR A JOB TECH. ZANY SIKICKS KEEGAN (TOMáS MATOS), LE (MATT ROGERS), AND MAX (TORIAN MILLER) HAVE MA THEIR WAY OUT OM THE CY, READY TO WHOOP UP AND OFFER CUTTG MENTARY. THE CHARACTERS ARE, AS THEY MIGHT BE A NOVEL, TAILED FOR BY NOAH’S NARRATN, WHICH ALSO GIV THE UNIATED A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE LAY OF THE LAND—A B OF PROBABLY NECSARY EXPOSN GIVEN THAT FIRE ISLAND IS NOT AN ACCSIBLE PLACE FOR MOST PEOPLE, GEOGRAPHILLY AND FANCIALLY. MONEY IS ONE OF THE FILM’S PERSISTENT NCERNS. THE BOYS’ HOST, EARTHY-KOOKY LBIAN ER (MARGARET CHO), WILL HAVE TO SELL HER BELOVED HOE AFTER LOSG MOST OF HER MONEY BY VTG QUIBI. (A FUNNY EVOTN OF THE DOOMED STREAMER THAT WAS ONCE MEANT TO BE THE HOME OF A TV SERI THAT LATER BEME THIS FILM.) THAT PUTS THE IENDS STARK NTRAST TO THE RICH GUYS ON THE OCEANONT SI OF THE ISLAND, SNOOTY MCLE GODS WHO ARE, THE FILM POTEDLY REGNIZ, ALMOST UNIFORMLY WHE. AS ASIAN MEN ON AN ISLAND—AND WH A BROAR MUNY—THAT IS OFTEN NOXLY PREJUDICED AGAST THEM, NOAH AND HOWIE MT NTEND WH BEG OSTRACIZED A PLACE THAT IS, OSTENSIBLY, SUPPOSED TO BE A WELG HAVEN. THE PA AND TRATN OF THAT IS SPOKEN ALOUD THE FILM, BUT KIM BOOSTER ALSO LETS HOVER QUIETLY, BUT SISTENTLY, THE SUBTEXT OF MANY OTHER LOAD NVERSATNS. FIRE ISLAND IS NOT MEANT TO BE A PANACEA FOR THIS PROBLEM— IS, AFTER ALL, NOT NOAH AND HOWIE’S, NOR AHN’S AND KIM BOOSTER’S, PROBLEM TO SOLVE. THE FILM IS STEAD A NARRATIVE ABOUT PEOPLE NAVIGATG A DIFFICULT REALY, TRYG TO WRTLE A GOOD, FULFILLG TIME OUT OF A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT SOMETIM SEEMS TERMED TO PRIVE THEM OF THAT. THAT SERNS IS TERTG DIALOGUE, IF NOT ALWAYS PERFECT BALANCE, WH THE FILM’S BAWDIER, RNCHIER DIMENSNS. MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYTHERE ARE ALSO TENSNS WH HOWIE AND NOAH’S IENDSHIP TO BE ALT WH. HOWIE IS SECURE ABOUT HIS BODY AND HIS NERDY AWKWARDNS, SO UN-REFLECTED NOAH’S RIPPLED AME AND SEX-HAPPY JOIE VIVRE. WE GET THE IMPRSN THAT NOAH’S GROOVE IS A LTLE B NEW—ONCE, MAYBE, HOWIE SAW THEM MORE AS PEERS. THAT SAD DYNAMIC, ONE THAT MANY GAY MEN (AND OTHER PEOPLE, OF URSE) WILL FD ALL TOO RELATABLE, IS SHARPLY ADDRSED THE FILM. THOUGH, I WISH THAT FIRE ISLAND SPENT EVEN MORE TIME VTIGATG THE AILG MECHANICS OF THIS VAL IENDSHIP. THE MOMENTS OF NFSN AND ARGUMENT ARE WHEN FIRE ISLAND FEELS MOST PERSONAL, MOST TIMATE. BUT BEFORE LONG, ALAS, THE BS, AND BYNS, OF THE FILM’S PLOT MT BE ATTEND TO. LOVE TERTS POP UP AT TEA DANC, AS THEY’RE WONT TO DO. FOR NOAH THERE IS THE FILM’S MR. DARCY, WILL (CONRAD RIMORA), A STERN AND HUNKY LAWYER WHOSE CHILLY REACTN TO NOAH’S VERVE DO, OF URSE, MASK A DAWNG ATTRACTN. FOR HOWIE THERE IS THE BABY-FACED CHARLIE (JAM SCULLY), WHOSE MEAN-GIRL IENDS AND OBNOX EX-BOYIEND NTUALLY THWART HIS FLIRTATNS WH HOWIE. SATISFYG NCLNS TO THE ROMANTIC TRAVAILS ARE REACHED BY THE END, AS THEY MT BE, WHILE ALONG THE WAY THERE IS SOME TRIGUE WH A SOLICO INSTAGAY, DEX (ZANE PHILLIPS), WHO’S UP TO NO GOOD, AND A FEW PS FOR HIGH-EDY ANTICS OM KEEGAN AND LE. THOSE MANY MOVG PARTS ARE JUGGLED WELL ENOUGH BY AHN AND KIM BOOSTER—THOUGH, THROUGHOUT THE FILM THEY SEEM UNCERTA IF THEY WANT THIS TO BE A PROBG SOCIAL EDY OR A GALS-ON-VAY LARK. IT N BE BOTH, SURELY, BUT FIRE ISLAND HAS TROUBLE BLENDG THOSE HALV TO A HIVE WHOLE. THAT SAID, ’S MENDABLE THAT THE FILM SO ANKLY, SO AIRILY, PICTS THE ISLAND’S RNAL DULGENC. MAYBE ALL OF THAT STG SOMEWHAT DISRDANTLY ALONGSI THE MHIER, GENTLER STUFF IS A WORTHY APPROXIMATN OF WHAT IS TO BE ON FIRE ISLAND: HORNED UP AND MELANCHOLY, ADDLED BY BOTH CHEMILS AND RELENTLS HEAV OF EMOTN. IN THAT ASPECT, FIRE ISLAND GETS JT ABOUT RIGHT—M THE MOSQUO.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORECAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWTHE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERHAS THE HAMPTONS FALLY FOUND ITS GREAT EQUALIZER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)RICHARD LAWSON
• A GAY GUI TO FIRE ISLAND
• “SOMETHG SPECIAL AND UNIQUE AND GAY”: YOUR FIRST LOOK AT FIRE ISLAND

THE VERY GAY HISTORY OF FIRE ISLAND

From Osr Wil’s vis to the island 1882, to the steady velopment of Cherry Grove as “Ameri's First Gay and Lbian Town, ” Fire Island has long been a home and haven to LGBTQ visors and rints alike. Long before the Stonewall Rts set the movement for Gay Liberatn to motn, Fire Island provid an important enclave to rints and visors at a time when almost everythg about livg openly as a lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, or queer (LGBTQ) person was illegal the Uned Stat. The Cherry Grove Communy Hoe is exceptnally signifint for the enormo role played shapg what gradually evolved to Ameri's First Gay and Lbian Town.

As anizatns, the Cherry Grove Property Owners Associatn and Cherry Grove Arts Projects profoundly fluenced the muny's velopment, facilatg the gradual social acceptance, self-affirmatn, and tegratn of s gay and lbian rints to Cherry Grove's erng affairs and civic life. This tegratn of LGBTQ rints to daily life and events at s muny hoe afford Cherry Grove a sgular stat; beme the one of the first and, for many years, the only gay and lbian fluenced geography the Uned Stat. Its metamorphosis played out agast turbulent social and polil upheavals -- our natn's rponse to the pre- and early days of the homosexual liberatn movement.

FIRE ISLAND GAY TRAVEL

The 1969 uprisg at the Stonewall Inn, which is largely creded as the turng pot the gay civil rights movement, has been documented by numero scholars. New Rom-Com ‘Fire Island’ Introduc Hulu Audienc to a Historic LGBTQ DtatnIs Fire Island a gay muny? But Fire Island, the namake and settg of the new film, is a real-life place wh a thrivg gay muny.

”Article ntu below advertisementIn fact, Cherry Grove beme known as “Ameri’s First Gay and Lbian Town, ” the NPS says, and NBC News adds that jos Provcetown, Mass., and Sgatuck-Douglas, Mich., as one of the few pre-Stonewall LGBTQ go on: “Long before the Stonewall Rts set the movement for Gay Liberatn to motn, Fire Island provid an important enclave to rints and visors at a time when almost everythg about livg openly as a lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, or queer person was illegal the Uned Stat. ”For terr shots, however, set signers recreated Fire Island’s Ice Palace gay bar and Paviln nightclub. How did one particular summer settlement on Fire Island bee a ‘safe haven’ for gay men and lbians almost nety years ago, s before the uprisg at Stonewall Inn?

It is the se of one of the olst gay and lbian muni the Uned Stat, suated wh two neighborg hamlets — Cherry Grove and the Fire Island P. Durg the 1930s actors, wrers and craftspeople om the New York theatril world began headg to Cherry Grove, s remote and stic quali allowg for gay and lbians to exprs themselv eely — far away om a world that rejected and persecuted them. And they are joed by Parker Sargent, a documentary filmmaker and one of the curators of Safe Haven: Gay Life 1950s Cherry Grove, a new exhibn at the New-York Historil Society, highlightg photography om the llectn of the Cherry Grove Archiv Collectn.

DIRECTOR ANDREW AHN RELISH ALL GAY CAST OF NEW COMEDY, ‘FIRE ISLAND’

Listen Now: The Very Gay History of Fire Island. Go see the show Safe/Haven: Gay Life 1950s Cherry Grove at the New-York Historil Society.

When Fire Island, a queer, morn adaptatn of Pri and Prejudice, was first announced, marked the first time a major film was beg wrten and directed by as well as starrg openly gay Asian people. So, to fd our gay Asian Amerin Mr. The film got even gayer and more Asian somehow.

” And when down to , pecially given that this film is set at a historil gay statn loted on the g of New York Cy, “there are no straight people, ” Booster says. If you ask a gay man om New York Cy about Fire Island, chanc are he will have at least two stori.

FIRE ISLAND IS A TRIP TO GAY HEAVEN—OR IS IT HELL?COMEDIAN JOEL KIM BOOSTER AND SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’S BOWEN YANG LEAD A JANE ATEN-SPIRED QUEER ROM.BY RICHARD LAWSONJUNE 2, 2022PHOTO BY JEONG PARK. COURTY OF SEARCHLIGHT PICTURSAVE THIS STORYSAVESAVE THIS STORYSAVEMY LAST TRIP TO FIRE ISLAND WAS 2019, A BUGGY, GHT WEEK DURG WHICH I FELT WOEFULLY ALIENATED OM MY HOEMAT (BY MY OWN DOG, NOT THEIRS) AND ALTOGETHER LONELY AND OLD AND GROSS AND TIRED. SUCH IS THE PERIL OF GOG TO A PLACE LIKE THAT—A GAY RETREAT THAT PROMIS THE FORTS AND EXCEMENTS OF FAIAR PANY, BUT ALSO HOLDS THE POTENTIAL FOR DIRE JAGS OF SELF-DOUBT. AT THE END OF MY TIME THERE, I GOT ON THE FERRY BACK TO LONG ISLAND AND CID I’D FALLY HAD ENOUGH. I HAD TRIED TO MAKE FIRE ISLAND WORK FOR ME, BUT I’D FAILED, TIME AND TIME AGA.IT’S A LOT EASIER TO RETURN THERE VIRTUAL FORM, NONTG AN IA OF THE PLACE OM A DIGAL DISTANCE RATHER THAN EXPERIENCG THE REAL, VODKA-SOAKED THG. WHICH IS JT WHAT THE NEW HULU FILM FIRE ISLAND (JUNE 3) OFFERS TO BOTH FIRE ISLAND VETERAN AND VIRG. DIRECTED BY ANDREW AHN AND WRTEN BY JOEL KIM BOOSTER, WHO ALSO STARS, FIRE ISLAND IS A ROMANTIC EDY OF MANNERS BASED ON JANE ATEN’S PRI AND PREJUDICE. GIVEN THE STRICT AND VEXG HIERARCHI OF FIRE ISLAND, KIM BOOSTER’S CHOICE OF TEMPLATE IS AN APT ONE. ALL OF ATEN’S Y AND PRICKLY SOCIAL MANVERG EASILY MAPS ONTO THE PARTICULAR GAY ESYSTEM PICTED THE FILM—TERPTED, OF URSE, BY VERY MORN BURSTS OF SEX AND DGS. THE GREATT ASSET OF FIRE ISLAND IS THE ISLAND SELF. MUCH OF THE FILM WAS SHOT ON LOTN THE LATE SUMMER AND EARLY FALL OF LAST YEAR, WHICH GIV THE FILM A CCIAL SPECIFICY. THOSE OF WHO’VE BEEN TO THE ISLAND BEFORE, FOR BETTER OR WORSE, MAY MORE POTENTLY REGNIZE THE STRANGE SIGNIFINCE OF SEEG, SAY, THE ICE PALACE LOOMG LARGE A GLOSSY, BUZZED-ABOUT MOVIE RELEASED ON A STREAMG PLATFORM OWNED BY DISNEY. BUT EVEN IF THE PLAC MEAN LTLE OR NOTHG TO A VIEWER, I’D THK THEY’LL STILL FEEL THE ENVELOPG PULL OF THE FILM’S GRANULAR TEXTURE, THE KEEN SENSE OF PLACE THAT SO MANY MOVI—FILMED ON ATLANTA SOUND STAG OR CANADIAN CI DRSED UP TO LOOK LIKE SOMETHG ELSE—SEEM TO LACK THE DAYS.AHN BATH THIS TH, SCRAGGLY LE OF SAND ACHG HU. HE AND CEMATOGRAPHER FELIPE VARA REY HAVE PTURED THE ROSY HAZE OF MAGIL SUMMER, KISSED BY WARM SUN AND FLECKED WH TWILIGHT DARKNS. (THE FILM’S WOOZY, INSTAGRAM-FILTER LOOK IS PERHAPS REMISCENT OF THE SHORT-LIVED GAY HBO SERI LOOKG—THOUGH I REALIZE THAT PARISON MAY READ AS NEGATIVE TO SOME. I MEAN A GOOD WAY.) AHN HAS SET A LOVELY STAGE FOR BUDDG ROMANCE AND FOR THE DULL PANGS OF VATN MALAISE. FIRE ISLAND PRENTS A WORLD BOTH SPRIGHTLY AND SOMBER, BEFTG OF THIS PARTY MEC WHERE EVEN A QUIET AFTERNOON BY THE POOL RRI WH AN ANX CH. KIM BOOSTER PLAYS NOAH, A HANDSOME, BED-HOPPG NURSE WHO IS MAKG AN ANNUAL PILGRIMAGE TO FIRE ISLAND WH HIS ART IENDS. HOWIE (BOWEN YANG) IS VISG OM SAN FRANCIS, WHERE HE HAS MPED TO FOR A JOB TECH. ZANY SIKICKS KEEGAN (TOMáS MATOS), LE (MATT ROGERS), AND MAX (TORIAN MILLER) HAVE MA THEIR WAY OUT OM THE CY, READY TO WHOOP UP AND OFFER CUTTG MENTARY. THE CHARACTERS ARE, AS THEY MIGHT BE A NOVEL, TAILED FOR BY NOAH’S NARRATN, WHICH ALSO GIV THE UNIATED A QUICK OVERVIEW OF THE LAY OF THE LAND—A B OF PROBABLY NECSARY EXPOSN GIVEN THAT FIRE ISLAND IS NOT AN ACCSIBLE PLACE FOR MOST PEOPLE, GEOGRAPHILLY AND FANCIALLY. MONEY IS ONE OF THE FILM’S PERSISTENT NCERNS. THE BOYS’ HOST, EARTHY-KOOKY LBIAN ER (MARGARET CHO), WILL HAVE TO SELL HER BELOVED HOE AFTER LOSG MOST OF HER MONEY BY VTG QUIBI. (A FUNNY EVOTN OF THE DOOMED STREAMER THAT WAS ONCE MEANT TO BE THE HOME OF A TV SERI THAT LATER BEME THIS FILM.) THAT PUTS THE IENDS STARK NTRAST TO THE RICH GUYS ON THE OCEANONT SI OF THE ISLAND, SNOOTY MCLE GODS WHO ARE, THE FILM POTEDLY REGNIZ, ALMOST UNIFORMLY WHE. AS ASIAN MEN ON AN ISLAND—AND WH A BROAR MUNY—THAT IS OFTEN NOXLY PREJUDICED AGAST THEM, NOAH AND HOWIE MT NTEND WH BEG OSTRACIZED A PLACE THAT IS, OSTENSIBLY, SUPPOSED TO BE A WELG HAVEN. THE PA AND TRATN OF THAT IS SPOKEN ALOUD THE FILM, BUT KIM BOOSTER ALSO LETS HOVER QUIETLY, BUT SISTENTLY, THE SUBTEXT OF MANY OTHER LOAD NVERSATNS. FIRE ISLAND IS NOT MEANT TO BE A PANACEA FOR THIS PROBLEM— IS, AFTER ALL, NOT NOAH AND HOWIE’S, NOR AHN’S AND KIM BOOSTER’S, PROBLEM TO SOLVE. THE FILM IS STEAD A NARRATIVE ABOUT PEOPLE NAVIGATG A DIFFICULT REALY, TRYG TO WRTLE A GOOD, FULFILLG TIME OUT OF A CIRCUMSTANCE THAT SOMETIM SEEMS TERMED TO PRIVE THEM OF THAT. THAT SERNS IS TERTG DIALOGUE, IF NOT ALWAYS PERFECT BALANCE, WH THE FILM’S BAWDIER, RNCHIER DIMENSNS. MOST POPULARRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, LOSG LISA MARIE, AND INHERG GRACELANDBY BRT HENNEMUTHBILL MAHER BEEFS WH “PREACHY, MAN-HATG” BARBIE MOVIEBY SAVANNAH WALSHJAMIE LEE CURTIS DIGS HERSELF OUT OF COMMENTS ABOUT SAG-AFTRA STRIKEBY EVE BATEYTHERE ARE ALSO TENSNS WH HOWIE AND NOAH’S IENDSHIP TO BE ALT WH. HOWIE IS SECURE ABOUT HIS BODY AND HIS NERDY AWKWARDNS, SO UN-REFLECTED NOAH’S RIPPLED AME AND SEX-HAPPY JOIE VIVRE. WE GET THE IMPRSN THAT NOAH’S GROOVE IS A LTLE B NEW—ONCE, MAYBE, HOWIE SAW THEM MORE AS PEERS. THAT SAD DYNAMIC, ONE THAT MANY GAY MEN (AND OTHER PEOPLE, OF URSE) WILL FD ALL TOO RELATABLE, IS SHARPLY ADDRSED THE FILM. THOUGH, I WISH THAT FIRE ISLAND SPENT EVEN MORE TIME VTIGATG THE AILG MECHANICS OF THIS VAL IENDSHIP. THE MOMENTS OF NFSN AND ARGUMENT ARE WHEN FIRE ISLAND FEELS MOST PERSONAL, MOST TIMATE. BUT BEFORE LONG, ALAS, THE BS, AND BYNS, OF THE FILM’S PLOT MT BE ATTEND TO. LOVE TERTS POP UP AT TEA DANC, AS THEY’RE WONT TO DO. FOR NOAH THERE IS THE FILM’S MR. DARCY, WILL (CONRAD RIMORA), A STERN AND HUNKY LAWYER WHOSE CHILLY REACTN TO NOAH’S VERVE DO, OF URSE, MASK A DAWNG ATTRACTN. FOR HOWIE THERE IS THE BABY-FACED CHARLIE (JAM SCULLY), WHOSE MEAN-GIRL IENDS AND OBNOX EX-BOYIEND NTUALLY THWART HIS FLIRTATNS WH HOWIE. SATISFYG NCLNS TO THE ROMANTIC TRAVAILS ARE REACHED BY THE END, AS THEY MT BE, WHILE ALONG THE WAY THERE IS SOME TRIGUE WH A SOLICO INSTAGAY, DEX (ZANE PHILLIPS), WHO’S UP TO NO GOOD, AND A FEW PS FOR HIGH-EDY ANTICS OM KEEGAN AND LE. THOSE MANY MOVG PARTS ARE JUGGLED WELL ENOUGH BY AHN AND KIM BOOSTER—THOUGH, THROUGHOUT THE FILM THEY SEEM UNCERTA IF THEY WANT THIS TO BE A PROBG SOCIAL EDY OR A GALS-ON-VAY LARK. IT N BE BOTH, SURELY, BUT FIRE ISLAND HAS TROUBLE BLENDG THOSE HALV TO A HIVE WHOLE. THAT SAID, ’S MENDABLE THAT THE FILM SO ANKLY, SO AIRILY, PICTS THE ISLAND’S RNAL DULGENC. MAYBE ALL OF THAT STG SOMEWHAT DISRDANTLY ALONGSI THE MHIER, GENTLER STUFF IS A WORTHY APPROXIMATN OF WHAT IS TO BE ON FIRE ISLAND: HORNED UP AND MELANCHOLY, ADDLED BY BOTH CHEMILS AND RELENTLS HEAV OF EMOTN. IN THAT ASPECT, FIRE ISLAND GETS JT ABOUT RIGHT—M THE MOSQUO.MORE GREAT STORI FROM VANY FAIRRILEY KEOUGH ON GROWG UP PRLEY, INHERG GRACELAND, AND MORECAN YOU NAME THE FILM THAT LNCHED BRIE LARSON, RAMI MALEK, AND MORE?THE 25 BT SHOWS ON NETFLIX TO WATCH RIGHT NOWTHE ABSOLUTELY WILST DETAILS OF THE GOVERNMENT’S LATT INDICTMENT AGAST DONALD TMPIVANKA TMP IS NOT LETTG HER DAD’S MOUNTG LEGAL WO RU HER SUMMERINSI ETON COLLEGE, HARRY AND WILLIAM’S POSH ALMA MATERHAS THE HAMPTONS FALLY FOUND ITS GREAT EQUALIZER?FROM THE ARCHIVE: TOO HEPBURN FOR HOLLYWOOD (2006)RICHARD LAWSON

This isn’t to say that romanc centerg gay men haven’t been ma, but they’re ually die flicks. More recently, fay-iendly mastream rom-s like 2018’s Love Simon and 2021’s Sgle All the Way have been released, but Fire Island is the first of two high-profile edi out the next few months (Billy Eichner’s Bros will be released at the end of September) that promise not to shy away om gay men’s sex liv. It’s premierg on Hulu on Friday, stars two Asian Amerin queer men as s leads, and don’t clu any tragedy or harangued g out (ually the kd of gay stori Hollywood leans on).

It hs all the required not for the genre, and even sneaks some thoughtful mentary on gay male sire, and platonic iendships between gay men — there’s a pky trope movi and televisn to pair off the gay male characters romantilly.

As a longtime practicg homosexual, I was a ltle worried about Fire Island’s bchery — the Meat Rack (which, spe s name, do not volve an artisanal butcher), the unrwear party at the Ice Palace, the back room at the unrwear party (which is exactly how sounds) — beg buffed down an effort to avoid offendg the mastream mass.

A GAY GUI TO FIRE ISLAND

After all, gay stori are exponentially easier to sell when gay men aren’t havg enjoyable, hot sex them. While the thematic tent of explorg sexual sire is typilly tackled a straightforward, easygog way, Booster grappl wh ias of bety and power, and regniz why, for gay men pecially, ’s such a agile yearng. For what’s billed as a fantastil romantic edy about how magil Fire Island n be, Booster treads to some amb and unfortable emotnal terrory as he tells a story about how gay male culture privileg the looks and worth of a specific type of man, and simultaneoly how tends to dimish men who don’t f that mold.

Their wistful film also shows that spe gay life’s celti, don’t ever mean ’s lackg love. They’re also both Asian Amerin gay men, and wh that they share many of the same experienc growg up.

The stereotyp, the ias of masculy, the sual bigotry graed gay male culture, may all be hard to fully feel if you haven’t grown up queer and Asian. But Noah’s need to make Howie feel wanted reflects his own securi, and his own implic admissn that Howie may not be nsired tradnally attractive when to very unfivg gay male bety standards.

“SOMETHG SPECIAL AND UNIQUE AND GAY”: YOUR FIRST LOOK AT FIRE ISLAND

Darcy-que Will (Conrad Rimora), and their iend group of mcled, whe affluent gay men. Beg whe, rich, and havg fantastic pecs puts you at the apex of the gay social stat hierarchy. The turmoil created by this whe gay crew and the many like rais the qutn of why people go to what appears to be Mean Girl Island the first place.

Altogether, ’s a vulnerable, hont perspective om Booster about the irratnaly of gay male sire. Beg gay or queer is often tied to sexualy, but ’s also about livg a life that don’t necsarily look like the on prcribed to .

The Gay Travel Experience: Fire Island P, New York. Only reachable by ferry and nnected entirely by boardwalks, the seclud Fire Island P and Cherry Grove neighborhoods are tly a gay paradise.