I don't know where to start with this movie. Right from the very start, I felt like it was all just a cruel joke being played on me. I was patiently waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop up from behind my laptop and yell, "I got you!" Needless to say, it never happened. Instead, I sat through around 90 minutes of pure, teenage hell. I will never get that hour and a half back.
The plot of G.B.F., which for the people who don't know, stands for "Gay Best Friend" centers around a closeted high school student named Tanner and his posse of dysfunctional, yet unoriginal, friends. Brent, his overly fabulous gay friend begs him to come out with him in order to become popular and secure themselves as the it-girls "Gay Best Friends." The whole idea of being homosexual merely to become a fashion monkey for a pretty straight girl is cliché. It is downright insensitive to the entire gay community. The anti-gay group in this film makes sense because there will always be a religious group that tries to come up against gays in movies like this, but it is the Gay Straight Alliance in most of the film that surprises me by seeking out Tanner for selfish reasons. They merely want him to have a gay man in their club, not because he is a valued member of the group. I don't think it is the right message to send to the obviously younger generation that would be watching this movie. Yes, by the end of the film, there is a clear message of acceptance and including everyone the way they are, but by the time that message came, it seemed too little too late.
The acting is subpar. Having to listen to the prima donna popular girls shorten every single word that comes out of their mouths is torture. It really makes me think about the fact that not only my generation but also the kids slightly younger than me have to sit and watch this form of not quite English as entertainment. The only thing that made this movie slightly worth watching is Megan Mullally. Although it shocked me that she would associate herself with this kind of film based on her hilarious years as Karen from the brilliant show Will and Grace, she played a very real character. Her portrayal of a nervous mother of a gay son desperately trying to connect with him is heartbreaking yet funny. I enjoyed the scene where she takes photos of her son getting ready for prom and tells him that she loves him for exactly who he is. That is the message I am looking for in this movie, and I very rarely was satisfied.
It is extremely difficult to look past the intoxicating stench of sexism, homophobic jokes, and clichés and see any kind of positive message towards equal rights at all. I would not suggest seeing this movie if you don't plan on screaming into a pillow afterwards.
