Larry Dee

Bob Hearts Abishola continues to be the most innovative comedy on TV, with its hilarious characters and clever storylines featuring the diversity of Nigerian and American cultures. Yet the cultures have so much in common. Lead by Billy and Folake, every single character has his or her moment to shine and there aren’t enough episodes to feature each one. Auntie Olu and Uncle Tunde need their own show! Gina Yashere, Christine Ebersole and all of the supporting cast really make you laugh (and even cry!) they are so engaging. Monday night has become Bob Hearts Abishola night in our house!

Cliche ridden and sometimes trite, this movie won me over for its main character’s pent up emotion, conveyed consistently from beginning to end of the movie. Simon Spier wants love and deserves love, and he understands that about himself. Yet coming out is his strongest fear; he doesn’t want his life to change but he knows he needs to connect with Blue; he is relentless in his desire to share more than just a slew of emails with his gay alter ego. Many parts of the movie made me cry: Simon’s younger sister’s tearful reaction after finding out about her brother’s gayness, questioning why he “didn’t say anything”; Simon’s mother telling him how, for past few years, she felt her son had been “holding in a breath”; these and other scenes were heartfelt pieces of raw emotion. Without giving away too much, the end of the movie shows that one brave act often leads to inspiring others to be brave. I loved the fact that perhaps the bravest character in the movie, a fellow student of Simon’s whose overt gay spirit caused him to be out for years prior, turned back the harassment by school bullies. His cutting verbal jabs at the taunts he received made him one of the movie’s true heroes. This is an entertaining, feel good movie, with an important message about how important it is to realize we all deserve to love and be loved by another human being.