Directors Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne pair an intimate portrait of female friendship with the bittersweet revelations of coming out in one’s 30s
Am I OK?, from the married directors Tig Notaro and Stephanie Allynne, attempts to put a fresh spin on the coming-out film, a sub-genre that often centers adolescents or works against conservative family; think Love, Simon, But I’m a Cheerleader, Pariah or Happiest Season. The 86-minute film, penned by Lauren Pomerantz (a longtime writer for Ellen DeGeneres’s daytime show), couples the bittersweet revelations of coming out in one’s 30s, years after many in an accepting environment bloom, with the spiky tenderness of an intimate, platonic female friendship.
Jane (Sonoya Mizuno) and Lucy (Dakota Johnson) are longtime best friends and partners in crime – it’s not disclosed for how long, but long enough for Jane to know the type of car Lucy wanted in high school (a Volvo) and for Lucy to read dispassionate Jane’s emotions through a quiver in her voice. The two are in their early 30s and more each other’s other half than anyone else, including Jane’s sweet, deferential boyfriend Danny (Jermaine Fowler). We see them opposite each other in their favorite diner booth, a yin-yang in the same bed, the other’s mirror in their regular yoga class.
Am I OK? is showing at the Sundance film festival with a release date yet to be announced
