A 2009 Christmas-themed gay romantic comedy movie Make the Yuletide Gay is about Gunn (Keith Jordan), a gay college student who is president of the GLBT student council, going home to visit his parents for the holidays. The twist: he's not out to them. Even better: his boyfriend Nathan (Adamo Ruggiero), who is out, comes along as a surprise. Thus leading to a wacky Christmas season as they try and keep everything under wraps.
The movie was directed and written by Rob Williams, who also wrote its novelization in 2017. Rob's attempts to crowdfund a sequel film failed; he ended up releasing the sequel as a novel in 2018.
This film provides examples of:
- And Starring: Gates McFadden
- The Cameo: Gates McFadden, given the And credit, is in the film for all of five minutes.
- Contemplating Your Hands: Seems to be the Dad's biggest trait.
- Chekhov's Gift: What Nathan gives to Gunn and himself.
- Coming-Out Story: What Gunn is trying to do the whole movie. The mom already knew, and was betting money against the dad about it.
- Doting Parent: Gunn's mom is this to a tee.
- Erudite Stoner: Gunn's dad, but luckily for him, he also happens to be a philosophy professor at the local university.
- Everybody Knew Already: Well, the Mom did, the Dad bet against her and thought that Gunn was straight.
- Have a Gay Old Time: The line of the song the film was named after.
- Homemade Sweater from Hell:The mom sports quite a few of these.
- Interrupted Intimacy: Gunn's mom chose the worst time to see if they needed new sheets.
- Junkie Prophet: Gunn's dad whispered the secrets of life into Gunn's ear. Gunn doesn't remember of course because this happened they day he was born. The dad doesn't remember either because he was 'high as a kite at the time'. Turns out it was "All you need is love", which happened to be the song playing on the radio at the time.
- Parental Neglect: In contrast to Gunn's doting parents, Nathan's parents went on a Christmas cruise and left Nathan behind, and left him a list of chores to do at their house.
- Pun-Based Title: Deriving from a line in the classic holiday song "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (where it has a Have a Gay Old Time context, being written in the '40s and all). Bonus points: the song was first performed by gay icon Judy Garland.
- Side Bet: When Gunn comes out, the parents act rather upset, with the Dad standing up, facing away from them, then quickly going over to his stash of money in a cookie jar to pay the Mom.
- Straight Gay: Gunn, more so when he's at his parents' house.
