During a hostile time in our country’s history, it seems as if minority groups from all walks of life are under the crosshairs of the current administration, as well as hate groups from throughout the country. This small but loud and powerful section of the population is wanting to just wipe the Earth, or at least America, of people that they are afraid of simply because they don’t look like they do, love the way they do, or were simply born on a different piece of land than them.
One of the minority groups making up a majority of the targeted hate is the LGBTQ community. The queer community has been under fire from a wide variety of bigots, whether it be from politicians, religious groups, or the right-wing media for decades and decades. Strides have been made throughout the years to normalize the gay lifestyle through books, music, tv and movies, but for every episode of Will & Grace, there is a new organization like Americans for Truth About Homosexuality or Faithful World Baptist Church formed to undo all of the progress made.
In recent years, there has been an onslaught of tv shows and movies that have made LGBTQ characters the stars of the shows in attempt to not only entertain a wide audience, but to educate was well. Tv shows like Schitt’s Creek, Euphoria, and Orange is the New Black have all put queer representation at the forefront of their series while films like Love, Simon; Call Me By Your Name; and Moonlight have done the same. A growing number of tv shows and films are diving into the narrative of queer teens and how they navigate relationships, coming out and understanding who they truly are.
Booksmart, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, and Big Boys are excellent examples of recent films that have shown outside of the stigma put upon queer youth that they love the same way heterosexuals do. They’re nervous, anxious, shy, embarrassed, uncertain and scared like all of us were at that age. Teen love is messy, scary, and beautiful all at the same time.
A new film to add to the amazing growing list of LGTBQ teen comedies that looks under the hood of young love is Egghead & Twinkie. First time film maker Sarah Kambe Holland’s autobiographical look back at her search for identity and love is a heartwarming, charming triumph that should be seen by any and everyone who has experienced stumbling blocks while on the hunt for love.
Egghead & Twinkie centers around two best friends who are both hiding a secret from each other. Egghead’s secret is that he has long been in love with his best while Twinkie has held her secret from everyone including her bestie Egghead. When Twinkie is made aware of the crush her BFF has held for years she feels pushed into a corner and forced to say something she may not have been ready to say at the moment.
She comes out to her conservative parents at brunch like she was passing the salt hoping it would be washed over but that is not the case. Her parents respond like I can only imagine so many have in real life. The film really picks up when it becomes a road trip movie where the two best friends are together one last time before college calls on Egghead. Twinkie tells Egghead lie after lie hiding the real reason she insisted on the last second trip from Florida to Dallas. Once the lies have cleared and all that is left in the air is the truth Egghead quickly shows the true reason he is Twinkie’s best friend. Egghead acts as her force shield protecting her from her first heart break and from her often overbearing parents. Everyone needs a friend like Egghead.
What truly sets Egghead & Twinkie apart from other queer independent films is the chemistry between the two leads. Louis Tomeo (Egghead) and Sabrina Jieafa (Twinkie) have a natural dynamic together that really brings Holland’s screenplay and vision to life. Jieafa as the transracial adopted lesbian Twinkie is a start in the making.
While Egghead & Twinkie is a coming-of-age love story it really is so much more than that. It’s really a movie about friendship and the bond that is difficult to break between two lifelong best friends. Sarah Kambe Holland has delivered a film that is funny, clever, smart and bound to find an audience that can relate to her experiences growing up and one that really is struggling with their search for identity that is in desperate need of a medium that can show them that things aren’t always as dire as they may seem.
Egghead & Twinkie set records as the first feature film to successfully fundraise through TikTok, and premiered in 2023. It played festivals worldwide, generating numerous awards and critical acclaim. Festival screenings included London’s BFI Flare Festival, TIFF Next Wave, Seattle Int’l Film Fest, Outfest LA, Frameline, Reeling Chicago, and Out on Film, and the Austin Film Festival.
Egghead & Twinkie is available on demand starting April 29 through Apple, Amazon, Google, YouTube, Vudu, Direct TV, and through local cable providers.
Steven McCash is the Lead Music Writer and Utility Man for SoBros Network. Steven is the host of the ‘Drinking With…’ podcast, and the pioneer of New Music Friday, highlighting each week’s new releases in the world of music in addition to the occasional live show review. He also pitches in as a Nashville lifestyle writer and football analyst (hence the ‘Utility Man’ title). Follow on Twitter: @MC_Cash75
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