#Queerpop Movie Review: G.B.F.

Remember just last week, I was saying we deserve more high-quality queer movies? G.B.F. is the queer high-school comedy-drama you’ve always wanted! Here’s the trailer:

If you can’t watch the trailer, the basic idea is it’s a 2013 high-school comedy-drama, along the lines of Easy A or Mean Girls. G.B.F.s — Gay Best Friends — are the hot new trend sweeping the nation, but in this small-town high school, where can the girls even find one? Of course, there are closeted gay kids in the school… Particularly Brent and Tanner, who are best friends. Brent wants to come out in a blaze of popularity and have the three prom-queen hopefuls fight over him as their G.B.F., but when the shy Tanner is accidentally outed in front of everyone, the girls latch onto him instead. Of course, he doesn’t act nearly gay enough, so they have to give him a makeover…

I totally love this movie and I look forward to watching it OVER AND OVER AGAIN, literally! It’s what you’d expect, friends breaking up and making up and learning how to be true to themselves, but there are twists I didn’t predict. Trope subversions and inversions. It’s hilarious, and self-aware like a parody, but it stands on its own. It’s romantic, touching, dorky. The script embraces the diversity and variety of people… The bombshell-blonde prom queen who’s awesome at chemistry but wants to keep it a secret. Another one of the girls wants the title because she’d be the first black prom queen in the school. There are fabulous gay kids and more “normal” ones… Out guys, closeted guys, one “flaming heterosexual.” Different families, with single moms, step-parents, lesbian moms.

The movie does a lovely job of subtly explaining what “othering” is, and illuminating the problems involved when you treat someone else like an accessory. The script also gently reveals that everyone in the school has some “coming out” to do… Coming out as a chemistry nerd, for instance. We’re all more than we pretend to be, especially in high school, and G.B.F. delivers a “be yourself” message that’s authentic, not forced. And I particularly love the affirmation of friendship and platonic love that can outshine romance — for me, that makes G.B.F. a totally asexual-friendly movie.

All those are fantastic reasons to watch it, but don’t forget, IT’S HILARIOUS.

Rated R, which I don’t think is fair. There’s explicit sexual dialogue, though. And if you’re Mormon, you’ll either not-at-all-appreciate the Mormon jokes, or laugh your socks off, one or the other.

G.B.F. is currently available on Netflix, and it’ll only take 90 minutes of your time. Watch it, watch it now!

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