The Object of My Affection (1998)
Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston star in the 1998 film THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION, which was adapted for the screen by Wendy Wasserstein and gay director Nicholas Hynter from gay writer Stephen McCauley’s 1987 novel of the same name.
THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION
1998. USA.
Director: Nicholas Hynter
Screenplay: Wendy Wasserstein
Based on: “The Object of My Affection” (1987) by Stephen McCauley
Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Paul Rudd, Allison Janney, Alan Alda, John Pankow, Nigel Hawthorne Tim Daly, Steve Zahn & Kevin Carroll
THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION follows Nina (Jennifer Aniston), a social worker who falls in love with her gay best friend, George (Paul Rudd). George is an elementary school teacher who recently had his heart broken. After his breakup, George moves in with Nina and the two become very close. After some time she discovers she’s pregnant with her boyfriend’s baby – but realizes she would rather raise it with her hesitant GBF. Tension builds between the two friends as Nina starts to fall in love with George who is incapable of returning the love she desires.
The Gay Best Friend character was on the rise in the late 1990s with films like REALITY BITES (1994), CLUELESS (1995), AS GOOD AS IT GETS (1997), MY BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING (1998), and, not to mention two 1998 TV series – WILL & GRACE and SEX AND THE CITY.
What sets THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION apart from many of the above examples is that George does not exist solely for the development of the protagonist. Sure, Nina’s growth is partly related to their relationship, but we actually see George develop as a character on his own as well. He continues to date men in the story and isn’t used as a gay prop. Granted, his relationships are depicted as fairly sexless (there is not one same-sex kiss in the film), but he was a gay character in a film that was attempting to do something against the Hollywood norm. What is interesting here is that the heterosexual romance is a subplot, and the story instead focuses on the growth of love and friendship between Nina and George.
You can find THE OBJECT OF MY AFFECTION streaming on Disney+ (Canada/UK/Mexico), available for rent/purchase through AppleTV & Amazon, and also available on DVD.
