By: Amanda Guarragi
We all know how tough the Holidays can be. Sometimes it is nice to be around friends and family. Or sometimes, you can feel pressured by the expectations they put on you. The new Netflix movie Single All The Way flips the typical ‘fake boyfriend’ trope and makes the matchmaking a family affair. Even though some family members pressure you about being single around the Holidays, they do mean well. And great things can happen because of their meddling. This entire cast worked so well together and their chemistry made you feel apart of the family.
There are two best friends named Nick (Michael Urie) and Peter (Philemon Chambers) who live in sunny LA. On this particular Christmas, Peter doesn’t want to go home single, again, after another failed relationship. So Peter convinces Nick to be his pretend boyfriend. We are all guilty of loving this trope, especially when it’s done well! This was the most fun I’ve had with a Holiday movie in a while. It’s also one that you can revisit every single year. Oh, and most importantly, Jennifer Coolidge steals the spotlight. No, seriously, her part as the fairy godmother in the Christmas pageant is top tier Coolidge.
Peter comes from such a big, loving family, who just want to see him happy. He has this extraordinary life in Los Angeles but misses the wholesome family feeling in New Hampshire. It breaks his heart knowing that his nephews are growing up so fast and he doesn’t have enough time with them. There is nothing like the Holidays to make you feel grateful for having your family and friends around you. That is exactly what Single All The Way offers audiences. They show this love through meddling in Peter’s fake relationship. When Peter’s mother sets him up on a blind date with a handsome ski instructor, he is whisked away into daydreaming about life in New Hampshire.
His best friend Nick, sorts through his own feelings, and worries that Peter might move away, after living together for nine years. It pulls at the heartstrings because of the relationship between Peter and Nick. The entire family sees a different connection than they do, so it makes for a very interesting love triangle over Christmas. Most importantly, the queer representation in this film was refreshing and it is a Holiday movie that was definitely needed for this community. It’s pure joy and happiness surrounding very cute gay best friends, who don’t realize what they have in front of them.
Candid Cinema 