The first romantic comedy from a major studio about two gay men maybe, possibly, probably, stumbling towards love. Maybe. They’re both very busy.
The most endearing part of Billy Eichner’s comedic genius is that he isn’t afraid to be the butt of his own jokes. As an executive producer, screenwriter, and talented actor in this film, Billy has collaborated with a formidable cast of equally-talented risk-takers who use their vulnerability to make light of the reality of the lifelong impact of stereotypical bias and its many roots. When the film opens, Bobby Leiber (Billy Eichner) is just another long-winded podcaster waxing poetically about his own life as an unattached, egotistical, gay man who has convinced himself that the world owes him nothing except opportunity and forgiveness. When the mic drops, Billy goes through the motions of pretending he is happy with his life choices and tries to keep himself busy with the arts community to will away his loneliness.
When Billy steps into a bar with his polar-opposite gay buddy Henry (Guy Branum), they start a conversation about their quirky tastes in men and have a whole discussion about why and how each of their dating strategies doesn’t work. When Billy’s eye transfixes on one of the hottest men in the room, Aaron Shepard (Luke MacFarlane), he is perplexed as to why he is attracted to a man who keeps disappearing every time he tries to make a move on him. At the end of the night, Billy is convinced that Aaron just isn’t his type, both physically and mentally, and he tries his best to let the thought of him go. When they run into each other shortly after, there is something about this nice hunk of a man that Billy can seem to let go of, and at the same time, Aaron is trying to understand why he would give up his life of sharing men to settle with this one strangely quirky guy who doesn’t appear to be able to hold his attention. After plenty of cat and mouse games, the two guys hook up and find that they may have found potential partners with each other; however, neither is willing to take a chance and expose their vulnerabilities in exchange for a relationship that may never last with either man who isn’t sure what he wants. When they end up falling out over bits of miscommunication and misunderstandings about the comfort levels of being gay men in a society that doesn’t always embrace them, there is a huge disconnect that forces them to go their separate ways. When they realize that they can be better together instead of apart, each man admits his own fears of having a serious relationship, and together they work to break down their own stereotypes of gay men and pull together to be the best men that they can for one another.
After getting off to a plodding start, the film grows to encompass such a fantastic set of parallels that it was difficult not to see how the film wasn’t just about navigating gay relationships but more about navigating love, period. Director Nicholas Stoller, who was also responsible for the highly successful “Trainwreck” and “Bridesmaids” films, does an excellent job of ensuring that the LGBTQ+ community was well represented in the characterization of the roles involved with the Historical Museum and the diverse group of actors trended well to display the habits of everyday people who are not defined or defied by the fact that they are gay. Last but certainly not least, the high level of humor used to convey various points on a sometimes fragile subject was a game-changer in bringing comfort to all through the growing pains of being gay and proud under a wide lens of acceptance.
In Theaters Friday, September 30th
