he hurt me!
by Douglas Messerli
Michael Calciano (screenwriter and
director) But He's Gay / 2024 [11 minutes]
by Douglas Messerli
Apparently, the breakup was particularly bad for Maeve, who evidently
didn’t have a clue that the then highly confused Will was actually gay. Her
behavior during the breakup was so endlessly traumatic, in fact, that she lost
most of her former friends in the process. Yet, here she is a party where those
very same ex-friends are now celebrating the changes Will has made in his life.
Everyone, particularly Ricky (Nile Harris), the host of the party, who
is terrified of her yet again making a scene. But, at first, Maeve just seems
happy to see all her old friends again, possibly having gotten over the fact
that Will has hurt her so deeply. But even now, she can’t quite accept the
fact, demanding to meet with him for a moment in private, where once again he
apologizes for having made her suffer through their sudden break-up.
She now seems almost conciliatory, until she finally discovers on her
cellphone another message from Ricky warning others that she is “here,” meaning
at the party to which she was not truly invited; she goes ballistic, again
replaying all of the angst she previously put her friends through.
Now she declares, despite Will’s denials, that he was not gay, but
bisexual, despite the fact that he finally shouts out the message that he was
gay during their relationship and is gay now.
I know the problem, in my attempts to imagine myself as straight, I too
dated a couple of women, who later appeared hurt and confused when I quickly
abandoned them upon actually coming out. Did they imagine, even though I did
not have sex with either of them, that I was truly bisexual? Yes, they were
hurt, and I had inadequate language to explain to them why I quickly left them
in the lurch. I was selfish perhaps, but so relieved at having discovered who I
really was, that I simply had no way to explain the transformation properly to
them.
I hope they perceived and accepted the new reality, but perhaps, like
Maeve, they never came to terms with it. I was such a nice boy, whom their
mother’s adored, the perfect gentleman caller. But when it comes to sex you can
only be a gentleman for so long.
Clearly Maeve has not fully come to terms with the fact as she finally
holds up a container of pepper spray, ultimately squirting it not only into the
eyes of Will, but most of the other party-goers as well, who finally in pain
and tears also have to laugh over the truly ridiculous situation.
This is an ensemble production in which all the actors work together
nicely in their reactions to the woman who still cannot face the reality of
everyone’s dislike for her endless homophobia and lack of understanding. Maeve
is a bit like a black girl version of Blanche DuBois who can’t get over the
past.
Los Angeles, May 2, 2026
Reprinted from My Queer Cinema blog
(May 2026).
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