It’s high time audiences are flooded with queer romances that don’t make gender identity a plot point and Hulu’s latest queer-romedy Fire Island assures us that the drought is coming to an end. From the chorale singing the Searchlight Pictures opening theme to the rolling credits, this film gives us everything we love about rom-coms and so much more.
A twist on a classic, the film is a modern take on Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice and even opens with the lead character reciting one of Austen’s most memorable quotes: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Right out the gate, we know exactly what to expect, at least if you’re familiar with the classic love story.
In Austen’s story, a mother is trying to marry off her five daughters. But in this story, the eligible young ladies are a gaggle of gay friends and they are not looking to settle down any time soon. They’re heading out for their annual week on Fire Island — a barrier island that stretches 32 miles off the coast of Long Island that’s known as America’s first gay and lesbian town.
Written by and starring comedian Joel Kim Booster, Fire Island centers on the definitely single Noah (Booster), our Lizzie Bennet if you will, and his determination to help his lovelorn bestie Howie (Bowen Yang) find the man, or men, of his dreams. In fact, Noah has decided that he will postpone getting his swerve on until he successfully gets Howie into his own entanglement.
Early into the trip, Noah’s — rolling with the homies — free spirit is halted by Will, played by Conrad Ricamora (How To Get Away With Murder), aka our Mr. Darcy. Will comes off as the complete opposite of Noah — disapproving, condescending, and doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would actually enjoy the week-long events of Fire Island filled with debaucherous fun. Despite all of this, there’s a tension between him and Noah from the start that you can definitely feel through the screen.
A shared theme in the novel, as well as the film, is snap judgments, not just the snap judgment between Noah and Will, but also the judgment that Noah has on Howie. Noah sees monogamy as hetero nonsense. He’s pro-sexual liberation without catching feelings and wants Howie to get into the mix as he does. But, Howie is searching for a deep meaningful connection, not a one-night stand with a guy whose name he won’t remember. Howie wants that ’80s, stand outside the window with a boombox-type love. He’s searching for that Anne Hathaway kiss that makes your foot pop up in the air.
In an interview with Booster, we spoke about his first trip to Fire Island in 2016, with real-life bestie Bowen Yang. Booster described the island the same way he depicted it on screen, zeroing in on how even in the midst of community, there’s still class and racial division. Underneath the oppressively white space is a beautiful island filled with a rich history that can’t be left to white people. Fire Island’s color-dominant cast helps to reclaim the genre and the community on the real Fire Island. In fact, Booster brought a copy of Pride and Prejudice with him on that trip.
“I think Noah’s a very heightened version of me. I think I’ve learned a lot of lessons that Noah hasn’t learned yet. I think there’s a lot of similarities between us but I think I definitely don’t know as much as Noah thinks he knows. I’m less sure. I have less certainty in my life than Noah does,” Booster said.
The film invites us into their world without making us feel like spectators. We were able to join in the tea dances on the beach, the sunset countdown, and the game night. And, I’m sure we were all equally frustrated with Will during that intense round of Heads Up. But even as a queer spin on a classic, Booster creates a parallel lane that can stand on its own ranking among others like Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 10 Things I Hate About You, and Clueless.
The script flows between raunch and charm and showcases the dynamics of loving friendships. This is what drew first-time rom-com director, Andrew Ahn, to the project. “What I loved about Joel’s script is that it had a real heart to it and I liked how it celebrated queer Asian American joy,” Ahn said. The cast is filled with immensely funny people that shared great chemistry. Most of the inside jokes and authentic moments were left in because they worked with the story. We never really had to pull back on the laughs and the riffing and the fun that we were having because, in those scenes, that’s what should be happening. It’s a group of friends so it was really easy to shoot those scenes together as a family,” Ahn said.
Rounding off this fun family is veteran Asian American comedian and actor Margaret Cho. “The fact that we had Margaret Cho as our Mama Bennet just feels so meaningful because she’s been a mother to so many queer Asian American artists to really foster their talent and support them and uplift them and give them the opportunity to be on stage, [and] be on screen,” Ahn said. “Margaret is a trailblazer and also just the sweetest person on set.”
Booster added, “I didn’t know what was possible for me, as an Asian American in this industry, until I saw myself represented by Margaret Cho on that show. As a comic, listening to her standup and seeing her and getting to open for her a couple times — it’s legendary for me and it was a huge honor to get to work with her.”
As an adoptee, the idea of chosen family has been baked into Booster’s conception of family throughout his life. He spoke about how tumultuous coming out as a teenager was, and how essential his friends and the queer community have been referring to them as “the family that can fill in the gaps” where other families may fall short.
Booster’s love for his chosen family radiates in the film, reminding audiences that there’s a family out there where you can be your full, authentic self. Overall, Fire Island is a lighthearted queer comedy that zeroes in on the importance of acceptance, freedom, and community. It’s Pride and Prejudice, with emphasis on the pride that sets out to remind the queer community that there is more to their experience beyond the pain that’s showcased. “I really just want people to walk away from this movie being really happy that they’re gay,” Booster said. “I don’t think we often get that in our media, reminded that there is joy in our experience.”
This film certainly captured that joy.
Fire Island is streaming on Hulu.
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Watch our full interview with Joel Kim Booster and Andrew Ahn.
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