La Ron S. Readus
patreon
Happiest Season: An Important Coming Out Story (VIDEO SCRIPT)
🕑 Added 2020-11-30 21:01:01 +0000 UTCHow I know this movie is first and foremost a work of fiction: Aubrey Plaza plays the ex.
___________
Readers, apparently when it comes to Holiday movies -- or movies that take place DURING the holidays -- the criteria for my adult self fits certain categories.
They have to be fun, whimsical, have a message behind it or be black blackity black black black -- which Jingle Jangle hits all the notes for
But one thing I can now add to the list is that they can also serve as the queer stories I’ve kinda wanted to see ever since I became secure in myself after fully coming out. And thanks to Hulu and Tri-Star Pictures, we kinda have that with Happiest Season.
In what I can say is honestly my favorite role I’ve seen Kristen Stewart in so far, it’s a story that takes a pretty relatable situation to a lot of queer couples regarding being brave enough to come out to family...
/And shows the impact of what it has to not only on the individuals in said relationships, but also shows the importance of realizing what’s important at the end of the day./
So basically the plot of the movie is that Harper asks her girlfriend Abby to spend the week of Christmas with her and her family on a lovestruck whim, not anticipating that she says “yes” this year because Abby plans on proposing.
/That’s when Abby finds out that Harper never came out to her family, despite telling Abby in the past that she did./
So at Harper’s request -- because her father is actually running for Mayor in the small upstate town of White Privilege, Pennsylvania
She not only pretends to just be known as Harper’s roommate for the duration of the trip, but to actually not let them know that she’s gay for the duration of their stay until after Christmas, when she promises Abby to come out to them and let them know the two are in a relationship.
Now, considering what some might and might not know about me, some of this is relatable while some of this isn’t.
I’ve never really been in a relationship with anyone long enough that got to the point where I was willing to Meet The Parents
/And not only does Harper’s family look like the type that just flat-out paid for her college tuition with no scholarships, but that entire family just gave off “I Put Raisins in my Potato Salad” energy to me/
Which is even more hilarious, because Harper’s “I want my family to be upstanding and morally perfect” dad is played by Victor Garber. Who is himself LGBT, and to this day is known for being the most Interracial Fairy Tale King of the Millennial generation.
No, the plight I found more relatable was Abby’s.
/Despite coming from a fair amount of privilege herself, she’s been out and proud for quite a while and doesn’t really care for the idea of having to closet herself just to satisfy her girlfriend’s family./
This point is absolutely fair. As someone who accepted that I was bisexual since I was 18 but didn’t publicly come out to my friends and family that didn’t already know until I was 26, I know that feel all too well.
These past 5 years and some change of my life not having to worry about hiding who I am have been incredibly worth it, and I slightly regret not doing it sooner..
Any negative elements I’ve experienced as a result of it were just good indicators of what’s worth being in my life or not as a result.
So seeing Abby struggle with what she was and was not willing to put up with throughout the movie definitely called out to me. Despite my experience being out and proud was more than likely shorter than her own.
/Which is why it pained me when the movie was painting the narrative of Harper’s journey over the course of the movie. Because the moment they introduced Harper’s ex-girlfriend Riley, I realized the roller-coaster I was in for./
(I can relate)
Which, according to a lot of the initial reactions to Harper I’ve seen on social media, I realized I wasn’t alone. We’ll talk about that in a minute, though.
/Of course we kinda got that confirmation in our worry once Riley spilled the beans to Abby about why she and Harper broke up back in the day; she didn’t want to be outed as a lesbian and did some pretty whack things to keep up her image in order to do so, hurting Riley in the process./
It’s because of that revelation, that I predicted the actions Abby was going to take. Mostly because it made me realize that I’ve...seen a version of this story before. But the perpetrator wasn’t portrayed by Mackenzie Davis. It was played by Patrick Dempsey
You see, before he was Derek “McDreamy” Shepherd on Grey’s Anatomy, Patrick played the guest character Matt on one of the only bit of mainstream queer media I was able to openly and regularly digest without setting off any red flags for my parents, Will & Grace.
And if you are surprised that I am a fan and was a regular watcher of the original run of Will & Grace back in the day, then...don’t...be? I am LITERALLY bisexual.
“But La’Ron, straight people can enjoy queer media too,” BITCH, THIS AIN’T ABOUT YOU; SHUT THE FUCK UP!
/Now Matt was introduced in episode 6 of season 3 when Jack showed an interest in him during the time he had a job at Banana Republic. Will actually agrees to help Jack ask him out, but Matt ends up being attracted to Will instead./
The next episode he appears in, Will is trying to impress him by trying to be good at sports since Matt is a sports writer and he didn’t like the fact that his ex didn’t really like sports.
As you can imagine, Will doesn’t really dig sports like that, either. And while that fact about Will doesn’t really ruin his chances with Matt, he didn’t really appreciate it that Will thought he would be that shallow.
However, the next and FINAL episode with Matt in it is the one immediately following that one
/Where the two are properly dating and Will’s introduced to Matt’s boss -- by Matt himself -- as/
(I’m his “BROTHER”)
So yes, it’s revealed that Matt is still closeted -- at least to a certain extent -- and isn’t willing to admit that he’s dating out and proud Will.
And after juggling with this info for a while, realizing the type of person Matt is and realizing what he wants, Will gains the courage to let Matt know in front of his boss -- in a respectable way, mind you, because we don’t out other queers before they’re ready in this household --
/What it's gonna take if Matt wants to continue the relationship/
(I’m sorry, but I can’t)
I’ll say this opinion with my whole-ass chest till the day I die; Will was right to leave Matt, because unlike Harper, Matt didn’t choose to stay closeted out of fear of rejection or disownment. He chose to stay closeted for the sake of convenience.
He wanted his cake and to be able to eat it too; he wasn’t willing to give up the life he currently had for the sake of being looked at differently by his peers and colleagues.
And when Will left after giving the ultimatum, he didn’t fight it or think about the ramifications and try to make amends like Harper did; Will breaking up with Matt was the last time we EVER see him.
So when Happiest Season got to the part where it revealed how Harper treated Riley during their relationship, I was afraid she would just be another Matt; that she wanted her image that was built by her family to remain intact, even if it meant sacrificing her relationship with Abby despite wanting to stay together, just like she sacrificed hers with Riley back in the day. And for a minute, I thought it was going to go that way.
But at the end of the day, what separates this story from the one that I saw on Will & Grace 18 years ago is that unlike Will’s relationship with Matt, Harper realized that her love for Abby was more important than making sure that her image in her family’s eyes wasn’t tarnished, which I understand not everyone can afford to do.
/Even the movie explains that to those who possibly sought to villainize her because of Harper’s past and present actions./
That’s why it's important to understand that validation is incredibly important when it comes to things like this.
You have every right to be out, open and proud of who you are and want to be with someone who is just as such. Just like you have every right to make the choice to stay closeted if you’re not ready or aren’t in a place where you can’t physically, emotionally or mentally handle what might happen to you if you do.
And the fact of the matter is, Abby and Harper’s situation isn’t just a workshopped scenario; relationships in which there’s a combo of one and the other TRULY exist. And if you truly love each other, you have to talk things through and both have and show empathy in understanding where each other are coming from.
Yes. I was mentally and emotionally ready to cut off certain friends and family members if they didn’t accept me for who I am when I came out to them almost 6 years ago.
/But as Harper displayed in this movie, not everyone is at that point yet. And it took her damn near losing Abby -- someone who’s already broken free of those chains long ago and wants to be her genuine self -- to get there./
This is why I feel that “Happiest Season” is so important as a coming out story. Because -- believe it or not -- there are queer couples out there like Abby and Harper that truly love each other and have to juggle these dynamics, and I feel that this does a pretty decent job at showing the highs and lows that come with it.
It tells the story of validation and acceptance from two polar opposite ends of the same spectrum, and does it in a way that fairly and properly shows the struggles that both sides face and how they clash if proper communication, patience and feelings aren’t being considered. If this movie doesn’t do anything else, it should help promote the importance of proper and healthy communication between those in relationships similar to or slightly like this one. I would definitely recommend you check it out if you have both Hulu and the time.
So with that being said Readers, your homework assignment for the day:
Write in the comment section below what YOU thought of Hulu’s Happiest Season if you’ve seen it.
Or, if you feel like sharing with the rest of the class, a movie or television show you’ve seen that shares a message similar to the one Happiest Season had to share.
Whichever you decide to answer, I’d love to know your thoughts.
