"Spoiler Alert": A Queer Tearjerker That Hits All The Right Notes
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Not Just Another Sad Queer Movie
Let's be honest: Movies centered around LGBTQIA+ couples don't always have the happiest of endings. From Longtime Companion to Lost and Delirious to Brokeback Mountain, Hollywood has a long history of churning out films about queer couples who meet tragic ends. In fact the "Bury Your Gays" trope has been so prevalent in media over time that there have been scholarly articles written on the very subject.
In the hands of a less skilled cast and creative team, the new film Spoiler Alert (based on Michael Ausiello's memoir Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies) could very easily fall into this cliché. Fortunately though, the film is able to rise above these stereotypes to tell a beautiful, life-affirming story about the soaring thrills of same-sex love and the unbearable agony of a partner's death.
*****Spoilers for "Spoiler Alert" below (pun intended)*****
Spoiler Alert: You Will Cry, So Come Armed With Kleenex
Spoiler Alert tells the story of introverted TV Guide writer Michael Ausiello (Jim Parsons) and his relationship with outgoing photographer Kit Cowan (Ben Aldridge). From the opening scene of Michael embracing a dying Kit on a hospital bed, we know that their story is going to end in heartbreak. As told in flashback by Michael, the viewer is led on their romantic journey starting with an awkward meet-cute at a bar to the couple's eventual marriage. As their relationship is beginning to hit a rocky patch, Kit is diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Through diagnosis, radiation treatment, and all stages of grief that accompany a terminal illness, the two men are able to rekindle their love before Kit ultimately succumbs to his disease.
A Very 2000s Romance
If this plot is starting to sound familiar, rest assured that Spoiler Alert is more than just a gay male version of Beaches. One unique aspect of Michael and Kit's romance is the time and place that the movie is set in. Although we're never given exact dates, the men clearly first start dating in early-'00s NYC in a post-Ellen but pre-Glee/"It gets better" world. The two feel at ease in the safe confines of a gay bar, but Kit is afraid to show affection on the streets of New York for fear of getting "gay bashed." Even though he is in his late 20s or early 30s and works in the arts, Kit is also initially reluctant to come out to his parents (adorably portrayed by Sally Field and Bill Irwin). The story takes place during an interesting time period where tremendous strides had been made for queer rights, yet the doors of full societal acceptance were not yet entirely open.
Love, Laughter, and Life
Despite the overall serious nature of the film, director Michael Showalter is able to interject some much needed comedy in what could otherwise be seen as a nonstop tearjerker. Showalter is no stranger to finding humor in the midst of tragedy, with The Eyes of Tammy Faye and The Big Sick proving his talent at balancing the light and darkness of the human experience.
As TV-obsessed Ausiello, many scenes feature Parsons imagining his childhood through the lens of a TGIF-style '80s-style sitcom (complete with a studio audience and a cast of over-the-top actors playing his family). While very funny on the surface, these moments also subtly reveal traumatic aspects of Ausiello's youth that influence his behavior as an adult. It's a reminder of how closeted queer children sometimes disassociate into worlds of fantasy when growing up in a homophobic culture.
If there's any criticism to be directed at Spoiler Alert, it's that perhaps too much time is devoted in the first act to Michael and Kit's courtship. The film hits the ground running once the two men begin dating and their relationship's nuances begin to unfold.
Parsons Breaks Through With a Bang
The strength of the picture is due in no small part to its stellar cast, with Parsons shouldering the majority of the film's emotional weight. Best known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Sheldon Cooper on The Big Bang Theory, he is clearly in his element when the script demands him to be comically awkward. However, the movie makes no effort to paint Michael as a perfect human being, and Parsons is equally up to the task of playing his character's more neurotic and insecure qualities. If you are able to sit through Michael's final goodbye to Kit without tearing up, then you are made of far stronger stuff than this reviewer.
A Stellar Supporting Cast
As Kit, Aldridge is equally affecting as a young man facing an unthinkable medical crisis. Although his screentime is less than Parsons, Aldridge truly shines in the film's devastating third act as his character's health slowly takes a turn for the worse. Kudos must also be given to Field and Irwin, delivering much needed comic relief as the all-too-relatable Midwestern parents who want to support their son but are also very much set in their ways. Field is no stranger to portraying strong mothers of sick children (who could forget her iconic portrayal as M'Lynn in Steel Magnolias), and in Spoiler Alert she is perfectly at ease with delivering her award-winning brand of matronly warmth when it is needed most.
A shoutout must also be awarded to Nikki M. James, who plays Kit's extroverted best friend and coworker Nina. James, a Tony winner for The Book of Mormon and recently featured on Apple TV's Severance, is utterly delightful in her limited role and delivers many of the films laugh-out-loud moments. One hopes that Hollywood will finally take note of this talent and offer her a plumb leading role in a film or series.
Nobody, Queer or Straight, Is Immune From Heartbreak
Despite their good looks, economic stability, and supportive network of friends and family, Michael and Kit's romance is far from perfect. After a decade together, the two find themselves with a pile of emotional obstacles, with Michael accusing Kit of infidelity and Kit frustrated over Michael's alcohol consumption and loss of interest in sex. These moments aren't easy to watch as an audience member, and director Showalter isn't shy about diving into these unpleasant relationship struggles. It's only after Kit's medical diagnosis that the two are able to finally be emotionally honest with each other and reconnect.
Herein though lies the charm of Spoiler Alert, which showcases that all relationships (queer and straight alike) can be equal parts messy and loving. Just because their relationship wasn't perfect doesn't mean that it wasn't beautiful.
As Michael remarks at the film's conclusion, "I was always afraid the Kit would break my heart. And he did. He broke it wide open." Opening yourself up to love is opening yourself up to the possibility of heartache. Some may tell you that there's a way around that, but...spoiler alert: There isn't.
