Often in gay films, identity is regarded as the biggest obstacle in life. Other gay films, on the other hand, stop at love and friendship between gays and seem to be completely separated from society or other communities. "Please Like Me" is marked with "gay family", but it does not have the heavy feeling of tearing and confrontation in the old days, gays and their relatives and friends are the same.
Here, everyone has their own hidden pains. The protagonist Josh's mother, divorced because of her husband's derailment, had difficulty living alone, suffered from depression and attempted suicide. Josh had to accompany her often and sent her to a mental hospital for treatment. There, she met an anxiety-stricken girlfriend, whom she invited to live with, but who also left her.
Josh's father felt very guilty about his wife and wanted to take care of her, but he had to take into account the feelings of his girlfriend Mae. Mae is a Thai with an accent. He is very affectionate with Josh's father, and is also integrated into his family relationship with his ex-wife and son, but he rejected his marriage proposal and confessed that he cheated during pregnancy.
Two of Josh's best friends, Tom and Claire, once fell in love, but are caught up in their failing relationships and have trouble finding a direction in life. The love affair between Josh and his first boyfriend Geoffrey began when Geoffrey's father was caught in prison and ended with the death of Geoffrey's father. Because of his mother's relationship, Josh and his second boyfriend, Arnold, met in a mental hospital. They fought, sang and danced together, but as their relationship warmed up, they finally became increasingly sensitive and insecure.
When friends and relatives die, the writers spend an entire episode about Josh and his mother hiking alone and getting to know each other. And at the end of the story, when Josh and his mother both lost their intimate partners. The screenwriter spent another whole episode, describing Josh and his parents having an expensive dinner, and each exquisite dish was full of life spice. Josh's mother then committed suicide. Josh sold his mother's house. When looking at the new house with his father, Josh told his father that his mother still had love for him.
Frustrated life, and short-lived happiness. A carefully planned death, or an unpredictable departure. The story deftly transforms its concern for pain into a light-hearted comedy of life -
Josh's gender awakening begins with a breakup over a "Australian $19 sundae";
Josh raises a chicken named Adale, and when They slaughtered the chicken and ate it in soup, and a group of people sang "Someone Like You" around the soup pot holding hands;
roommate Tom and his girlfriend's rabbit died, they buried it in the soil, planted flowers, and recited eulogy. Adolescent girlfriend thinks of her own life and breaks up with Tom in anger;
Josh talks to Ben, who is a one-night stand, and the two never get on the phone and can only keep talking to each other until Ben undergoes a dangerous operation;
Josh, Arnold and Tom took drugs together, couldn't help singing and dancing because of a beautiful hallucination, and met a cute girl, running together on the street in the middle of the night. Overjoyed, Tom broke his arm. In the hospital, the girl said, "Did you know that you will have physical pain in your heart after a breakup? Because your body doesn't know what's going on, your body doesn't know you've broken up with someone, it just judges that you must be in trouble, poisoning Something like, 'This guy just ate a poisoned apple, his heart is beating fast, we have to react a little bit'."
Abnormal relationships are often the trigger for physical and mental illness, and people make an effort to love and care , there are still many helpless mishaps. Such as Josh's parents, Josh and boyfriend, Tom and Claire. However, just like the dancing scenes of cooking in the title, food and love accompany the joy of life, not less or more because of melancholy. People have no reason to discriminate against sick people, just as there is no reason to discriminate against homosexuals. It's their life, not their intention.
Some people say it is a "healing drama", while others say it is a "depressing drama". When Josh and Geoffrey met again, Geoffrey was determined to improve himself and be his true self, and Josh asked back, how do you know that being your true self will definitely lead to improvement. Maybe we don't live a happy life, maybe we can't work hard to become a "winner in life" after decades, but please Like Me (please like me).
Author: Ye Duan. First published on WeChat public account: Xiaohu Yeming.
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