6:30 2 frames of each mom
the two moms were also high school lovers

sam was hosting trivia. they say their ex is off doing what she’s meant to and they’re happy for her as a friend. looks like they’re the small town feel less than type.

back at home — which is naturally brimming with with framed phrases about kindness and humility and “farm sweet farm” — sam finds out becca, their ex, is coming home for christmas and they’ll spend it together with their bff moms. sam announces they’re better than ever with judy, their boo. brother makes a wise crack suggesting judy is never around.

”lucille and i are so looking forward to christmas because..
a. this year they’re gonna tell their families they’re in love, have been for years, and will no longer tolerate being kept apart
b. every year the family gets together to rewatch carol
c. theyre social liberals who love the unfettered spending on material goods
d. broadway girl becca’s coming home for christmas

back on broadway becca gets a standing ovation and goodbye. she gets to sing one last song and uses it to promote a song off her upcoming christmas album. the chorus is “merry and gay” over and over. yes girl that’s what i’m talkin bout.

we learn becca had a breakup with another broadway actor. becca looks lonely at the top. cue soft piano. she goes home to drink wine and gaze at the city skyline

photo: gay gay gay did i mention i’m gay and i don’t mean happy

sam rushes to their mom’s house to respond to an urgent text and finds the two moms and becca waiting for teatime. sam is pissed. becca hasn’t been home for 3 years and sam is angryyyy. sam pulls their mom aside and yells about it. their mom tells them basically to man up and be pleasant. they go back and prop their leg open on their knee, sits back with one arm up. this posture is everything. theyre so pissy. becca and sam are gonna work together on a local christmas production. becca says it feels really good to see sam. she touches their arm and sam shakes it off. tries to walk off and walks into a chair. classic.

photo: i’m hot and mad. hey becca, why don’t you call your next song mad and gay?

sam tries to shirk off the christmas show on her dad or some bartender person idk. i was heating up my bolognese. this dude also told her to man up. no one is saying man up but ya know, it’s implied. sam says ain’t no thang, she’s just my childhood best friend. no one is buying that. oh! judy just entered the scene and they kiss! a gay kiss early in the movie yay! sam noodle arms the kiss but whatever.

photo:
what are arms? where do they belong?

judy says sam is obviously in love with becca and that sam shouldn’t let their thing get in the way. woah communication. sam says they’re on different paths. is this shakespeare?

becca is learning how to run the show with the previous show runner who is either a dolly parton look alike or i’m just really unaccustomed to southern women. this bolognese is so good wow i’m so proud of myself for making it. sam shows up in a sherpa lined black denim jacket. it’s a variety show. they’re soo distant.

becca goes to an open mic at sam’s bar. they share a long lingering sumptuous stare. becca performs one of her songs while someone signs the lyrics. sam looks on lovingly as becca singing her chorus again, “merry and gay”. we never seen the person sign merry and gay. homophobic.

there’s this whole b story about the nerdy brother liking a girl. i’m not really paying attention to it tbh.

becca and sam haven’t spoken in three years. sam stopped taking becca’s calls and ignored her texts or gave them thumbs up. then one day texted her “i’m dating judy now just thought you should know”. lol yo that’s cringe sam.

sam is driving becca home. they talk and flirt. becca says she wants to spend real time with sam and clear stuff up. sam says to leave the past in the past, saying theyre asking as a friend. becca touched her shoulder and sam’s eyes look goo goo.

why are all tv houses white brown and beige? is this the jo and chip gaines effect?

the moms are staging some sort of set up and planning from the inside of an suv with walk talkies and a little gay helper.

the moms voiceover their plan as we start to see it unfold. it’s scored with almost looney tunes sounding music? the one with the roadrunner.

sam and becca are flirting over christmas decorations. now they’re talking about judy “as friends” i’m so sure. becca says she misses talking to sam. sam apologizes for being cold when sam came back. they flirt more over a reindeer dance. aw now sam is holding becca. because they’re friends lol. it’s so cute i’m loving it.

photo: platonic lovers 49:55

dress rehearsal montage for variety show.

becca nearly insists on cleaning up the dishes for her mother. chivalry.

there’s a b line about her brother i don’t really care about.

ding dong sams at the door with an enormous wreath. they seem like friends now cutee. ugh they have chemistry and it’s sweet!! they’re bumping into each other sitting beside the table with these shit eating grins they keep trying to hide. ugh i can’t.

OMG THERES A BUTTERFLY MURAL IS IT THE BUTTERFLY MURAL IN NASHVILLE THAT TAYLOR SWIFT DID A PROMOTION IN FRONT OF FOR LOVER???

photo: taylor
slay bells ring

becca is singing and dancing down the street broadway style. am i bad gay if i’m not super into it? it’s just not sensual. if you’re gonna dance make it sensual.

becca and sam string lights on a tree and they’re like really bad at it. but now they’re standing in front of the tree with their arms around and each other while also leaving room for jesus and despite that it’s still cutie. i keep saying that cause it just is!

becca finds a playbill from her first starting role in a box of sam’s old things. sam runs away. becca chases them down and sam reveals they went to see the show. but becca never knew! it’s giving the notebook. why didn’t you text or see me after the show? why didn’t you write me??? it’s note shakespeare it’s the gay notebook! over a much shorter time span. sam says she say becca and she was great. meant to be on broadway while sam is a small town bar owner.

omg now they’re in front of this big white house yelling about how they missed each it literally is the notebook. “i missed you .. every day!”

1:06 photo
baby please don’t marry james marsden

ahhhh sam says she never stopped loving becca and then they kiss with their faces blocking out the sun it’s just a perfect little gay rom com and we haven’t even reached the end. more kissing hooray.

photo: kiss
this summer the supreme court affirmed the right to discriminate against lgbtq people but hey at least these two are kissing on screen

becca’s evil hollywood manager comes into town. i can tell she’s evil because of the sinister music. manager and sam brawl. with their eyes and then their words. becca needs to decide her next career move and her agent wants her to keep moving for theater. becca is putting off making a decision.

sam is sulking. becca says she’s not going to la. her heart wants to stay in this town. sam says they don’t want to be the reason becca gives up on her dreams. oh these two!!

becca says no to la and sam is so sulky. i’m getting annoyed by this whole wounded animal vibe. they fight and sam says they don’t fit into becca’s life and tells becca to go to la. becca says they’re right, because they don’t wanna be with someone who so easily gives up on “us”.

sam is pinching a machine. there are three completely empty pool tables behind them. where are the dykes shooting pool. i thought this was a gay movie.

ok the b story makes sense now. the brother tells sam they helped him be brave and take a risk by telling a girl he likes her. he tells sam they’re letting fear get in the way of love. aha! sam realized they pushed becca away and it’s up to them to fix it.

sam is suddenly completely clear headed looking for becca who’s nowhere to be found. it turns out she’s headed to the airport. are we gonna get a lesbian kiss at the airport scene?? no, we’re not. sam can’t go get their girl because the variety show is about to start. which i thought becca was because ya know, she’s on broadway! but i guess not cause she’s now at the airport. maybe sam was right about becca and she is ‘too good’ for this small town.

the variety show opens with an emily dickinson poem. lol. the final act is supposed to be a nativity scene. but wait! becca appears right before the nativity scene. sam, it’s go time!

sam does some fruity little reindeer dance from when they were kids on stage in front of everyone. it was not even remotely a hot set up but the reward of a cheering audience for their big conflict resolution kiss pays off. they’re in love again and share kisses! woah it ends abruptly after that. i want one of those one year later clips or something. let us bask in this love a little longer please!