Classic literature adaptations updated to more modern times was a fun trend in the 90s, and it yielded some great films. Fire Island revives that formula in smart, well-balanced ways and maintains the critique of its source material. The result is a hilarious and moving update of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice that uses queer characters of color to tell a similar story.
Those familiar with the novel will have no trouble picking out the gay character counterparts for Elizabeth Bennet, Mr. Darcy, and even Mr. Wickham. Margaret Cho plays a lesbian version of Mrs. Bennet, whose house on Fire Island becomes the centerpiece of the movie, with all her ‘girls’ coming home for the week of partying. Cho has some amazing lines and plays the part of the mother hen very well.
The social critique of Austen’s novels are still front and center here, with even more weight coming from the queer men of color and their experiences of class and race discrimination. Protagonists Howie (played by Bowen Yang) and Noah (Joel Kim Booster, who wrote the screenplay) experienced plenty of racial discrimination while working as servers, and the film shows even more depressing experiences once on Fire Island.
Some plot points from Austen’s Emma also play a role in the film, making it a mashup of Austen-isms. While some characters are on the island to enjoy the hook-ups, drugs, and parties, a few are looking for that ‘cheesy, rom-com bullshit’. The film is smart in addressing it’s rom-com structures and expectations, but doesn’t go for metacritique. Instead, it creates a space for the classic ideas and more modern views to interact and maintain an Austen-esque social critique. One gay character references the classic text on non-monogamy, The Ethical Slut, and then later tries to dissuade another guy against monogamy by saying, ‘Monogamy is a disease that the heteronormativescreated to make us less interesting.’
While some scenes in this film take their cues from past traditional film adaptations and rom-coms (confrontational conversations in the rain; an extravagant, climactic gesture to win back a love interest), this is still very much Fire Island. Raves, drugs, and drag queens all play prominent roles in the plot, as does rescuing a friend who passed out at someone else’s party (only to be sweetly cared for by a hot doctor/love interest the next morning). So if you like your Pride and Prejudice with more sex, nudity, and underwear/Speedos, this is for you.
The climax is just as beautiful, moving, and entertaining as any traditional adaptation.
Fire Island is streaming on Hulu.
—Eric Beach