screen gems

Spending this holiday single? Try a bit of holiday bliss.

Single All The Way (L-R). Michael Urie as Peter, Jennifer Coolidge as Aunt Sandy, Philemon Chambers as Nick, in Single All The Way. Cr. Philippe Bosse/Netflix © 2021

Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a re-watch.

The Adorbs: Single All the Way

What can we say? We’re sweet on this delightful holiday romance starring Michael Urie (Ugly Betty) and newcomer Philemon Chambers. Single All the Way follows Peter (Urie), a successful photographer spending another Christmas single. And, as has become a holiday tradition, Peter dreads the disapproval of his parents (Kathy Najimy and Barry Bostwick) who reeeeeally want to see him settle down with a nice boy. To help smooth over the holidays, Peter invites his bestie/roommate Nick (Chambers) back as a boyfriend substitute. Matters get even more complicated when Peter’s mom wants to set him up with a handsome personal trainer (Luke Mcfarlane), and when Peter’s nutty aunt Sandy (Jennifer Coolidge) enlists the family in town Christmas pageant.

Single All the Way isn’t the kind of movie to watch for suspense. It does, however, still feel refreshing to see a queer couple included in a holiday fairytale romance, and one that features such talented performers to boot. The ever-underrated Urie shows off his leading man potential, matched every step of the way by Chambers’ natural charisma. Moreover, whoever thought of casting Najimy and Coolidge as sisters should win a medal—the pair are terrific together, and get the movie’s biggest laugh lines. Coolidge reciting Madonna‘s prayer from Truth or Dare has already become an internet meme…and with good reason.

Chambers and Urie—both gay in real life—have a natural, warm chemistry together, and the festive holiday scenery makes us feel warm & fuzzy. It’s a sweet movie to watch with cocoa and gingerbread in hand…with or without someone to share it with.

Streams on Netflix.

Note: This article contains portions of previous posts on Queerty.

Don't forget to share:

Help make sure LGBTQ+ stories are being told...

We can't rely on mainstream media to tell our stories. That's why we don't lock Queerty articles behind a paywall. Will you support our mission with a contribution today?

Cancel anytime · Proudly LGBTQ+ owned and operated