Movie Review: Jim Parsons Shines in Charming Romance, 'Spoiler Alert'

Spoiler Alert (2022)

Directed by Michael Showalter

Written by Michael Showalter

Starring Jim Parsons, Ben Aldridge, Sally Field, Bill Irwin

Release Date December 9th, 2022

Published December 12th, 2022

Spoiler Alert stars former Big Bang Theory star Jim Parsons as television critic Michael Ausiello. Michael lives for TV having grown up in a broken home and watching daytime soap operas with his mother. As we join Michael's story, it's 2004, and Michael is deeply neurotic, laden with anxiety and insecurities, and generally working endless hours to avoid life. Then, a friend drags him out to a bar for a night out. As Michael very unnaturally wears a Yankees cap, it's jock night at the bar, he manages to lock eyes with Kit (Ben Aldridge), and sparks fly.

Initially, it's just a hook up, Kit claims to prefer the occasional fling. However, both men start to catch feelings rather quickly and a romance begins to bloom. The only thing standing in their way are their equally formidable emotional hurdles. For Michael, this includes a host of things he must talk to a therapist about. As for Kit, he has not told his parents, Marilyn and Bob (Sally Field and Bill Irwin), that he's gay. Michael's mom is... a lot, and telling her could be an ordeal.

Another obstacle is Michael's crippling addiction to the cartoon The Smurfs. In a very funny early subplot, Michael comes up with absurd reasons to keep from having Kit over to his apartment. This is because Michael has one of the foremost collections of Smurfs memorabilia on the East Coast and he's rightfully concerned that Kit might find this fetish for little blue people off-putting. It's actually a kind of perfect test for their relationship. If Kit can accept Michael at his most Smurf-y, he can accept him for anything.

The lovely romantic comedy portion of Spoiler Alert lasts longer than you might expect. That's because anyone who has read Michael Ausiello's best seller, Spoiler Alert: The Hero Dies, knows that Kit develops cancer and the rest of the story is about Michael and Kit repairing their troubled romance just as Kit is dealing with stage four rectal cancer. So many movies don't know what do when the outcome is already so well known and there is a tendency for movies like this to spin their wheels. Spoiler Alert, thankfully, is carried by a wonderful cast and a quirky sense of romance and humor.

Jim Parsons is working hard to escape the shadow of his beloved TV persona, Sheldon Cooper from The Big Bang Theory. Roles such as this are a very strong step in the right direction. Though similar to Sheldon in that Michael is a big bag of tics and untended neuroses, it's a much less mannered and far more human performance in Spoiler Alert. Parsons is working a lot of actorly muscles that he never trained on his hit sitcom, reaching moments of genuine romance, sexuality, and humor that his television persona was built without.

That Parsons never misses a beat in Spoiler Alert is a testament to the actorly range we are only now experiencing following his twelve seasons on a hit TV series. His romance with Ben Aldridge's Kit is wonderfully realized. The two men have a strong romantic chemistry that is true to both of their hang ups and anxieties while fostering their connection wit honesty, romance and intimacy. I adored this couple and the ups and downs of their too short romance, cut short by tragedy, are deeply endearing.

Aiding our two leading men is a forceful performance from Sally Field as Kip's Mom, Marilyn. Marilyn is a lot to take. She's a ball of fiercely protective energy. A marathoner in her 60s, Marilyn's mind appears to be restless as is her mouth with many, MANY thoughts and opinions. Thankfully, she's not a bigot and we don't have to linger on any tension regarding Kit's coming out. It's handled in a single, sweet, funny scene and then we are off to the rest of the movie, a mixture of poignant romance, sadness, and tragedy leavened by good humor and wonderful characters.

Michael Showalter is a terrific storyteller. Though occasionally his flights of directorial fancy can seem unmotivated and can take the viewer out of the full experience of his story, he's nevertheless a wonderfully thoughtful and humane director. He appears to care deeply about his subjects and though some of the directorial flourish can be immersion breaking, it's all done with a good sense of humor and skill. In the case of Spoiler Alert, there is repeated use of a particular flashback motif that isn't quite as strong as the rest of the movie. I understand why it is there but I also found it jarring and intrusive as well.

That said, that's just a minor criticism. For the most part, Spoiler Alert is a lovely movie, a heartfelt romance and family tragedy. It's populated by wonderful characters, insightful and funny dialogue and cleverly thought out set pieces. I mentioned The Smurfs, that's a great example of what Spoiler Alert does so well, creating humor, warmth, and real tension in a well chosen example of the lives of these characters. It's kind of silly but the payoff is meaningful and I loved it.

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