Left to right: Sasha, Paige and Tim
Life Partners is a 2014 drama/comedy film following the friendship of two women, one who is straight and one who is a lesbian, as their relationship changes after one of them enters a serious relationship.It stars Gillian Jacobs, Leighton Meester, Adam Brody, and Gabourey Sidibe.
Life Partners contains examples of:
- Book Ends: The film starts on Sasha and Paige playing out a mock 'road rage' scene. Near the end, they have another one.
- The Bro Code: Sasha gets the wrath of Jen and Jenn when she starts dating Jenn’s ex.
- Butch Lesbian: Sasha is a downplayed example. Though not so butch as some, she is the most tomboyish of the lesbians who appear in the film, including both girlfriends whom she's with.
- Friendship Moment: In the third act, Sasha and Tim run into each other at a grocery store and have a heart-to-heart about their recent struggles.
- Fun T-Shirt: When they start dating, Paige’s one complaint about Tim is that he wears a lot of novelty T-shirts instead of dressing more professionally. She starts buying him button-up shirts, which he wears but eventually calls her out on during their first fight. When she apologizes to him, Paige wears a Pac-Man T-shirt that says “EPIC FAIL” on the chest.
- Gay Best Friend: Sasha, a lesbian, has been the best friend of Paige (who's straight) for years. However their friendship is tested as Paige gets into a serious relationship with Tim. Unlike many examples, Sasha's a full character, isn't stereotypical, has a sex/love life and their friendship is the center of the story.
- Hairy Girl: Discussed by Sasha and Jenn regarding Vanessa, who's never shaved at all "down there". Jenn tries to drop this as a bombshell on Sasha, who already knows (with the implied implications for oral sex).
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: Sasha and Paige are this, although the former is a lesbian (but it's never suggested she has feelings for the other; they're just really close friends). Things get complicated when the straight one finally starts up a relationship with a man that lasts, forcing her to be available to the other woman less often.
- Like Mother Like Daughter: Paige and her mom are both stubborn to a fault. Paige realizing her mom is steamrolling her while shopping for wedding dresses leads to her realizing she picked losing fights with both Sasha and Tim.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Most of the lesbian characters in the film are very feminine.
- Manic Pixie Dream Girl: Both of Sasha’s love interests (Vanessa and Mia) are deconstructions of this trope. They’re unemployed and arty to an impractical degrees, and they make Sasha realize she wants to be more mature. Sasha breaks up with Mia when Sasha wants to focus on job interviews and Mia wants to spend a week in Alaska doing Molly in an Igloo during a Tegan & Sara festival.
- My Way or the Highway: Tim accuses Paige of this when she claims he lied about being on her side when he really agreed with their neighbor that a minor car accident was Paige’s fault. He says in Paige’s mind, everyone is either with her or against her, and if they disagree she kicks them to the curb.
- The Not-Love Interest: Sasha is this to Paige. She plays a more significant role in the story than Tim, but Tim is the real love interest.
- One-Steve Limit: Sasha and Paige’s two friends are Jen and Jenn.
- Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure: Paige and Sasha fight at Paige & Tim’s barbecue between the second and third acts.
- Right Behind Me: Paige tries setting Sasha up with her co-worker, Angelica, at a barbecue. When Angelica excuses herself to use the bathroom, Sasha lashes out, complaining about how annoying and boring she finds the other woman. Of course, the camera then pans to show Angelica was standing behind Sasha for most of the rant.
- Second-Act Breakup: Paige and Tim fight shortly after Paige and Sasha's Plot-Mandated Friendship Failure, and Paige moves out of their house for three days.
