![]() ![]() It might not be the perfect situation, but stranger things have happened, and with these two at the wheel, who knows what will result. The catch: Irene has to date Scottie publicly for four months, and no sooner. Irene wants nothing more than to be taken seriously by the people in her life, but needs money to pay for the damage inflicted on her car, and Scottie’s offering. ![]() Enter Irene, captain of the cheerleading team, and Scottie’s salvation. Her girlfriend dumped her right before transferring schools and she has to play against her basketball team every weekend. In this quintessential YA contemporary, two arch rivals strike a bargain, after a fender bender presents them both with an unexpected opportunity. I’ve featured romcoms here, here and here.The sapphic enemies-to-lovers and fake dating sports rom-com the world deserves. For favorite straight romcoms I go farther back to 1940’s The Shop Around the Corner. I’ve also a soft spot for I Think I Do, which suffers from its own sour protagonist. My favorite teen romances, Jongensand The Way He Looks, lean closer to drama than comedy. What are some of your favorite queer romcoms? Mine are Jeffrey, Like It Is, and Saving Face. The Thing About Harry premiered on Freeform and is streaming on Hulu. And the fact that Niko Terho’s gorgeous doesn’t hurt. If a grinch like Sam deserves love then there’s hope for all of us. While I can’t give my whole heart to Harry I can appreciate the comforts it offers. The filmmaking is solid, the soundtrack is bright and the leading actors are charming. We can use more and The Thing About Harry is one of the better ones. But when you consider how many straight romcoms there are that’s still a drop in the bucket. The Thing About Harry has been marketed as one of the first gay romcoms. Sam takes after the Julia Roberts, Sandra Bullock and Kate Hudson characters who were celebrated for their flaws. Paige comes not to bury the romcom but to praise it. He tells Sam that he just needs to put himself out there, learn to trust and accept that he “deserves love.” I disagree, but those are my own issues. Instead Peter Paige inserts himself into the film as a wise landlord. That he was about to dig deep into Sam’s cruelty, alcoholism and self-loathing. I assumed that director and co-writer Peter Paige was moving in that direction. They expose the underlying issues these characters need to address before they can maintain a healthy relationship. Television has deconstructed the romcom in brilliant shows like You’re The Worstand Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. Jake Borelli and Niko Terho have chemistry. He’ll spend the rest of the film insulting Harry and pushing him away. He’s convinced Harry is making bedroom eyes at everyone, though the audience knows they’re only for Sam. They’ve reunited and Harry’s still smitten. ![]() But things go south around the 30-minute mark. Niko Terho’s Harry is a fantasy Prince Charming. Jake Borelli’s Sam is introduced as your typical romcom protagonist. I liked this movie but I’d wanted to love it. But Sam and Harry will reconnect over the years, repeating the same routine with diminishing returns. Those first 20 minutes are the film at its best. Then an outside distraction pulls them apart. They go on a road trip, establish a dynamic and grow close. Harry, a pansexual player, apologizes to Sam, a high-strung perfectionist, for bullying him in high school. ![]() But it fast forwards through that vital friendship stage. The Thing About Harrypays homage to When Harry Met Sally. When they realize they’ve fallen in love it makes sense. Over the years they cheer each other’s victories and salve each other’s wounds. The 1989 film When Harry Met Sallylived in that moment. There’s something magic about that moment before characters realize their world view is changing. I’ve enjoyed this romcom formula since I first saw William Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing. ![]()
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