Happy Monday to all the hot gay men out there! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend and got to meet up with some hunks from ManPlay. I had two dates myself over a very, very busy weekend and they were both great. When the sun is shining, there is nothing better than having a HOT date to match! If you missed it before, check out our article on dates that are as hot as the weather. It’s back to the work week and we’ve got another installment of Gay Movie Monday, with a really fun and frothy comedy that is perfect for a summer night.

Though hardly a hit when it came out, Connie And Carla has picked up quite the cult following among gay men since being released in 2004 from director Michael Lembeck. The film stars Toni Collette and Nia Vardalos, who was poised to be a big star after the success of My Big Fat Greek Wedding, before the ill-fated sitcom that followed and this film did nothing to help her career bounce back, unfortunately. It’s also unfortunate considering that Vardalos wrote the script herself, and it’s a hilarious screwball comedy. Very similar to the classic Jack Lemmon film Some Like It Hot, the preposterous plot follows two women with dreams of appearing on stage who accidentally witness a murder and go on the run as a result. Needing a place to hide out, they end up in West Hollywood and go see a drag show where they get an idea: They can perform as drag queens! I told you the plot wasn’t too big…

Sure enough, the women posing as men dressing as women become a big success in West Hollywood’s drag community for they buck the standard of lip-synching, instead performing themselves live. The women get taken under the wing of a group of gay men that live near them, including Robert (Stephen Spinella) who turns out to have a very cute brother, Jeff, played by David Duchovny, who becomes a love interest for Vardalos’ Connie. There are moving messages about acceptance and loving yourself for who you are, which is a sweet addition to a film that could still be entertaining without it. And did I mention there is a cameo from Debbie Reynolds?

The two girls are obsessed with old musicals, and the film references (among others) Guys And Dolls, A Chorus Line, Gypsy, South Pacific, Evita, Funny Girl, Cabaret, The Rocky Horror Show, Yentl, Cats, Thoroughly Modern Millie, etc. Can you see why the film has a cult gay following? It should be noted that Vardalos and Collette are very convincing in their ‘drag queen’ roles and the two exhibit a great chemistry along with excellent comedic timing. Duchovny keeps the energy low, which is needed in a film as bright and over-the-top as this one is, so he and Vardalos balance each other out nicely. It would be nice to see some more gay romance storylines in the film, but I suppose you can’t have it all in a comedy that is only an hour and a half.

Have any of you seen Connie And Carla? If so, do you agree that it’s an underrated gem? Did you first see it in the cinema or discover it late one night on television? The film was a bomb in cinemas but has done much better on video and on television since being released so there’s a good chance you discovered it after its initial theatrical run. Let me know your thoughts on it and the other films that we’ve chosen thus far. Are there any other ones you particularly want us to feature or have you been let down by any of our suggestions? Write and let us know and then discuss with other members in the message boards of ManPlay!

John xo

Categories: Gay Movie Monday John