The holiday season is currently in full swing at Netflix thanks to the streamer’s recent release of a sleigh-full of Yuletide originals, including “Love Hard,” “The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star,” “A Boy Called Christmas” and “Single All the Way.” The latter, a feel-good LGBTQ-themed romantic comedy, just dropped last week and promptly made its way onto the platform’s top ten list. Directed by Michael Mayer and written by Chad Hodge, the flick’s premise is a fairly standard one when it comes to holiday programming – newly single Los Angeleno Peter (Michael Urie of “Ugly Betty” fame) convinces his longtime best friend/roommate, Nick (Philemon Chambers), to come home with him to New Hampshire for the holidays and pretend to be his boyfriend to ward off his meddling family. Somewhere along the way, of course, the two realize they are truly in love.
Predictable? Yes! The ending is obvious from within five minutes of the first frame rolling. Cheesy? Of course! What holiday movie isn’t? But “Single All the Way” is also extremely well-done, not to mention witty, warm, chock full of heart and definitely a worthy addition to any Christmas movie-watching routine! Adding to the appeal is the stellar cast that, along with Urie and Chambers, includes such scene-stealers as “Schitt’s Creek’s” Jennifer Robertson, who plays Peter’s sister Lisa, and the always fabulous Jennifer Coolidge, who stars as his eccentric Aunt Sandy. Plus, any film that incorporates a dance number set to Britney Spears’ 2000 holiday anthem “My Only Wish (This Year)” is an instant classic in my book!
Though set in both sunny Los Angeles, Calif. and snowy Bridgewater, N.H., filming actually took place in and around Quebec, Canada. As identified by the interactive website Netflix in Your Neighborhood, “Single All the Way” made use of such area locales as Maison 1890 in Sainte-Agathe-des-Monts, which pops up twice as Bridgewater’s Mrs. Claus’ Kitchen. Montreal’s woodsy Parc Jean-Drapeau is where Peter snaps some photographs of Nick for a last-minute influencer campaign. And Maman (which, despite the digitally altered window views showing Venice’s colorful Abbot Kinney Blvd. outside, can also be found in Montreal) is the café where Peter FaceTimes with his family and informs them that he’s bringing home a “surprise” for Christmas.
One spot not identified by Netflix in Your Neighborhood? The home belonging to Peter’s parents, Harold (Barry Bostwick) and “Christmas” Carole (Kathy Najimy). But don’t worry – that’s why you have me!
