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

Contents:

• 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHLRA BRADLEY
• TOKEN GAY OF THE DAY: HARRY ‘MAMMA MIA’
• THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS
• 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 POPULARVANY FAIR’S “IT’S RAG TEENS” COVER AT 20: WHERE ARE THEY NOW?BY SAVANNAH WALSHTHE CAST OF OPPENHEIMER AND THE REAL PEOPLE THEY PLAYBY HILLARY BISRED, WHE & ROYAL BLUE MAY BE “THE MOST EXPENSIVE B OF FAN FICTN EVER”BY SAVANNAH WALSHLRA BRADLEY

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

(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. However, Bill assum that Harry's sudn realizatn is his homosexualy (given his dancg wh Petros, a lol Greek man), and Harry assum that Bill's disvery is his tert Rosie. Lookg at Petros lovgly, Harry suggts that he is a gay man, although some fans ntend that Harry is bisexual.

TOKEN GAY OF THE DAY: HARRY ‘MAMMA MIA’

In an after-creds scene, the passport guard speaks to Young Harry after he has board the ferry to the island, tellg him that if he is rejected, Young Harry should "take a chance" on him, implyg that the guard, as well as Young Harry, are gay.

It is revealed that he is gay at the end of the first Mamma Mia when he is dancg and huggg a man. Harry reveals that he is gay Mamma Mia!, but that has no bearg on his fertily or abily to nceive a child blogilly.

THE SURPRISG STORY OF HOW ABBA BEME BELOVED GAY INS

For Harry, he is a gay punk stuck a picture perfect upper class liftyle. There is a fe le between a character’s prevly hidn homosexualy beg a nice twist and beg a punchle.

And while this is the kd of mastream film that you might expect to clu gay men s welg bosom (did I mentn Meryl Streep performg ABBA songs? I gather that is much clearer the stage origal that Col Firth’s character Harry is gay. And though you might thk is ma fairly obv the film – Harry tells Donna “You were the first women I ever loved… and also the last” before stg a sultry glance at a young male lol – is not unambiguo enough to prevent a Google search yieldg multiple viewers askg “Is Harry meant to be gay?

TOKEN GAY OF THE DAY: HARRY ‘MAMMA MIA’

Y, we get a fal shot of a topls Col and his paramour embracg unr a water shower, but the image uld more easily be found a macho sports locker room than a gay porn classic (not that the are mutually exclive tegori). So y, Harry is meant to be gay. 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.