Matt Rogers, Bowen Yang and Tomas Matos in a scene from 'Fire Island' Ron DeSantis and all the other politicians behind this law, which prohibits conversations around sexual orientation and gender identity in schools.
Initially Disney had donated money to Florida Gov. Fire Island has always been a haven for privileged gay men, but hopefully going forward it can be a refuge for all people of our community."īooster, a few months ago, had released a public statement about it "being really tough," about making a significant queer film for Disney, after their publicized actions surrounding the "Don't Say Gay" bill in Florida. It's funny to see how we as gay men discriminate and divide ourselves even further. "Once you're here, it can feel very alienating if you're a person of color or you're of a different body type. "A part of Fire Island is oppressively white and inherently classist," he said. "Austen is really adept at depicting people being really awful to each other, without actually being awful to each other, an attitude gay men have really perfected."īooster took Austen's canny observations about snobbish class lines and in "Fire Island" slyly relates them into how gay men can oppress each other ("no fats, no femmes, no Asians"). He based Noah on Lizzie Bennett, Howie on Jane Bennett, Charlie on Charles Bingley, and Will on Mr. Jane Austin's "Pride and Prejudice" was always Booster's beach read and struck him as being prescient about what Bowen and he were experiencing.
"I received the script a year into the pandemic and I hadn't seen my friends, hung out, gone out drinking and dancing with them for a long time, so to be able to show that in a movie so people could see this and value it, was rewarding for me." The big reason I wanted to direct this film was to focus on queer Asian-American friendship and joy." And when Margaret Cho asks to be part of your movie, you say yes."įor Ahn, "I just wanted to show the depth of talent in the community. "But Conrad read and his chemistry with me was amazing. "I didn't even envision Conrad's character as Asian-American in the beginning," he said. The film was not meant to be a largely Asian-American main cast, according to Booster. Booster also wanted to show them as different individuals with different perspectives. He accompanies Booster to Fire Island every year. In writing the script, Booster transferred many of his own experiences into the story, basing the close relationship between Noah and Howie on his real-life friendship with Yang, the first close gay friend he had who was also Asian.
"You feel so free, can carve out your own space and find the people you vibe with." The Bay Area Reporter interviewed Booster, who is also the screenwriter, and director Andrew Ahn at the Fairmount Hotel, when a screening was held in San Francisco at the CGV Cinema on May 11.įire Island is Booster's favorite place to be.
It's a raucous joyful vacation comedy with plenty of raunchy bawdy romps in backrooms and in the Meat Rack, plus witty at-times biting repartee with whip-smart banter references, and a likeable ensemble cast. The film soothes like imbibing a fizzy cocktail on a blistering hot afternoon. The week continues with underwear parties, dancing competitions, karaoke performances, alcohol, drugs and debauchery, as the characters fight and scheme over potential romantic entanglements. The handsome, laconic lawyer Will (Conrad Ricamora) seems particularly condescending, but Noah is both infuriated and intrigued by him. Howie meets Charlie, a charming doctor (James Scully) and they like each other, but Charlie's upscale social circle look down on Noah, Howie, and company. The non-monogamous insecure sarcastic Noah resolves to help Howie find the man of his dreams, promising he will remain abstinent until he succeeds (yeah, right). They stay with their lesbian friend Erin (comedian Margaret Cho), the irreverent den mother, who owns a house, but announces that due to financial trouble she will have to sell her vacation home, likely making this their last summer together. It premieres on Hulu June 3 just in time for Pride, providing cause for celebration, as this is a rare queer mainstream entertainment from a major Hollywood studio, Disney's Searchlight Pictures (they also own Hulu), with an all-LGBTQ main cast.Įvery summer, Noah (Joel Kim Booster), who also does the voice-over narration, his BFF Howie (Bowen Yang) and their friends head to Fire Island for a week of non-stop partying and hooking up with hot men. Summer is here, and the ideal LGBTQ film to satisfy any hot weather lethargy or romantic yearnings has arrived in "Fire Island," a multicultural gay rom-com set in the iconic enclave, The Pines -often referred to as America's first lavender town- with a modern updating of Jane Austen's classic "Pride and Prejudice."