Love Is Strange (film)

Plot

Ben and George, a same-sex couple from Manhattan, get married after 39 years together. George is a Catholic school music teacher, and when word of the marriage reaches the archdiocese, he is fired. Without his salary, the couple can no longer afford their New York apartment and are forced to ask their friends and family for shelter, resulting in their separation. Ben stays in Brooklyn with his nephew Elliot, Elliot's novelist wife Kate, and their teenage son Joey, while George bunks with their (now former) neighbors, a younger same-sex couple of two party-loving cops, Roberto and Ted. Still partnered but missing each other, Ben and George find ways to spend time together, as all parties involved deal with the happenstance of an additional person living in a space designed for fewer people. Elliot, Kate, Joey, Roberto & Ted decide how much they want to involve themselves in the lives of Ben and George, and vice versa.

Cast

Critical response

Love Is Strange received universal critical acclaim. The film has a "Certified Fresh" score of 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, based on 160 reviews, with an average rating of 7.8 out of 10. The critical consensus states: "Held aloft by remarkable performances from John Lithgow and Alfred Molina, Love Is Strange serves as a graceful tribute to the beauty of commitment in the face of adversity." The film also has a score of 82 out of 100 on Metacritic, based on 42 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".