Red, White & Royal Blue, new gay rom-com on Amazon Prime.

People will probably like this or be indifferent to it, but I don't think there's much to actually hate about it (except maybe Uma Thurman's Southern accent). There have been a few attempts at gay rom-coms, with varying results, but I think this could be one to help put over the idea that it's both possible to do and potentially rewarding to watch, whatever your sexual identity. Yes, it's one of those royal-breaking-out-of-the-mold-to-find-love things like you see on Hallmark and Lifetime all the time (The Prince of Something-ovia falls for the lowly American girl.), but this one ups the ante by positing a romance between the second in line to the British throne and the son of the (female, of course) American President, wresting it from the realm of complete fantasy and letting it play out on a more recognizable and relevant stage. I was previously unaware of the source, an apparently very popular "young adult" novel, but the movie does seem to come with some pedigree and, even though it ticks off some of the mandatory cliches, it doesn't require total suspension of disbelief the way, say, Hallmark's mass-produced variety usually do. I'll post the trailer and I'm sure everyone will know instantly whether or not they're interested; if it rises to the level of interest for you, you probably won't be disappointed.



SPOILER ALERT: This assemblage of clips gives away some plot points, but it's a good representation of how well the two leads do with their roles.