My Girlfriend’s Boyfriend (1998)
Being true to yourself is a tried and true theme in many LGBT movies. However, I’m not sure anyone found themselves in this one unless they fell over someone.
The scoop: Jake is Liberty’s boyfriend of 2 weeks and finds himself at her best friend’s wedding. He tries to get away for a business meeting by pretending to be gay with the groom’s best man. Little does he know that he’s the best man in more than one way. A local photographer finds her way onto the roof and takes some compromising photos, and her involvement turns everything upside down including turning the fake gay man back to straight.
The film is meant to be a “romp,” and the opening credits put frame the movie’s intent. It’s supposed to be light, funny, and fun. It is light and sometimes funny. But for me the humor fails to deliver more often then not. A lot of the humor seems to come from Jake who seems to have just been through puberty and adjusting to his height. He falls over Wes, Rita, and Mel and almost falls off a roof and then down the stairs. He can’t seem to handle simple tasks like holding a reflector. It’s slapstick humor which just doesn’t resonate for me.
The drama is a little contrived almost like a teen sex comedy. The story is about mistaken or misconstrued identities. First Jake is straight, then he’s gay, then straight, then gay, then straight again. Meanwhile the groom is straight but gay. There is only one person who “gets it” in the end. Jake also realizes that there are more important things in life than a business meeting, although just.
As mentioned in the film, part of the theme is “to thine own self be true.” However, I don’t think anyone really gets it. No thesis writing on this one.
Somewhat notable the film was made in 1998. Amazon shows it being released in 2005. But look at the cordless phone and you’ll know the era.
There are a few funny lines that are well-delivered.
“You get a gorgeous [photo] spread in all your heterosexual glory.”
“Everybody’s fine! Now that everything’s straightened out with Jake, the photographer is conscious…”
All in all a decent effort, but the Lifetime quality interspersed with daytime drama and the Three Stooges just didn’t quite do it for me.
Availability:
Amazon: Streaming & DVD
Netflix: DVD
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