Bobby, who doesn’t think that this is possible, pitches a few wild ideas to show the producer how absurd this request is. Specifically, a gay rom-com that even a straight guy could like and watch with his girlfriend.
CLASSIC GAY MOVIES MOVIE
While recording an episode Bobby, shares how he was approached by some big-time movie producers who asked him to write a rom-com about a gay couple. Self-assured and self-reliant Bobby Leiber hosts a podcast where he talks about whatever he feels like talking about. “ Bros, a smart, swoony and heartfelt comedy about how hard it is to find another tolerable human being to go through life with.”
The official film synopsis of Bros is as follows: Other actors featured in the movie include Ts Madison, Guillermo Díaz, Guy Branum, Amanda Bearse, Bowen Yang, Miss Lawrence, Harvey Fierstein, Symone, Eve Lindley, D’Lo Srijaerajah, Benito Skinner, Peter Kim, Becca Blackwell, and Brock Ciarlelli. Dot-Marie Jones takes on the role of a yet-to-be-named lesbian character at the museum who talks to Bobby during a painful emotional breakdown. Jim Rash portrays a yet-to-be-named bisexual character at the museum who fights for recognition amongst his peers. Monica Raymund takes on the role of Tina, Bobby’s close straight friend who he discusses his relationship issues with, along with her husband and two young children. Aaron is ready with quick-witted replies to Bobby’s snarky comments, which is exactly what Bobby needs: someone to push him out of his comfort zone and make him want to be a better man. One fateful night, in true rom-com style, Bobby sees Aaron from across a crowded room. Luke Macfarlane is Aaron, the love interest of Bobby. It’s about being seen as a person with unique experiences. That is being more than the effeminate friend with good advice and great fashion. That is strolling down the streets and having deep conversations, and emotional moments in the moonlight. That is not having the cameras cut away just before things get intimate.
Eichner and Stoller attempt to hold themselves to the same standards of those classic romantic comedies, while giving the gay characters, actors, and audiences what they have been missing, and that is being the main character. As a child, Eichner noticed how these films were never about LGBTQ+ characters. While writing Bros, Eichner was influenced by films he saw with his parents when he was a child, including Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, and When Harry Met Sally. It recognizes the differences between cis/hetero experiences and those in the LGBTQ+ community while telling the story in the form of classic romantic-comedy films that the creators hold so dear. In a time of acceptance and openness, doing what has been seen in classic romantic comedies, but with a same-sex couple is a form of radical equality while also being completely unique. When discussing this decision Eichner spoke on the history of LGBTQ+ characters in film and television, stating that the characters are commonly written as the best friend, completely ignored, or often the butt of the joke. This includes those portraying straight roles, reversing the common practice of casting straight actors as queer characters, making a powerful statement, and holding a mirror to how the LGBTQ+ community has been portrayed in media over the years. Once the decision was made to have the character Aaron played by an openly-gay actor, Eichner and Stoller decided to have the entire cast be openly LGBTQ+ actors. The writers originally planned to have a famous straight actor play the love interest opposite Eichner, but it was decided that this did not make sense for the story, and worked against what the film was trying to communicate. Bros will be the first gay romantic comedy to come from a major studio that features an entirely LGBTQ+ principal cast.
This is not just any gay rom-com film, though. Eichner was approached by Stoller in 2017 and asked to collaborate on the film, which needed an openly gay co-writer, much like the character he portrays in the movie. Stoller, who is known for his work directing the 2008 comedy Forgetting Sarah Marshall, helms the upcoming film and has co-written the movie with Billy Eichner. Bros is a first of its kind in many ways.