G.B.F. Dvd

G.B.F. (Gay Best Friend) is a 2013 American teen comedy film directed by Darren Stein and produced by School Pictures, Parting Shots Media, and Logolite Entertainment. The film had its first official screening at the 2013 Tribeca Film Festival in April 2013 and was released theatrically on January 17, 2014, by Vertical Entertainment. G.B.F. focuses on closeted gay high school students Tanner and Brent. When Tanner is outed, he is picked up by the cool girls and he begins to surpass still-closeted Brent in popularity.

Plot

Tanner Daniels and Brent Van Camp are two closeted teenage high school students. Their school, North Gateway High in suburban New Jersey, is dominated by three feuding cliques respectively led by the three most popular girls in school: Fawcett Brooks, Caprice Winters, and ‘Shley Osgood. Brent hatches a plan to out himself at prom, which will make him the most popular boy at school since the latest trend, according to teen girl magazines, is a GBF – a gay best friend.

Meanwhile, Soledad Braunstein is told by teacher Ms. Hoegel that their Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) cannot exist if there is not a gay student in the club. Fawcett helps Soledad track down any potential gay students in the school by downloading a hook-up app for gay men. Brent previously persuaded Tanner to download the app on his phone and Soledad and her friends track Tanner down, forcing him to come out in front of the whole school. This attracts the attention of Fawcett, ‘Shley, and Caprice, who all believe having a GBF will secure their bid for prom queen.

Angry, Tanner confronts Brent for not also coming out and harshly outs Brent in front of his overbearing mother Mrs. van Camp as revenge. Tanner quickly regrets it but Brent is no longer speaking to him and he reluctantly agrees to be friends with Fawcett, Caprice, and ‘Shley, as the three girls protect him from homophobic bullying led by Fawcett’s ex-boyfriend Hamilton. However, the girls express their disappointment that Tanner is not like the stereotypical gay men they have seen on television and make him over to their liking. Brent is annoyed at all the attention Tanner is getting, especially since Tanner has become nominated for Prom King. Likewise, ‘Shley’s conservative best friend McKenzie Pryce tries to persuade ‘Shley that homosexuality is sinful.

At a party, Caprice sets Tanner up with Christian, a gay friend of hers, who is willing to be his prom date, but McKenzie refuses to allow Tanner to buy a couple’s prom ticket, insisting they are exclusive to heterosexual couples. Tanner agrees to join Soledad’s GSA since she is the only one willing to help him fight the school policy and chastises Fawcett, ‘Shley, and Caprice for only caring about him when it benefits them. Chagrined, Fawcett also joins the GSA, but Ms. Hoegel quickly sees that Tanner is being used by the girls as a prize. Fawcett offers to hold an alternative prom, which pleases Tanner but enrages Caprice, who is annoyed that Tanner is endorsing Fawcett. Brent, believing that he is Tanner’s prom date, is disappointed to learn that Tanner is going with Christian. He teams up with Caprice, who plans on being queen of the school-endorsed prom and offers to let him be her king. Tanner and Brent’s old friend group, Sophie and Glenn, confront them and reveals how they are being used as tools, and Tanner asks Fawcett if this is true. Fawcett admits that she was, but she now does consider him a real friend. She also tells Tanner she created the second prom to win since most of the school dislikes her. Tanner agrees to help her win prom queen after hearing this.

Brent manages the publicity department for the school-sanctioned prom and uses explicitly anti-gay posters. The principal cancels the school prom due to the ensuing public backlash and supports the alternative prom. Tanner and Fawcett win prom king and queen and Tanner makes a speech at the dance, saying that he is tired of being seen as an object or a symbol and apologizes to his true friends for dumping them. Tanner dances with Brent and they make up, although they decide to stay friends instead of being romantically involved and risk a friendship that is already sturdy in its own right.

Cast

Michael J. Willett as Tanner Daniels, a comic book geek who is the first “out of the closet gay” at his school.
Paul Iacono as Brent Van Camp, Tanner’s best friend who is very feminine and sassy
Sasha Pieterse as Fawcett Brooks, a rich and popular girl who is the hottest girl in school and rules over the wealthy in-crowd
Andrea Bowen as ‘Shley Osgood, a sweet-natured, open-minded Mormon queen bee who rules the school’s conservative and religious students
Xosha Roquemore as Caprice Winters, a talented, charismatic and popular African American girl gifted in the performing arts who is in charge of the high school’s singers, drama students and ethnic minorities
Molly Tarlov as Sophie Aster
Evanna Lynch as McKenzie Pryce, a mean-spirited, puritanical Mormon, who believes the LGBT community is evil
Joanna “JoJo” Levesque as Soledad Braunstein
Derek Mio as Glenn Cho
Mia Rose Frampton as Mindie
Taylor Frey as Topher
Brock Harris as Hamilton
Anthony Garland as Christian
Megan Mullally as Mrs. Van Camp
Natasha Lyonne as Ms. Hoegel
Rebecca Gayheart as Mrs. Daniels
Jonathan Silverman as Mr. Daniels
Horatio Sanz as Principal Crowe