Make the Yuletide Gay
Encyclopedia
Make the Yuletide Gay is a 2009
American
romantic comedy film
about a gay
college student who is "out
" at school, but is afraid to reveal his sexual orientation to his parents. The Christmas
-themed film was written and directed by Rob Williams. It stars Keith Jordan
as Gunn, and Adamo Ruggiero
as Gunn's boyfriend and roommate, Nathan. Kelly Keaton and Derek Long star as Anya and Sven, Gunn's parents, while Hallee Hirsh
appears as Abby, Gunn's high school girlfriend.
Make the Yuletide Gay premiered at the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival
on May 17, 2009.
The title of the film comes from a line in the 1944 Judy Garland
hit recording, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
.
2009 in film
The year 2009 saw the release of many films. Seven made the top 50 list of highest-grossing films, and the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences announced that as of this year, their Best Picture category would consist of ten nominees, rather than five .- Highest-grossing films :Please note...
American
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy film
Romantic comedy films are films with light-hearted, humorous plotlines, centered on romantic ideals such as that true love is able to surmount most obstacles. One dictionary definition is "a funny movie, play, or television program about a love story that ends happily"...
about a gay
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
college student who is "out
Coming out
Coming out is a figure of speech for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people's disclosure of their sexual orientation and/or gender identity....
" at school, but is afraid to reveal his sexual orientation to his parents. The Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
-themed film was written and directed by Rob Williams. It stars Keith Jordan
Keith Jordan
Keith Jordan is an American actor who has starred in such films as Suburban Girl, The Adventures of Young Van Helsing: The Quest for the Lost Scepter, and Make the Yuletide Gay....
as Gunn, and Adamo Ruggiero
Adamo Ruggiero
Adamo Angelo Ruggiero is an Italian-Canadian actor best known for his role of Marco Del Rossi in Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Career:...
as Gunn's boyfriend and roommate, Nathan. Kelly Keaton and Derek Long star as Anya and Sven, Gunn's parents, while Hallee Hirsh
Hallee Hirsh
Hallee Leah Hirsh is an American actress known for her roles as Daley in the children's series Flight 29 Down and as the second actress to portray Rachel Greene on ER...
appears as Abby, Gunn's high school girlfriend.
Make the Yuletide Gay premiered at the Inside Out Toronto LGBT Film and Video Festival
Inside Out Film and Video Festival
The Inside Out Toronto Lesbian and Gay Film and Video Festival is an annual film festival in Toronto, Ontario, devoted to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender film and video works...
on May 17, 2009.
The title of the film comes from a line in the 1944 Judy Garland
Judy Garland
Judy Garland was an American actress and singer. Through a career that spanned 45 of her 47 years and for her renowned contralto voice, she attained international stardom as an actress in musical and dramatic roles, as a recording artist and on the concert stage...
hit recording, Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" is a song introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 MGM musical Meet Me in St. Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics, which has become more common than the original. The song was written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane...
.
Cast
- Keith JordanKeith JordanKeith Jordan is an American actor who has starred in such films as Suburban Girl, The Adventures of Young Van Helsing: The Quest for the Lost Scepter, and Make the Yuletide Gay....
as Olaf "Gunn" Gunnunderson: Gunn is a college student who is openly gay at school. Back at home, his parents, neighbors, and high school friends think that he is straightHeterosexualityHeterosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the opposite sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, heterosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, physical or romantic attractions to persons of the opposite sex";...
. Gunn is afraid that his parents will stop loving him if they find out that he is gay. When he goes home for Christmas, he has to change the way he dresses and his personal mannerisms in order to maintain his heterosexual façade. - Adamo RuggieroAdamo RuggieroAdamo Angelo Ruggiero is an Italian-Canadian actor best known for his role of Marco Del Rossi in Degrassi: The Next Generation.-Career:...
as Nathan Stanford: Nathan, an openly gay college student from a wealthy family in the Upper East SideUpper East SideThe Upper East Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, between Central Park and the East River. The Upper East Side lies within an area bounded by 59th Street to 96th Street, and the East River to Fifth Avenue-Central Park...
, is Gunn's boyfriend and dormDormitoryA dormitory, often shortened to dorm, in the United States is a residence hall consisting of sleeping quarters or entire buildings primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people, often boarding school, college or university students...
roommate. Unlike Gunn, Nathan is completely open about his sexuality, including with his parents. - Hallee HirshHallee HirshHallee Leah Hirsh is an American actress known for her roles as Daley in the children's series Flight 29 Down and as the second actress to portray Rachel Greene on ER...
as Abby Mancuso: Abby lives across the street from Gunn, and they had a brief romantic relationship while they were in high school. - Kelly Keaton as Anya Gunnunderson: Anya is Gunn's jovial, happy-go-lucky mother. She grew up in WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
and is a housewifeHousewifeHousewife is a term used to describe a married woman with household responsibilities who is not employed outside the home. Merriam Webster describes a housewife as a married woman who is in charge of her household...
. - Derek Long as Sven Gunnunderson: Sven is Gunn's forgetful, potCannabis (drug)Cannabis, also known as marijuana among many other names, refers to any number of preparations of the Cannabis plant intended for use as a psychoactive drug or for medicinal purposes. The English term marijuana comes from the Mexican Spanish word marihuana...
-smoking father. He grew up in MinnesotaMinnesotaMinnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
and is a professor at the local college. - Alison ArngrimAlison ArngrimAlison Margaret Arngrim is an American actress, stand-up comedian and author.Arngrim's father, Thor Arngrim, was a well-known Hollywood manager...
as Heather Mancuso: Heather is Abby's mother. Heather and Anya pretend to be friends, but they secretly despise each other. - Ian BuchananIan BuchananIan Buchanan is a Scottish television actor who appeared on the soap opera All My Children as Dr. Greg Madden.His first major work in the United States was playing the characters Duke Lavery on the soap General Hospital from 1986 to 1989, and Ian McFyfer in series three and four of the comedy...
as Peter Stanford and Gates McFaddenGates McFaddenCheryl Gates McFadden usually credited as Gates McFadden, is an American actress and choreographer. She is best known for portraying the character of Dr...
as Martha Stanford: Peter and Martha are Nathan's wealthy, emotionally-detached parents. They decide to go on a cruiseCruise shipA cruise ship or cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages, where the voyage itself and the ship's amenities are part of the experience, as well as the different destinations along the way...
, leaving Nathan all alone for Christmas.
Awards
| Year | Festival | Award | Category |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | FilmOut San Diego | Audience Award | Best Narrative Feature Best Supporting Actress, Kelly Keaton Best Supporting Actor, Derek Long |
| 2009 | Seoul LGBT Film Festival | Audience Award | Best Feature |
| 2009 | Long Island Gay & Lesbian Film Festival | Jury Award | Best Men's Feature |
| 2009 | North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival The North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Festival, produced by the Carolina Theater in Durham, North Carolina, is the second largest GLBT film/video festival in the Southeastern U.S... |
Men's Centerpiece Selection | |
| 2009 | Philadelphia QFest | Festival Favorite | |
| 2009 | Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is a movie screening event that takes place each October in Tampa, Florida. The primary venue is the Tampa Theatre, but several other cinemas in or near the downtown area and in St. Petersburg simultaneously host the event as well... |
Gala Night Film | |