And, yes, I really enjoyed it. I'm not ashamed to admit that.
It's nothing new. It's not much more than a rehash of Mean Girls, with a gay injection, but everyone involved pulls it off with personality so it's never a chore to watch.
The cute conceit has three high school "queen bees" downing weapons to chase after the affections of the season's most sought after accessory, the G.B.F. (gay best friend). Problem is, he's not out of the closet yet. When that gay turns out to be Tanner Daniels (Michael J. Willett), who's outed after his G.B.F. pressures him to download a gay dating app, they get a little less than they bargained for.
Tanner, is not the most confident of kids, nor is he gay in the stereotypically fashion-forward mould the girls are after, so... cue inverted, stereotype-confirming makeover montage.
G.B.F. plays beautifully off some of the genre's more dubious conventions, as well as slipping in some tidy jabs at queer identity politics and those who go out of their way to co-opt it. George Northy's punchy screenplay crackles with minute-fresh pop culture references and a few jokes from earlier vintages to keep the older crowd contented. Cameos from Rebecca Gayheart, Megan Mullally and Natasha Lyonne (of 'Orange is the New Blank' and But I'm a Cheerleader fame) don't hurt either.
I'll admit it isn't the most unpredictable offering and it does hit a couple of groan-worthy moments late in the piece as the film makers attempt to shoehorn in some blunter messaging but that's nothing the film's feel-good effervescence can't sideline.
All in all, a lot of fun. And I guess I should brace myself. If the packed house for the Saturday afternoon session is anything to go by, the glossy gay teen comedy genre has legs. If they keep the quality up around the level of this offering, I may even see a few more. Congenial stuff.
★★★☆
Trailer:
G.B.F. screened as part of the 2014 Melbourne Queer Film Festival.
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