Gay Rom-Coms for this Holiday Season
Written by Joyo Smit
Header and Thumbnail by Samira Rahi
Around the winter holiday season, you may get that itch for a festive movie. Christmas vibes, family drama, and romance are just a few things people may enjoy in Christmas rom-coms. However, similar to regular romance films, inclusion may not be the forefront of the creator’s goals. Romance films usually try to be as relatable as possible to appeal to a general audience, making it easier for viewers to get emotionally invested in relationships. As a result, minorities may be left out of the picture. Representation of gay relationships in Christmas rom-coms was not a reality until recent years. This article explores three such films: The Holiday Sitter, Single All the Way, and Happiest Season. Do these films represent the Christmas rom-com genre while also being accurate representation?
The Holiday Sitter follows Sam, a work-obsessed city boy who struggles to make it past the first date in any possible relationships. Meanwhile, Jason is living in quiet suburbia, working on constructing a nursery for Sam’s sister. A whirlwind of circumstances force the two together, navigating taking care of Sam’s niece and nephew while their parents are out of town. A story of romance and the importance of family, The Holiday Sitter is a true Christmas rom-com that will leave you satisfied.
This film is unique in that it was created by the founders of the Christmas rom-com formula, and the first from them to focus on a queer couple. Hallmark has produced dozens and dozens of these films, always centering around heterosexual couples, and this movie broke that standard in 2022. Several stereotypes of gay men are present throughout the film, such as being hyper-aware of fashion and disliking children. At first glance, it appears that the film is promoting conservative values, such as the nuclear family, as something that gay people should also strive for. However, the movie takes a shift towards the end, noting that such a life was only recently made available to queer couples. Gay marriage was only legalized in America in 2015, and that many did not see getting married and having children as a viable possibility. This theme could have had more focus throughout the film, but it is thought-provoking nevertheless.
The movie Single All the Way is a heartwarming tale of two friends, Peter and Nick, who fake a relationship to impress Peter’s family over the holidays. However, their bond grows stronger as their situation forces them closer. A wholesome friends-to-lovers tale, Single All the Way leaves lots of room for laughs and raw heart-to-hearts between the characters. There is no direct mention of discrimination or homophobia in this film. This is refreshing, as so many tales of queer love focus solely on the hatred of it. Single All the Way allows queer people to see themselves on-screen in a Christmas romcom without having to relive their own trauma.
Happiest Season focuses on the couple Abby and Harper as they try to navigate Christmas with Harper’s family. Harper, however, is still closeted, while Abby is tired of pretending to be heterosexual. Unlike the other films on this list, Happiest Season takes on a more serious tone. It tackles homophobia and discrimination head-on, showing what many queer people deal with when they go home for the holidays. It accurately describes the tug-of-war between wanting to be proud of being with the person you love and fearing the negative reactions of those around you. The film’s star, Kristen Stewart, came out in 2017. Giving queer actors queer roles can make a huge difference in how the characters come across. Stewart brings an authenticity to her role that could not have been replicated by a heterosexual actor. Her fashion choices, like the iconic blazer button-up outfit, are true to herself, and in turn, true to her queer identity.
Many critiques of these films could be brought up. They do often fall into classic stereotypes evident in Christmas rom-coms, like looking down on city folk and promoting nuclear families. The result of representing queer people in that context can come off as wanting to assimilate gay relationships with conservative heterosexual ones. This, however, may not be intentional. The inclusion of gay relationships in movies of this genre inherently challenges the status quo and start important conversations about inclusivity.
These movies, regardless of clichés, are a good watch for this holiday season. It is, however, important to understand your own state of mind when choosing what to watch. If homophobia has you burnt out and exhausted, I recommend one of the more lighthearted films like The Holiday Sitter or Single All the Way. These films include representation without going into the gory details of how homophobia affects queer couples. However, if you want to see your own experience represented, or are looking to understand how homophobia takes form, I'd suggest checking out Happiest Season instead. Despite their flaws, these films are an excellent way to get your Christmas rom-com fix while seeing yourself or marginalized groups represented.