G.B.F. is one of the most
incredibly entertaining, notably progressive films you've most
likely never seen.
There are two prime reasons for this film’s obscurity:
1. It is a low-budget indie film
designed with a high budget mainstream plot
2. It’s gay
The film’s protagonist is gay, his
best friend is gay, the film circles around gay themes and issues, its title is
an acronym for Gay Best Friend, etc. Yet
G.B.F. isn’t a bittersweet coming-of-age drama
like Blue is the Warmest Color, or a romantic melodrama like Carol, or a sophisticated comedy like The Kids Are All Right. No, G.B.F. is
the 2010s Mean Girls (to the point of having a direct reference to the
film)—updating the format and formula for a more modern setting while keeping
in all the cheese, wackiness, hilarity, and heart.
Except, unlike Mean Girls, G.B.F.
suffered from the MPAA’s rating system. Along
with The King's Speech,
G.B.F. is a prime example of the idiocracy and prejudice within
the American film rating system. G.B.F.
contains no sex, no violence, no nudity, and no excessive swearing, something
director Darren Stein made sure of when creating—yet, nonetheless, received an
R rating. It’s evidently clear why G.B.F.
received an R-rating, as Stein noted in an interview; "I always thought of
G.B.F. as a PG-13 movie, but we were given an R 'For Sexual References'…Perhaps
the ratings box should more accurately read 'For Homosexual References' or 'Too
Many Scenes of Gay Teens Kissing.'”.
In summary, G.B.F. is a
mainstream, PG-13 teen comedy, with the budget and advertisement limits of an
indie film, given an R-rating for focusing on homosexuality. Such combination means most mainstream
filmgoers will be unaware of G.B.F., a portion of those aware will be
turned away by its themes, younger audiences interested in it will be limited
by their guardian(s)’s consent (who may very well fall in the turned away
category), and the more snobbish critics and indie film-goers will find it to
be to “goofy and silly” for their tastes.
It’s a lose-lose situation all-around, except for those open-minded
viewers—both in genre and LGBT themes—who gave G.B.F. a shot. I’m one of those people, I’ve seen the film
twice, and I’ve got a few thousand words to say about why G.B.F.
deserves far more praise and recognition than it has received.
G.B.F. focuses on the mild-mannered
Tanner (Michael J. Willett) and his flamboyant best friend Brent (Paul Iacono),
two closeted gays in a high school with no outed individuals. The latter is a problem for the popular and/or
wannabe popular girls in the school, as having a gay best friend has become the
next big trend sweeping the schools.
Every girl now wants a G.B.F., and Brent plans on making his outing
debut to the school—thereby skyrocketing his popularity levels and being
remembered as the first gay to come out of their school. Yet through a series of events, it is Tanner
who ends up being unintentionally outed instead of Brett, much to both of their
horror. Tanner quickly becomes the
target of pursuit by the three most popular teenagers in their school: the
rich, attractive Fawcett (Sasha Pieterse) who rules
over the wealthy kids, the Mormon Ashley (Andrea Bowen), 'Shley for short, who
rules over the conservative and religious kids, and the drama queen Caprice
(Xosha Roquemore) who rules over the singers, drama students, and ethnic
minorities. The three begin competing
against one another to be the one to take Tanner to their prom, with Tanner
reluctantly agreeing to go along with the pursuing for the “in crowd”
protection that prevents the bullying jocks from beating him up.
G.B.F. thrives on comedic stereotypes
of all kinds—no one is left out in this all-inclusive buffet. Take the aggressively over-the-top German
language teacher angrily calling Brent a “little b****” when he takes a phone
call during her class, or the overzealously religious Mormon McKenzie played by
Evanna Lynch (making the performance extra hilarious for myself seeing Luna
Lovegood angrily shouting about the evils of homosexuality). By far the most stereotypical characters are
the most popular girl themselves. The
setup of having a high school’s most popular girls assertively pursuing an average Joe student is absolute comedic gold.
The four characters together bring about a beautiful array up hysterical
interactions, one after the other, involving the girls passive-aggressively
throwing backhanded compliments at one another and/or trying to win Tanner over in
the most obliviously insensitive of manners—all the while Tanner continuously tries
correcting them much to his dismay:
Fawcett: What gay stuff do
you, like, like?
Tanner: Um, I'm into comics.
Fawcett: Like Kathy griffin?
She's Hilar.
Tanner: Uh, no, like comic
books.
Fawcett: That's not gay. That's
just lame.
Here’s another one:
'Shley: Well, Tanner, I just
want you to know That I'm totally fine with your homosexiness. I mean, it is a
sin and all, But we Mormons pretty much think everything's a sin, Including
those caffeinated beverages you guys are sucking down right now. So, if you're
all gonna burn in hell for an eternity, You may as well have a nice time Being
all queer and stuff while you're here.
Tanner: Well, that's at
least consistent of you, 'Shley.
One more while I’m at it:
Fawcett: Congratulations,
your Majesty.
Tanner: This has got to be a
joke.
Fawcett: Oh, it's no joke. You're
pretty much a lock.
'Shley: Yeah, you've got all
our votes.
Caprice: And the votes of
our various minions and mini-mes.
Fawcett: As for queen,
they've got us in a three-way. ('Shley looks shocked at her) Tie, that is.
'Shley: Well, on a
completely unrelated topic, I made you a batch of my famous Brigham yum-yum
double fudge brownies last night. (Tanner goes to reach for one)
Fawcett: 'Shley, are you
special? (Knocks brownies into a trashcan] Gays don't do carbs.
Caprice: Yeah, a carb to a
'mo is like sunlight to a vampire.
'Shley: Carbs make gay
people sparkle?
...Oh, what the hell, here’s one
more ditzy 'Shley conversation with Tanner:
'Shley: You gays are
supposed to be experts in man pleasing. So, spill.
Tanner: Uh...
'Shley: Do you think I
should give [her boyfriend] a B.J.?
Tanner: A what?!
'Shley: Or an H.J.? Or how
about an R.J.?
Tanner: Uh... I don't even
know what an R.J. could possibly be.
'Shley: Ugh. Me neither. I
was hoping you would.
Tanner: Are Mormons even
allowed to...
'Shley: What about backdoor?
Tanner: Oh, my god!
'Shley: Tanner, honey.
Please do not take the lord's name in vain in my house.
And yet, these stereotypical
popular girls are more than they appear, particularly when it comes to Fawcett. Fawcett, by far, encompasses the most
standard traits of what makes a plastic: rich, popular, bossy, controlling,
insensitive, etc. She’s pretty much this
film’s Regina George…except she’s not.
From a distance, these surface traits are all Tanner can see of
Fawcett—yet the more he gets to know her, the more he realizes Fawcett is far
from a barbie. When Fawcett finally gets
Tanner to come over and hang out for some one-on-one dress up (mainly her
putting on dresses and Tanner telling her how she looks, which, stereotypes be
damned, he's actually pretty good at), the plastic mask starts coming off with Tanner
and the audience seeing her less insensitive, more "unpopular"
mannerisms;
Fawcett: This really works. Or
did you prefer the other one?
Tanner: I'm really not very
good at this.
Fawcett: Tanner, I don't
actually think that gays have a heightened sense of fashion. I'm just asking you
to look at two options and choose the one you prefer.
Tanner: I like the one from
before. Those kind of give you '90s mom ass.
Fawcett: Ah, thank you!... Seriously,
though. I feel like I can be myself around you, you know? You're not trying to screw
me like a guy or threatened by me like every other girl in school.
Tanner: I guess that's the
appeal of this whole G.B.F. Thing. Not sure what I get out of it.
Fawcett: Duh... you get to hang
out with me. Okay, um... I could help you with your chemistry homework. You're
getting a "C," right? I'm actually kind of brills when it comes to
science-y stuff.
Tanner: Really?
Fawcett: Can you keep a
secret? Okay, my hair is only 99.9% flawless. I mix all of my own hair serums and
conditioners in here (reveals to Tanner a miniature lab in her bathroom). I'll
have my own haircare line one day on, like, QVC or something, finally make it
big.
Inner Tanner: That's when
I realized Fawcett was more than just popular. She was actually kind of cool.
I love this. I love this because the reveal still works with Fawcett’s already established personality.
This isn’t a 180 transformation where Fawcett is secretly some super nerdy
girl who loves video games, anime/manga, role-playing games, etc.—nor is she
some crazy math/science wiz for the sake of plot as some lesser-written stories
would have it. No, Fawcett’s hidden
talent makes perfect sense with what we’ve seen of her: she wanted to make her
hair look better than all the other girls, so she began dabbling and
experimenting in making her own hair care products, in turn growing adept at
chemistry. She doesn’t reveal her skill
because, one, to keep up the façade she has naturally perfect hair and, two,
science is for nerds which would lower her popularity. The reveal gives Fawcett a fleshed-out personality
trait, an actual ambition for her future beyond being popular, in a manner that
works with her established character.
It’s a quick, effective, and refreshing way to develop such a character.
A genuine friendship begins to form
between Tanner and Fawcett after this, much to both their surprise, leading to
some friendly humorous banter where Fawcett is more playfully teasing and
Tanner more confident with firing back witty retorts:
Fawcett: (Hands Tanner a
Four Loko type drink) Don't think me presumptuous when I say "bottoms
up."
Tanner: Ugh. This tastes
like ass.
Fawcett: Mm-hmm. Perfect for
you.
Tanner: Funny.
Fawcett: Loosen up.
Tanner: I hear that's
helpful.
It's vital to mention and emphasize
that despite its wacky comedic nature, and over-the-top stereotypes, G.B.F. is
still professional in tackling the many, many inconveniences, annoyances, and
frustrations outed teenagers have to go through in high school. G.B.F. emphasizes that it’s not just bullies, or insults, or prejudice attitudes that can be an issue for openly
gay teens (or openly LGBT people in general), but also the "positive"
and/or curious approaches that can be just as frustrating and demeaning. Being the only openly gay kid in the school, Tanner
ends up being paraded around by the “supporters” like some wild exotic beast. He's no longer Tanner, he's the token gay
kid, which leads to all kinds of unwanted attention. At a party, Tanner is continuously asked questions from students that, while not necessarily meaning harm, are treating
him like some strange alien from another planet that’s an expert on everything
homosexual:
Inner Tanner: A few hours
and a lot of drinks later, I was getting all the frequently asked questions.
Teenager #1: So, with
straight guys, there's ass men and tit men, but what's the gay equivalent? Like,
ball men?
Teenager #2: When you're getting
gay with a guy, how do you decide who's the girl and who's the boy?
Tanner: Not an expert, but I
think you're both the boy. That's kind of the point.
Tanner even mistakenly believes
such stereotyping is occurring when 'Shley's attractive boyfriend Topher
(Taylor Frey) begins asking him questions about how good he looks. Turns out Topher is in the closet as well and
is just egotistically flirting with Tanner (who Tanner ultimately rejects,
despite having the hots for him, because he is a good guy who doesn't mess
around with his “friend's” boyfriend). The
gay-straight alliance leader Soledad (Molly Tarlov) is obsessed with having Tanner join primarily for the
notoriety (as the club is lacking in any actual LGBT members). Soledad is actually
the reason Tanner was forcibly outed in the first place, wanting him to increase her own popularity
and notoriety, as is most evident when Fawcett tries to join "her" club to support Tanner.
Soledad: Um, Fawcett, thank
you, but, um, we're at capacity. So we don't really...
Ms. Hoegel (Natasha Lyonne):
Soledad, the G.S.A. Is open to anyone who wants to join.
Soledad: But, Ms. Hoegel, this
is my thing, you know? She has things, lots of things, And she's trying to take
my... My, uh...
One of the far more charming,
hilarious examples of such positivity comes from Brent's mom Mrs. Van Clamp
(Megan Mullally). She's the type of parent
that does not know how to handle her son's sexuality but tries her damnedest to
be as supportive as she can be, much to Brent’s dismay and embarrassment. There’s a great scene where she rents various
"Webflix" films from the gay-lesbian section for her and Brent to
watch:
Mrs. Van Clamp: Okay, "Milk."
I got "Milk." It's about a gay mayor. "Boys Don't Cry"...Now,
this is about a girl that wants to be a boy. That's a tricky one. "Brokeback
Mountain"... That's the cowboys. And something called "Shortballs"...
Oh, "Shortbus."…So, which one do you want to pop in first,
huh? Probably the cowboys, right? That one's safe.
By the way, if you don’t know, Shortbus
is really sexually explicit (i.e. actors actually engaging in full-view sex). I doubt any son,
regardless of sexuality, would ever want to watch said film with their
mother. The scene goes on, much to
Brent’s horror and my sidesplitting enjoyment, as they watch Brokeback
Mountain and get to the first sex scene:
Mrs. Van Clamp: Well, it's
just freezing cold out there. Heath! Don't stand on your pride. Get in the tent
with Jake! For crying out loud. Good. Get in there. Snuggle up. Snuggle up for
warmth. There you go. Oh. Looks like they're waking back up. Uh-oh. Here we go.
Game on. You know, I do sense an affection there. I mean, you really do feel they
care about one another…I guess back then they didn't even need to use protection,
really, right?
On the flip side are Tanner’s
parents. They don’t appear much in the
film, but they end up having one of the sweetest scenes in the film when Tanner
finally comes out to them:
Tanner: I like boys. Well, I
mean, not boys, like... Gross. Men. Men. Like men my own age. And so did
Abraham Lincoln. I read that somewhere. And he was, like, the best republican
ever, so you should probably say something before I keep saying more things.
Parents: (Look at each
other, then back at Tanner) Tanner...we know.
Tanner: Y-You what?
Parents: We know. And it's
okay. Although your claims about Abraham Lincoln I don't think are entirely
substantiated.
I love how simple, sweet, and
overall nice the scene is. No dramatics,
no heavy discussions. Just a scared teen
coming out to his parents, and them lovingly supporting him in a casual
manner. Add on the comedy and, it really
puts a smile on my face.
Yet G.B.F. does also focus
on hostile prejudice, and it is usually where the film becomes its goofiest and
zany. G.B.F. is a comedy aimed
for teenagers (regardless of what the MPAA states)—a spiritual successor to Mean
Girls. While it contains a multitude of important
messages, its main goal is to be as fun and entertaining as possible with as
little preaching and/or somberness.
There is a time and place to emphasize the horrors and cruelties of
prejudice, but this isn't the place. As
such. the subplot involving such hostile prejudices turns into something out of
a sitcom like The Simpsons, and it is hilariously sublime.
When Caprice realizes that she
might lose the popularity contest, she switches tactics and recruits Brent (whose
friendship with Tanner has been strained by the latter’s popularity and is
looking for payback) to join her along with some others to form an
anti-gay coalition that will prevent Tanner from taking a same-sex date to the
prom. Soon the anti-gay and pro-gay
group (led by Fawcett and Tanner) form their own proms and start battling it
out in ironic fashion—with the anti-gay group being taken over and run by the
incredibly flamboyant Brent, and the pro-gay denying certain people from buying
tickets because Fawcett claims they would cramp their style. Hilarity ensues as Brent doubles down on his
anti-gay propaganda in the gayest ways possible, such as making stylish anti-gay
posters saying “Save a gerbil, go to the gaybies free prom” and “Gays in gowns
makes God frown”:
Caprice: Hmm. Don't you
think this might be a bit over-the-top, Brent?
Brent: I'm just fighting flamers
with flame.
Another great bit involves Topher
trying to secretly make a move on Brent:
Brent: How did you know? I
mean, did Tanner tell you?
Topher: No, dude, I figured
it out myself. Tanner won't even look at me since I tried to get with him
(starts kissing Brent).
Brent: Mmm. Mmm. Wait. What
am I doing? No, no way, no. I cannot have Tanner's rejected sloppy seconds. I
have too much self-respect. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some anti-gay prom
posters to finish.
The pro-gay group end up winning
thanks to the school actually stepping in and stopping the anti-gay’s
propaganda, as well as Tanner having a heart-to-heart with Fawcett and swaying
her to allow everyone to go to their prom.
While Tanner has now had numerous
interactions being openly gay, he realizes how severely underprepared he still
is with actually forming a relationship with a same-sex partner—not knowing
what to do with his more experienced prom date; “I guess I spent all this time
being a G.B.F., and never actually learned how to be a real, live gay.” Tanner ends up expressing to the school all
that he’s discovered when he and Fawcett win prom king and queen:
Tanner: Look, uh, thanks,
everyone, for making me king of this gay prom. But I don't want to be king of
the gay prom, or be a gay best friend, or get gay-married. I just want to go to
prom, be a friend, and get married, maybe. You all see me more as an object or
a symbol. I guess I've been guilty of that myself. I used my friends as shields
to hide behind. I had friends who cared about me, whether I was gay or
whatever. And I had a best friend who I shared everything with. And all I want
is...I mean, I'd give anything to just be his loyal sidekick again.
The speech is very cheesy, yet, nonetheless,
important to be made and sum up what G.B.F. is trying to get across
within its wacky comedy. The film,
however, does get a good joke out of it when Brent finally comes out of the
closet (in a literal explosion of glitter) and notes how Tanner wasn't going to
upstage him with the "'what I learned'" speech.
G.B.F.'s most pleasingly
subversive element is the relationship between Tanner and Brent. Despite being, as far as they know, the only
two gays in their high school, the two are simply really good friends. Yet any savvy viewer may be expecting more
from this relationship, and they would be right. During a scene where both are down on their
luck and more than slightly abbreviated, Tanner and Brent end up having a
rather intimate conversation, leading them to make out. The film is playing on the will they/won't
they scenario, and it looks to be heading the will they route when Brent
gets upset when Tanner ends up taking someone else to the prom. Yet, despite all the signs pointing towards
it, the film surprisingly doesn't take this route, instead subverting it in an
intentionally meta-conversation:
Tanner: So, now that you're
out...What about us?
Brent: Us? Well, I just...I was thinking...You know, if
we ended up together...
Tanner: Which we totally would
If this were a classic high-school movie.
Brent: Right, and, you know,
But we don't get to kiss as the credits roll. Well, we got to, you know, keep
going.
Tanner: Maybe we'd last a
few months...A year.
Brent: Then we go to college
and then I cheat on you and it's awkward and I lose you forever.
Tanner: So, what you're
saying is, instead of satisfying our teenage horniness...
Brent: Instead of risking
having you as my B.F., I'd rather keep you forever as my B.F.F.
This is a wisely-structured deconstruction
of the “typical” will they/won't they setups. The leaning against the fourth wall here is
necessary not just for comedic purposes but also for audiences that genuinely
like them as a couple, such as me. By
handling the scene in such a meta, explanatory manner, the two deciding to
remain platonic best friends over a risky, lust-fueled relationship ends up
being far more satisfying for all parties.
G.B.F. concludes with Tanner
giving an insightful comparison between being in the closet and high school:
Tanner: So, I went down in
history as the first kid in our school to come out, but I definitely wasn't the
last because, as it turns out, the closet and high school are kind of the same
thing. They're both something you can't wait to escape but are scared to death of
what lies beyond. They both make you kind of insane, cause you to take on a
secret identity, or make you confused... or mean...When you're in, every little thing just seems like the hugest deal,
but once you're out, well, you wonder why you ever made such a fuss. And while
things still suck every once in a while, when you finally leave both the closet
and high school, everything just kind of...sucks less.
G.B.F. is a strange yet beautiful
oxymoron. The film’s basis is built on
caricatures, yet it is with these caricatures that the film crafts fleshed out,
resoundingly human characters. The film
uses its lighthearted nature to get across its themes and messages, in addition
to subverting expectations, with as little preaching and drama as possible. Towards the film’s unfairly biased R-rating, Darren
Stein was quoted saying “I look forward to a world where queer teens can
express their humor and desire in a sweet, fun teen film that doesn't get
tagged with a cautionary R." It
wouldn't be until 2018 when Love, Simon released that his hopes would
come true with a wide-released, PG-13 teen film starring a gay teenager that
even gets to kiss other gay teens. And
yet, G.B.F. is much more than a gay teen flick. I compared it to The Simpsons earlier and
indeed, the film reminds me of the series’s golden era: full of hilarious
comedy, a community of endearing madcap characters, and a resounding heart. The film is profoundly progressive, yet also
ridiculously entertaining from start to finish.
Just like Mean Girls, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but if
you have an open mind, G.B.F. is, at the very least, worth giving
a shot. There’s a chance it may end
up winning you over as it did with me.
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