This made me wish that I could have gone into The Miseducation of Cameron Post film adaptation blind without any knowledge of the plot just to be surprised in the same way at these particular junctions in the film--because legit. But that was impossible since I'd read the novel years before and its impression continues to remain with me.
It's fair to say that historically I've been quite harsh re: director Desiree Akhavan's film adaptation of The Miseducation of Cameron Post, but I would say that as more time passes and media has become more receptive to the commercial optics of including more wlw characters but not necessarily with interesting or complex depictions, I have softened quite a bit and have even become fond of this adaptation and what it is in itself--which is a far more competently crafted film than so much that has taken 90+ minutes from the finite temporal capacity of my life (look no further than here and here for my thoughts in 2021 when I'd reread the novel and rewatched the film back-to-back).
I say this because I was curious to hear that Chloë Grace Moretz was playing a gay role again in Amazon's "Oh. What. Fun." and I can say that curiosity was better off staying such. I don't know what impressed me more about the role: the complete one-dimensionality of the character, the lack of narrative arc comparative to the other subplots, the middle child getting middle-child-overlooked by the narrative itself (unintentional meta), the superfluous nature of the character being queer as the romantic connection was pretty much irrelevant (and, actually, addressing that in itself instead of fleetingly naming it would have been really interesting to explore why Taylor can't seem to hold onto a relationship for more than a year with anyone--maybe being overlooked is part of that?).
I didn't feel a Happiest Season-level of confusion--where as a queer woman I questioned if I was the actual target demographic (and I kinda believe we weren't even with Clea Duvall at the helm...)--since this isn't a queer-centric film, but even as "family holiday" fare I did wonder at one point if I was supposed to like this family at all. For me, the hijinks too often didn't land as funny, but as kinda generally sad. I think the message about recognizing how much invisible/unacknowledged labor mothers typically shoulder is right, but I'm not sure this particular family makeup sold that message to me.
The film isn't a disaster, it's decent, but I didn't find myself that engaged with it. It's really a moms and eldest daughters film, I'd say, with a lot of filler to get to addressing that point.
My queer heart also saw a missed opportunity in casting Joan Chen as a rival neighbor mom and not sneaking in Michelle Krusiec among the trophy children or something. Just sayin'.
That said, if you are hankering for a queer film that admittedly is not uplifting, per se, but has three-dimensional queer characters, actual queer romantic and platonic affection, comedic moments, and possibly more sex than expected, give The Miseducation of Cameron Post a watch. You can watch free on YouTube with ads.
Then you can treat yourself and read the book and be surprised by how much more depth and community and complexity Cameron's story has and wonder, like me, why emily m. danforth has written only one other novel. A novel that is very different but is also enjoyable.
Do I dare give Happiest Season a rewatch to see if I'll soften on it? Or will I just be pining for the Audrey Plaza scenes and wondering why there weren't more of them? (We know why there weren't more; she would have stolen the movie--for the queers, at least.)
Friends, what was the last good queer movie you watched? Last 3?
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