Gay films where friend acts like they dont know love
Gay Movies with Happy Endings: Adorable Characters, Lovable Stories, and a HAPPILY EVER AFTER
by ryan-o-west • Created 10 years ago • Modified 7 years ago
Trying to find a feel-good "gay" movie to view is like playing a game of Russian Roulette with your soul, and I think that's shitty: There's a difference between a "gay drama", an "important gay movie", a "gay romance", and a "gay rom-com"... and I'm here to celebrate the latter two!
Every movie in this list is, SPOILER ALERT, guaranteed to terminate happily, with the two leads living happily-ever-after.
I appreciate romance movies, and I'm not apologizing for it! Because sometimes it's significant to know, when you decide to watch a movie, that the lovable couple you're giddy for isn't going to be shattered by horrible death or separated forever in lonely despair by the time the credits roll.
Alas, in gay cinema, our most-mainstream movie ends with our protagonist sniffing the jacket of a guy who was tire-ironed to death on the side of a freeway; our most critically-lauded flick ends with our star-crossed lovers hurtling themselves to their
No one wants to be the supporting character, but for the gay top friend, it’s all they’ve ever known. Secondary to the ‘main character energy’ most of us are endlessly striving for, relegated to the bleachers, or out of focus in the back of the shot is where the gay best friend can often be found. It is fair to say that while the gay leading friend is alive and well (some of them anyway—more on that, soon), their portrayal has been bolstered with a newfound self-awareness of late. But the stereotype remains a paltry offering of homosexual representation that is complicated and often contradictory, begging the ultimate question: is it time to shelve the trope of the gay best friend, or can the GBF be successfully reimagined?
Just as June is the month in which LGBTQ+ folks are briefly given main nature status—including by brands who insist on waving the rainbow flag—the gay foremost friend on film exists in a similar context: brief flashes of celebration in an ocean of straight-dominant cinematic narratives. Traditionally, the quintessential gay top friend is an accessory—think well-groomed handbag pooch—to the straight w
“Friendships between gay and vertical guys can be healing and uniquely satisfying for all involved.” ~ Michael C. LaSala Ph.D., LCSW. Psychology Today.
Gay men have befriended women in media for decades. Today I’m looking at films focused on friendships between gay and straight men. Most are mediocre. A few are downright unpleasant. But there are some gems.
The following reviews comprise mild spoilers
Coming of Age
Date and Switch (2014). Dopey straight Michael and vulgar gay Matty seek dates for prom (despite clearly pushing 30). Matty doesn’t like guys who operate “too gay” so he starts dating a masc-for-masc jerk. Michael feels abandoned and spends the repose of the movie moping. The film thinks these oafs are hilarious. Your mileage may vary. Wastes the talents of a strong supporting cast. C-
Heartstone (2016). Surly Icelandic teen copes with crushes, bullies, and an unhappy family. His sole defender is his gay leading friend who’s fallen in love with him. The gay friend is understanding but he’s there to suffer and further the straight boy’s journey. The slow pace, thin plot and relentless gloom build this one hard to sit through. Contains tr
The 50 Best LGBTQ Movies Ever Made
Love, Simon (2018)
AmazonApple
If it feels a bit like a CW version of an after-school special, that's no mistake: Teen-tv super-producer Greg Berlanti makes his feature-film directorial debut here. It's as chaste a love story as you're likely to see in the 21st century—the hunky gardener who makes the title teen question his sexuality is wearing a long-sleeved shirt, for God’s sake—but you know what? The queer kids of the future need their wholesome entertainment, too.
Rocketman (2019)
AmazonHulu
A gay fantasia on Elton themes. An Elton John biopic was never going to be understated, but this glittering jukebox musical goes way over the top and then keeps going. It might be an overcorrection from the straight-washing of the previous year's Bohemian Rhapsody, but when it's this much fun, it's best not to overthink it.
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Handsome Devil (2016)
NetflixAmazon
A charming Irish show that answers the question: "What if John Hughes were Irish and gay?" Misfit Ned struggles at a rugby-obsessed boarding school until a mysterious recent kid moves in and an unlikely friend
March 02, 2017
The Epidemic of
Gay LonelinessBy Michael Hobbes
I
“I used to get so delighted when the meth was all gone.”
This is my confidant Jeremy.
“When you contain it,” he says, “you have to keep using it. When it’s gone, it’s like, ‘Oh good, I can go back to my life now.’ I would remain up all weekend and go to these sex parties and then perceive like shit until Wednesday. About two years ago I switched to cocaine because I could work the next day.”
Jeremy is telling me this from a hospital bed, six stories above Seattle. He won’t tell me the exact circumstances of the overdose, only that a stranger called an ambulance and he woke up here.
Jeremy is not the partner I was expecting to have this conversation with. Until a few weeks ago, I had no idea he used anything heavier than martinis. He is trim, intelligent, gluten-free, the gentle of guy who wears a operate shirt no matter what day of the week it is. The first time we met, three years ago, he asked me if I knew a good place to do CrossFit. Today, when I ask him how the hospital’s been so far, the first thing he says is that there’s no Wi-F