Michael Mayer’s Canadian Film Single All the Way is an early Christmas treat.
Peter (Michael Urie) who loves plants more than anything, has been heartbroken quite a few times in his life. When he finally decides to take home his boyfriend Tim, he gets to know that the latter is married with kids. Heartbroken again, he convinces his gay roommate Nick (Philemon Chambers) to pretend to be his boyfriend, when they visit Peter’s family for the holidays.
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Peter and Nick go to New Hampshire, and the family is all very cheery and welcoming. But before Peter can introduce Nick as his fake-boyfriend to everyone else, his mother Carole (Kathy Najimy) decides to play matchmaker and sets up Peter on a blind date with James (Luke Macfarlane) instead.
It’s evident to everybody else — except for Nick and Peter, of course — that they are supposed to be together. The on-screen chemistry, that is apparently so obvious to the rest of the family, could have used some work... but since it’s established right from the beginning that they are meant to be together, we try to catch on.
As always, Peter ‘needs’ James to make him realise he is in love with Nick, and this becomes a very repetitive plotline. The rest of the film is about how Peter coming to terms with the obvious, with everyone rooting for this Christmas treat to happen.
Jennifer Coolidge, who won critical acclaim for The White Lotus, makes a boisterous appearance as Aunt Sandy, and the scenes with her trying to direct a play are an absolute treat. There’s also a very Schitt’s Creek vibe to the movie; incdentally, there are a few stars from Schitt’s Creek who are part of the cast, such as Steve Lund and Jennifer Robertson.
In the end, Single All the Way does come across as a cheery (and inclusive) rom-com, trying to manifest a love story between two people in an incredibly small town, with the rest of the family exceedingly involved. But even though the film ends on a sweet note, it also leaves one wanting more chemistry between the lead characters... and little more Christmasy something?
Singles All the Way is currently streaming on Netflix
