"Maintenance Required" Finds Romance in the Auto Shop
I am shocked and upset to report that the movie about a female car mechanic who meets the love of her life online featuring Katy O’Brien does not, in fact, have a lesbian storyline.

The story of the day, from early morning to night, of Mary, a confused but dynamic woman who pursues her career as an actress, but is lost in the fragmentation of the Roman daily. A newspaper that revolves around what seems to be the only source of livelihood for the Eternal City: tourism. Let's see Maria run from the theaters to check-in at the tourists and from check-in to screening in a frenzy that will blur in comical and grueling situations.
I am shocked and upset to report that the movie about a female car mechanic who meets the love of her life online featuring Katy O’Brien does not, in fact, have a lesbian storyline.
The “gay best friend”, an age-old trope, has been done in countless films and television series. Ranging from one-note (Sex and the City's Stanford and Mario) to nuanced (Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt's Tituss), the gay best friend exists to support and advise the main protagonist, with their conflicts swept to the side.
Netflix’s new rom-com, Voicemails for Isabelle (dir. Leah McKendrick), isn’t just heartwarming, funny, and an achievement in female directing - it’s also an instant classic. Following 20-something aspiring baker Jill (Zoey Deutch), Voicemails for Isabelle tells a story of grief, self-discovery, and fateful connections. Ever since her beloved sister Izzy’s (Ciara Bravo) death, Jill has been leaving her hilarious, extremely TMI voicemails about her chaotic love life and miserable day job as a prep cook. Little does she know that a handsome and unsatisfied real estate agent in her hometown has inherited the number and practically fallen in love with her by listening to her stories.
The film basically says she was a lost cause from the start. We don't get a sense of who Marilyn was.
Hiring bias is something that's rampant in all industries (even unconscious bias). But writing a script totally neutral not only opens the door for more diverse actors, but also for characters that are people first.
A quiet film that does not demand your tears but earns them. It explores love that lingers, timing that fails, and the silence between what was and what could have been.