Gayby | |
---|---|
Directed by | Jonathan Lisecki |
Written by | Jonathan Lisecki |
Starring |
Jenn Harris Matthew Wilkas Mike Doyle Anna Margaret Hollyman Jack Ferver Jonathan Lisecki |
Release date
|
|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Gayby is a 2012 American romantic comedy-drama film based on the 2010 short film of the same name. It debuted on March 12, 2012 at the South by Southwest film festival.
Jenn, a yoga instructor, and Matt, a comic book store worker, are best friends from college who are now single and in their 30s. In agreement with a pact they made in their youth, the two decide to have a baby ("gayby") together, even though Jenn is straight and Matt is gay. Jenn's grandmother set her up with a trust fund if she ever had a child, so Jenn is confident that she and Matt will have the finances to have one. However, Jenn states that she wants to have a baby through natural conception, so the two begin awkwardly having sex. Meanwhile, Jenn is concerned with the stunted life she is living, treated as an underling at her yoga studio. Matt is recovering from a devastating break up with his partner of six years, Tom, who is a rising comic book publisher. Matt finds difficulty in getting back into the dating game and finds himself constantly avoiding awkward run-ins with Tom.
The two friends resolve to reinvigorate their dating lives and achieve their longterm goals—Jenn pushes the idea of innovative "warm" yoga classes at her studio, while Matt works on his own comic book, "Gayby"—about the adventures of a heroic gay baby—to pitch to a distributor. Both receive advice from friends about their goals and the pregnancy attempts—Jenn from her gay co-worker Jamie and her aggressive sister, Kelly, who is in the process of adopting a child, and Matt from his dry-witted friend Nelson, who helps them with their fertility treatments, having been a surrogate father himself.
After dating around, Jenn has a one-off night of passionate sex with her boss's brother, Louis. Meanwhile, Matt meets a divorced, newly out, gay father, Scott, who buys comic books at his store. The two begin a relationship, but Matt is frustrated at how slowly Scott wishes to proceed. Jenn and Matt are later thrilled when they learn Jenn is finally pregnant.
While talking with Louis, Jenn is furious to learn that Louis has a girlfriend and that he cheated on her with Jenn. In trying to defend himself, Louis reveals that their condoms broke during sex, but that he thought Jenn knew and was okay with it. Jenn is devastated by the possibility that the child may not be Matt's after all. Her boss, upon learning that her brother cheated on his girlfriend again with Jenn, angrily asks her to take a leave of absence from the yoga studio.