Some time in the 2010s, we learned 2 things: 1) you can only watch the same 8 classic Christmas movies before you get bored, and 2) viewership increases on your service/channel if you make original Christmas movies. Those two things have led to a glut of Christmas storytelling, but more importantly, have accelerated who can star in a Christmas movie. LGBTQ characters were nonexistent in Christmas tales, or at best were supporting comic relief. But the world has evolved now, paving the road for Single All the Way, wrapping a familiar tale in exciting new modern types of relationships.
Peter (Michael Urie) is finishing his latest social media campaign for a big company out in LA, prepping to return home to New Hampshire for the holidays. Even though he’s happy to see his family, he’s bummed yet again that his latest significant other was found out to be married by his roommate and best friend Nick (Philemon Chambers). To keep the questions at bay, Peter convinces Nick to join him in New Hampshire and meet Peter’s mom (Kathy Najimy), dad (Barry Bostwick), and sisters (Jennifer Robertson and Melanie Leishman). However, the questions multiply as Peter’s mom wants to set him up with the one gay guy in NH, James (Luke Macfarlane), and the rest of the family wants Peter and Nick to realize they’re actually more than roommates.
Because of the newness of movie LGBTQ relationships, we’re still in the phase of using a traditional tale for an “untraditional” relationship in Christmas movies. We’ll get there, but progress is still slow. For the Hallmark Christmas movie fan, you’ll see lots of familiar here. Big city overworked lovelorn lead moves to adorable small town shot in Canada and meets hunky fitness worker of some kind (James is a ski instructor). The characters might be Christmas stereotypes, but they’re not gay ones, thank goodness; Single All the Way is determined to be as sweet as possible. The story has just enough smarts to not make all these hot guys fight over each other like a gay cliche, instead opting for the sweet, adult resolutions of characters reading tea leaves. If any characters are stereotypes, it’s the obessively naggy family who grows pretty tiresome even under 100 minutes pushing who they want Peter to end up with. At least they don’t hate their son. I mean, how could you hate Michael Urie, who’s just adorable, charming, and lovely as the lead? Single All the Way wants to get in, do the standard Christmas movie thing, and get out, while you cook Christmas dinner, open presents, or sweetly drift off to sleep after a lovely glass of hot cocoa.
Tis the season of joy and love for all! For too long, that phrase excluded LGBTQ relationships in the Christmas movie sphere, but no more says Netflix! After Happiest Season worked, Netflix opted for something cheaper and simpler, fitting Single All the Way right into their Christmastime algorithm and bound to be somewhere near their top 10 every December for a while.