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This month the highly-anticipated sitcom Partners premiered, with Michael Urie and David Krumholtz playing best friends and business partners inspired by the real-life friendship between Will & Grace creators Max Mutchnik and David Kohan. The big deal is, of course, that these two guys are best friends despite one’s being straight and the other’s being gay. I know – CAN YOU IMAGINE?!?!
Yes, we can. Though our entertainments tend to like to plop us gay guys at the ladies' table, many of us have wonderfully rich relationships with straight men, sexualities be damned. And while Partners may be the highest-profile project that specifically tackles the topic of "bro/'mos" (PATENT PENDING), over the years there have been some great movies and shows that have featured best buds who bat for different teams. Here are a few of our faves.
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Wallace and Scott – Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
The relationship between aloof, sarcastic Wallace (Kieran Culkin) and hopeless nerdlinger Scott (Michael Cera) in this romantic teen fantasia is probably one of the sweetest gay/straight best friendships ever. The guys are so broke that they even share a bed (sometimes with Wallace's guests), but there’s no intimation of anything going on beyond genuine fraternal affection. It’s completely devoid of gay panic (if anything, Wallace suffers from a bit of straight panic) and utterly charming.
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Calvin and Rusty – Greek
When Greek premiered on ABC Family, it was groundbreaking for more than its warts-and-all look at hard-partying fraternities and sororities: it also featured an endearing friendship between dorky straight lead Rusty (Jacob Zachar) and his first campus friend, gay athlete Calvin (Paul James).
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Maxxie and Anwar – Skins
Though it was fraught with more angst than most of the entries on this list, the friendship between gay firebrand Maxxie (Mitch Hewer) and his conflicted straight best mate Anwar (Dev Patel) was unshakable. They had to deal with learned homophobia, religious intolerance, racism, stalkers, and lots more along the way, but the guys made it through with their friendship in tact.
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Robbie and Peter – I Love You, Man
This may be a little unfair since the characters are brothers, but the fact that nice guy Peter (Paul Rudd) needs to go to his gay bro for advice on how to pick up other men (for friendship, in his case) is pretty funny - all the more so because Robbie (Andy Samberg) is essentially a gay douchebag ("gauchebag"? PATENT PENDING AGAIN).
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Max and Dave – Happy Endings
These fellas are a play on the classic “odd couple” pairing, with the joke being that Max (Adam Pally) – the gay one – is actually a total slob, while straight Dave (Zachary Knighton) is a v-neck-loving, cocktail-obsessed prissypants and isn't that just hilaaaaaaaaarious. (Actually, it is.)
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Eli and Brett – All Over the Guy
This gay indie comedy was way ahead of the curve in discussing best friends who chase after different genders. Adam Goldberg is adorable as Brett, a straight guy who sets his neurotic gay best friend up on a blind double-date with the lady’s hunky gay bestie. While Brett and his gal have a breezy road to the altar, Eli (Dan Bucatinsky) and his fella of course have a rockier path to happiness. Think of it as When Harry Met Sully.
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Thom, Dev, and Nick – Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist
In Playlist, Nick (Michael Cera, again!) is the lone straight member of an otherwise gay punk band called The Jerk-Offs. His bandmates and best pals Thom (Aaron Yoo) and Dev (Rafi Gavron) are there to help him woo a pretty girl when they aren’t busy themselves looking for romantic distractions (which they find, in the form of Lethario, a guy who’s as cute as he is valuable in a fight) and pulling Norah’s drunk friend Caroline (Ari Graynor) out of gay cabarets.
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Patrick and Charlie – The Perks of Being a Wallflower
While Charlie (Logan Lerman) obviously has eyes for the comely Sam (Emma Watson), it’s her gay half-brother Patrick (Ezra Miller) with whom he initially strikes up a tentative friendship following the suicide of his best friend.
