‘Red, White and Royal Blue’ cultural relevance and optimism will romance Emmy voters
The Emmy category for Best TV Movie has had a renaissance in recent years, with more high profile projects being exclusive to the medium. In this golden TV era, the level of talent on screen and behind the camera is at an all-time high – showcased best by the level of competition here and Best Limited Series. Once so niche that they were a single combined category at the Emmys, the fields seem to get stronger and stronger every year. As a result, the list of this season’s potential TV movie nominees is incredible. Leading the pack (for me) is Amazon Prime Video’s “Red, White & Royal Blue.”
An adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s New York Times bestselling novel, the film depicts the rivalry and courtship between Henry (Nicholas Galitzine), a prince of England’s royal family, and Alex (Taylor Zakar Perez), the son of an American presidential candidate. Quickly becoming Prime Video’s #1 movie globally and one of the streamer’s top three romantic comedies of all time, “Red, White & Royal Blue” is a massive success and the recently announced sequel has only added to the fanfare.
Historically, queer-centric films have performed well at the Emmys with wins going to “Behind The Candelabra” (2013), “The Normal Heart” (2014) and “Bessie” (2015). “Red, White & Royal Blue” sticks out from this list because it isn’t a dramatic biopic and doesn’t handle tragic subject matter, but that may prove beneficial because Emmy voters have selected more lighthearted fare in this category recently. The last three winners were a comedic biopic (“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story” in 2023), a nostalgic Disney flick (“Chip ’n Dale: Rescue Rangers” in 2022), and a holiday musical (“Dolly Parton’s Christmas on the Square” in 2021). A queer rom-com winning would follow suit quite well, and Emmy voter’s enthusiasm for positive LGBTQ+ content is evident with “Fire Island” being nominated last year.
Referring to the film as “a delightful cultural moment and one that deserves to be watched, celebrated, and shared,” Cristina Escobar (Latino Rebels) cited the external nature of the story’s antagonism as the element that not only distinguishes it from its Emmy competitors, but its predecessors in queer cinema. She writes, “The problems are external to our central pair. There’s nothing wrong with their love and attraction, but there is something wrong with the Royal Family who sees their pairing as a PR problem to be fixed [and] with a world that sensationalizes LGBTQ sexualities to the point of forcing people to come out before they’re ready.” Briefly touching on these important issues, the film then presents a more idealistic reality where the public is on the heroes’ sides. Escobar highlights, “But ‘Red, White & Royal Blue’ doesn’t ascribe that bigotry to its world at large. Instead, Harry and Alex find acceptance and joy in their respective communities, creating a real happy ending.”
David Lewis (Datebook) echoes Escobar’s sentiment and wrote that showcasing positivity was “a wise move that only adds to [the] film’s crowd-pleasing aura… This is a project the director and his cast clearly believed in. It’s not easy to make an amusing, accessible diversion that mixes LGBTQ positivity and national politics, but [this] passes the test with flying colors.” Speaking of the cast, Emmy Griffiths (Hello!) referred to the connection between Galitzine and Zakar Perez as the film’s strength. She said, “From the moment Henry and Alex actually meet each other, … the banter ramped up [and lead] into all-out undeniably excellent chemistry.” She continues, “Their character development is so good that I found myself wishing I was watching a ten-part series instead, just so I could spend time with the couple.” That’s high praise considering how overwhelming the amount of content is today.
Whatever you ascribe “Red, White & Royal Blue’s” eminence to, it’s clear that critics and audiences alike fell in love with the story. I’m banking on Emmy voters feeling the same way. “Red, White, & Royal Blue” is currently third in Gold Derby’s odds to receive an Emmy nomination.
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