Which Meryl Are You? “Before I Do” Is The Gay Rom-com Asking The Only Question That Matters
Forget top or bottom. The question that actually sorts a friend group, according to Before I Do, is “Which Meryl are you?” Are you a boss-from-hell Miranda Priestly, a free-spirited Donna from Mamma Mia, or something you would rather not admit in front of your closest mates? This new gay rom-com builds a whole weekend around that debate.
The debut feature from writer-director Gary Jaffe, Before I Do had its world premiere at the Castro Theatre during Frameline’s 50th festival in San Francisco. Jaffe already has an Outfest-winning short, Last Summer With Uncle Ira, behind him, so this is his first full-length film.
So what happens at the cabin?
Five friends head to a lakeside cabin in the Berkshires for a bachelor party. John Michael (Cole Doman) is getting married, and his best man Alex (Michael Hsu Rosen) happens to be his ex of many years, so the reunion stirs up feelings neither of them planned on.
Rounding out the group are self-appointed mother hen Luís (Robin de Jesús), well-read party boy Simon (Jared Reinfeldt), and Kit (Nico Greetham), the childhood mate who picks this weekend to come out as bi. Add cocktails, a bit of weed, a karaoke machine and a bag of Meryl Streep wigs, and the trip goes sideways fast.
It is not all mayhem
Under the mess, the film is really about queer friendship in your thirties. “It’s a recommitment to friendship, and platonic love is just as valuable as romantic love,” Cole Doman told the crowd at the post-screening Q&A. That balance of heart and comedy is why the Frameline audience reportedly roared.
When can you see it?
Here is the good news. UK company Rapt Films has picked up worldwide sales, so a wider release looks likely. The next stop is OutfestNEXT in Los Angeles on 25 July. At DNA, we already know our Meryl. Work out yours before the credits roll.
