Gay Best Friend: Gareth & Matthew in "Four Weddings and a Funeral"

by Christopher James

Mike Newell’s Four Weddings and a Funeral is an odd delight. The Best Picture nominee (I know, right?!) takes place almost entirely at those five titular events. Every three months, at least half the ensemble gets engaged or married. Despite having chemistry, our lead couple Charles (Hugh Grant) and Carrie (Andie MacDowell) seem to only exist in hotel rooms. Similarly, we skip over a lot of development with the other members of the core friend group. That’s part of the fun of the film. With such large gaps between weddings and funerals, we get snippets of their lives, rather than full pictures. Thus, putting an out gay couple on equal screen time footing as the rest of the members of the ensemble was a major step forward. 

However, by only showing glimpses, we get a rather incomplete look at Gareth (Simon Callow) and Matthew (John Hannah). Still, they were a major step forward in the “gay best friend” trope because they got to be out and in a healthy, loving relationship... 

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Gay Best Friend: Patti in "Under the Tuscan Sun"

by Christopher James

Under the Tuscan Sun has/is currently getting me through COVID. Any day I feel crushed by the looming threat of the virus, I make like Diane Lane and escape to Tuscany to worry about plumbing and wall sconces. Yes, Under the Tuscan Sun is peak “white Mom movie,” but it’s also perfect comfort food. Most of this could be laid at the feet of Diane Lane, who was going through a mid-career renaissance in 2003, fresh off her Oscar nomination for Unfaithful. She makes Frances’ quest for reinvention liberating, warm and even a bit silly. Who doesn’t need a bit of silliness in their lives? 

Still, Frances would’ve never ended up in Tuscany without the help of her gay best friend, Patti (Sandra Oh)...

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Gay Best Friend: George Downs in "My Best Friend's Wedding"

NEW WEEKLY SERIES!

by Christopher James

The trope of the “gay best friend” proves that not all representation is created equally. In the 90s especially, we finally got to see openly gay characters in big Hollywood movies, specifically romantic comedies. Before that, queer characters were often only coded as such. While this representation was a step forward, the types of LGBTQ+ representation were always the same: white, cis gay men without an interior life. Throughout this series, I want to revisit these characters and examine the good, the bad and the ugly of their portrayal and how it has shaped the culture of today.

George Downs (Rupert Everett) embodies a lot of what is bad about the “gay best friend” trope. So why do I love him so much? It’s not just because Everett is incredibly charming and handsome. George starts out as a sidekick and becomes the “love interest.” Sure, we never get to spend time with him a queer man and learn more about his love life and relationships. Still, he's the force that shapes and defines the narrative. That this happens in a $100 million plus Julia Roberts blockbuster is no small feat...

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