The Queerty Interview

G.B.F. Makes The Gay Best Friend More Than Just The Hottest Accessory

DarrenStein_onsetIf you’ve seen all the Oscar-bait films and are craving something lighter but just as sharp and smart, G.B.F., a queer-themed teen comedy-palooza, is certain to satisfy. A fave of audiences and critics alike when it played festivals last summer, the clever tale from director Darren Stein, whose resume includes writing and helming both Jawbreaker (soon to be a stage musical) and Sparkler, will open in theaters this month. This colorful send-up of Mean Girls and other high school-set comedies depicts the social warfare that’s ignited when three teen queen bees (Sasha Pieterse, Xosha Roquemore and Andrea Bowen) compete for the hottest new accessory — the gay best friend (Michael J. Willett). G.B.F. sparked a bit of controversy late last year when the Motion Picture Association of America slapped the amiable comedy with an R rating despite it not containing sex, nudity or a single F-bomb. Stein chatted with Queerty about the film, the high school closet and the MPAA’s double standard for queer cinema.

G.B.F. is the first comedy you’ve directed that you didn’t also write. How did you come to the project?

George Northy’s script was one of the finalists in the Outfest Screenwriting Lab. I was paired with G.B.F. to direct scenes for the festival’s staged reading. I fell in love with the script and asked him if I could option it to direct. We brought it to studios first and then got the film financed independently.

It fits in perfect unity with your earlier comedies Jawbreaker and Sparkler. Was George a fan of your other films?

George was a fan of Jawbreaker and the teen genre in general.  The film references so many teen movie tropes and it was fun to see the slow motion walk from Jawbreaker in there.  He managed to write a high school film that felt new while still being referential to teen films of the past.  It was forward-thinking and nostalgic all at once.

What was your response to the screenplay when you first read it?

I was laughing out loud and it was a movie I wanted to see.  I had to ask myself if I really wanted to revisit the whole hallway strut thing, but once Tanner joins that traditional  ‘mean girl’ line-up, I knew an evolution was happening.  It’s a fulfillment of a fantasy of many gay guys as well as a smart commentary on the changing landscape of high school culture.

How has the film been received at festival screenings?

It’s been great hearing all the laughter.  A lot of guys are coming up to me after saying they wish they had this film when they were teenagers. It used to be as burgeoning gays, that we had to find the code or subtext in films and G.B.F. puts it all out there with the gay kid center stage. It’s important for queer kids to see their stories in a genre where they’ve always been relegated to the sideline, comedic relief or the butt of a joke.

What message does your film have for queer audiences?

Everyone is in the closet in high school about something. The queer kids in G.B.F. ultimately are no different than any of the other characters in the film. They all feel like outsiders, whether it’s about religion, race, or looking too perfect. Queerness can coexist in a mainstream teen movie without having that label attached. The towering acronym of the title is put to rest by the end of the movie. I like leveling the playing field of what it means to be different.

There’s been a lot of controversy about the MPAA hitting the film with an R rating. It’s such a teen-friendly film and I can’t think of any content in it that wouldn’t be seen on TV. Is there a double standard at work here?

There’s definitely a double standard. Films with gay content get harsher ratings. I was never interested in making a film that was exclusionary to anybody. It’s disappointing that the R will make the film somehow taboo when really the only taboo thing about it – to the MPAA at least — is that a gay character is taking his place in the teen movie pantheon.

How will this impact a big segment of its target audience being able to see it?

The film is opening in select cities so theatrically the window is small to begin with.  It would have been nice if kids in cities could go to the see the film in a theater together and have that communal movie-going experience. Most kids will probably watch the film on VOD or buy it on DVD.  There’s so many ways to take in content these days. I’m just glad kids will have access to it, even if they’re hovering over an iphone together.

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There’s a lot of excitement about the musical stage adaptation of Jawbreaker. How closely will it resemble your film?

It’s the musical the film always wanted to be. There’s a lot more humor and heart in the musical. I’ve had a lot of fun writing the libretto and collaborating with Jeff Thomson and Jordan Mann who are writing the music and lyrics. The music is more Gaga or Ciara than traditional musical theater, but it’s still exciting narratively. We’re going to have our premiere production in Seattle later this year.

What’s your next project?

There are a couple scripts that I’d like to direct next. It just depends on which one gets the green light first. George and I are also pitching G.B.F. as a TV series.  I’m definitely gearing up to make another film this year.

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