Rom Com

Ok, so I'm a sucker for romantic comedies. Now, if it's a gay rom com, I'm so there it's ridiculous. So sue me. I do watch sappy love stories (as my boo is wont to say) and I like it. It's not like I actively search for them, but if they're available, I watch them. I won't go as low as to actively go after the Hallmark channel and their bland brand of love, but I've been known to watch one or two of their stories. And then there was The Thing About Harry. This apparently happened on FreeForm, that channel that airs The Fosters and one and a thousand sitcoms and series. I was surprised. And I wondered why. It's 2020 after all. But the thing is that this is a Disney affiliate and they promoted this as they would have any other RomCom. Progress?

I guess it all boils down to the fact that I'm still hungry for tv programs and books and movies that show part of that reality that I live day to day: I am a man who likes men and I want to see that on the screen (big and small) and in the books I read. Is that too much to ask? Straight people see themselves everywhere: movies, tv, books, advertisements. You turn around and there's some straight couple going at it. Why can't I? I know, that's rhetorical, because we live in a world where the privileges we have (same sex marriage, employment protection) are fragile constructs that can be taken away at any moment. Hey, we took for granted that Trans people could serve in the military...

So when I read about The Thing About Harry I just had to watch it. And I was not disappointed. First, it's basically a love letter to Chicago. It shows some of the city's landmarks and it makes it look cute and cosmopolitan. Loves it! Second, it had all the trappings of your usual Rom Com: handsome men, misunderstandings, a sidekick and a redemption at the end. And third, this was on national TV. How's that for cool? It was there, just another Valentine's Day offering, like a box of chocolate covered cherries. And I dove right in. There's tensions between the leads, there's several permutations in the relationships of the characters in the movie (in true millennial way) and there's a happy ending at a political rally. Natch.

The leads are adorable, the music is cute and the production is slick. After Love, Simon, I have been waiting for the next gay Rom Com and I think I may have gotten it. Netflix gives me my share of queer storylines but I have to confess that finding a whole movie dedicated to the love life of two men was absolutely fabulous. I truly enjoyed it. Escapism at its best. I've been known to enjoy that.

Representation matters, kids. It does. So if you have time and can squeeze a little movie in your busy week, watch The Thing About Harry. It's on basic cable and on Hulu. Or you can stream it from FreeForm. It'll take you out of this ugly cycle of news, with the corrupt IMPOTUS breaking havoc in the country and the petty circular firing squad of the Dem primary. It will also show the networks that queer love stories are an easy sell and we will get more and more varied ones thrown at us. Go ahead, a little bit of romance never hurt nobody...


XOXO









Note: If you don't have basic cable, the movie is on Hulu and you can also stream it from Freeform on: http://whatchannelfreeform.com