Michael Showalter is probably best known for Wet Hot American Summer (2001), which was just wacky, over-the-top humor. His film, Hello, My Name Is Doris (2015) shifted him into telling love stories, romantic comedies that centered on minorities or unlikely protagonists. His film, The Big Sick (2017) was that, but it also told the true story of an interracial or inter-cultural couple, dealing with one of them having a life-threatening illness. That film was nominated for an Academy Award.
That same year, in 2017, Michael Ausiello released his memoir, which detailed the true story of a same-sex couple, dealing with one of them having a life-threatening illness. Given Showalter's success with The Big Sick, it makes sense that he would be the one to direct the adaptation of Ausiello's book.
Jim Parsons is probably best known for The Big Bang Theory (2007), the highly successful CBS sitcom for which he won the Emmy. Parsons made his Broadway debut in The Normal Heart (1985), which had a revival in 2011. That play was also about a same-sex couple, dealing with one of them having a life-threatening illness. So, it makes sense why Parsons would be the one to star in this narrative as Michael Ausiello himself.
There are a number of films that get released that involve LGBTQ characters. There aren't that many that focus on a same-sex relationship exclusively. Those that do rarely get a wide release, meaning getting exhibition in hundreds, if not thousands of theaters all across the country. Progressively, there were two this year and this one is the second, following Universal Pictures' Bros (2022). This film was released by Focus Features, which is a subdivision of Universal. Focus Features also released Brokeback Mountain (2005) and Milk (2008), two of the most financially successful gay films of all time.
Unfortunately, this film isn't going to get the awards consideration as Brokeback Mountain or Milk, which would help to spotlight it in the way it deserves. This film isn't going to get the kind of marketing push that Bros got, which didn't help with its box office but did make Bros a cultural phenomenon that did have people talking about it, good or bad. That marketing raised its profile in a way that this film arguably also deserves.
Obviously, there have been tons of romantic films where we follow a couple over the course of years or decades, seeing their ups and downs. As mentioned, there have been tons of dramatic films in which a couple deals with an illness for one of them. One of the most iconic is Arthur Hiller's Love Story (1970), which was up for Best Picture. Showalter's film is just as good as that. It's a gay male version of Love Story.
One could argue the gay-male version of Love Story was The Normal Heart, which HBO adapted into a feature, or Angels in America (2003). However, a lot of media makes the illness plaguing gay men that of HIV or AIDS, which is not untrue, especially if one is depicting queer life of the 80's in the major cities. However, LGBTQ people suffered from other illnesses as well, including cancer or heart disease. This film gives us a glimpse into that.
Given there's a scene set in Ocean City, New Jersey, I couldn't help but think of Beaches (1988). That film involved a friendship that plays out over the course of 30 years. This film is about a gay romance that plays out over 13. As Beaches shows us the ebbs and flows of female companions bonding and rivaling each other, this shows us the wave of a gay partnership, essentially doing the same.
Showalter incorporates some cinematic flourishes here that may or may not have been inspired by the book. One that's interspersed is a fantasy sequence that mimics a 80's sitcom. Ausiello is a TV journalist, so incorporating references to TV makes sense. It's not overbearing and some good gags come from it, including a funny one about the Smurfs that actually made me laugh out loud.
Parsons brings a slight comedic charm here that is effective. He bounces off Ben Aldridge (Pennyworth and Fleabag) who co-stars as Kit Cowan, the photographer who falls for Michael. Aldridge has a bit of a physical transformation to undergo and is given some tough scenes to nail, even opposite a veteran like Sally Field (Lincoln and Norma Rae) who is an absolute scene-stealer. The performances overall are simply superb.
Rated PG-13 for sexual content and drug use.
Running Time: 1 hr. and 52 mins.
In theaters.
