#this movie was so good

canonicallyanxious:

[Spoilers for Fire Island (2022)]

Some of my favorite pride and prejudice adaptation choices from the movie Fire Island:

• I mean the Bennets as queer found family is everything to me. it’s absolutely everything to me i think every iconic family from the literary classics should be adapted to the modern era as queer found family actually
• Mrs. Bennet as an ostentatious and over-the-top but ultimately well-meaning and loving lesbian mother figure is so fucking inspired and Margaret Cho as this version of Mrs. Bennet??? they had their third eye wide fucking open with that casting choice [E: OH also how the Bennets’ struggle with wealth/social standing turned into Margaret Cho’s character having to sell their house on Fire Island! I thought that was such a fun and smart decision especially in the evolution of that storyline and how it impacted the character arcs in particular!]
• The choice to adapt the Bennets publically embarrassing themselves at various dances as getting overly drunk and puking on everything was hilarious and tonally on point (and also as someone who had to act as the sober and sane one at a party of too-drunk people just last week way too timely lol)
• i think when doing a modern-day adaptation of a jane austen novel it’s really easy to flatten or oversimplify the nuances of the social and class commentary built into those stories but mapping the complexity of p&p’s social hierarchy onto the gay subculture of the Fire Island’s Pines party and exploring the intersection of gayness with class, race, and body dysmorphia ended up fitting the spirit of the book so well, it was such a brilliant choice your MIND mr. joel kim booster!!!
• Moreover those already existing themes of social/class commentary being integrated so seamlessly into Noah and Howie’s (Lizzie and Jane’s) experiences as queer Asian Americans, how that strengthens their relationship with each other and how that experience has impacted the way they interact with the world and protect themselves from societal pressures in such different ways (Noah being more outspoken to mask his own set of insecurities, Howie being more withdrawn but still having his own brand of quiet strength, etc.) and how that is deconstructed through their parallel character arcs - and the layers of Will (Darcy) being a queer Asian American (specifically of mixed heritage amidst a social circle of mostly white affluent men - the way in which Noah assumes he fits into that world but the subtle ways the movie challenges and breaks down that assumption to show that Will feels out of place in that world too) as well!!! If I had the braincells to scream about this for another ten thousand words i absolutely would
• The way they kept Will writing Noah the letter for plot reasons that made sense - he remembered that Noah’s phone wasn’t working from one throwaway comment about how he’s the only one in the group who doesn’t have a phone! Will is exactly the kind of socially awkward but thoughtful nerd who feels more comfortable expressing himself through the written word! - made me SWOON i cannot believe they kept that in a way that worked SO WELL in such a ROMANTIC WAY!!!
• Also just. Everything about Conrad Ricamora as Will/Mr. Darcy. can i say that’s a favorite adaptation choice of mine bc it absolutely is. Matthew Mcfayden and Colin Firth whomst i only know Will “saw his crush and immediately threw his ice cream cone into a bush and bolted away” lastname