Friday Flix: What Happens Next

I love romantic comedies and I love gay romance, so imagine how ecstatic I was when I came across this cute little gem of a movie on Netflix.

Paul Greco has just sold his very successful business and is retiring. For years he's done a bit of dating that always ends up going nowhere because he's just not that interested. His society queen but well intentioned sister is afraid that he'll die alone so she tries setting him up at his retirement party. She also does one other surprising thing. She gifts him with a sweet little dog who Paul proceeds to name Mrs. Greco. And adorable Mrs. Greco turns out to be the thing that's going to change Paul's life.

On his first day at the dog park, Paul meets Andy; a younger man who sits in the park with his dog every morning. A friendship starts and this is where I fell in love with the movie. Actually, there are a lot of things I loved about this movie.

1.) The older man/ younger man setup. This is one of my FAVORITE pairings and What Happens Next  does it so sweetly! Paul is a bit buttoned up while Andy loves baseball caps and sneakers. Andy is younger but never seems childish or immature. Paul never seems stodgy and Andy LIKES that Paul is older. While the age difference wasn't a big deal it also wasn't ignored.

2.) The slow build-up to the romance. I love a good montage and there is an adorable one in this movie. We get to see Paul and Andy spending time together on their park bench. They get to know each other. That makes the first kiss scene so much better and watching them stress over their first date made me smile like a fool.

3.) The way Paul's realization that he's gay is handled. This was done so well in a way that was in keeping with the light feel of a romance with a bit of comedy. And the way Andy handles himself...my heart broke a little for him while at the same time I applauded him standing up for what he wanted and being strong. Go Andy!!!

4.) Paul's sister Elise. A woman who doesn't say the word gay but whispers it and spells it out. A woman who loves her son enough to try and overcome that by going to a PFLAG meeting when she thinks her son is gay. I loved Elise.

And last but not least...

5.) The epilogue!! I LOVED the romantic montage at the end of What Happens Next. It lets you see how much Paul and Andy love each other. I just wanted to hug them both as I cheered them on.

This movie was an absolute delight to watch. I'll probably watch it again and again because it made my heart smile. I highly recommend!!