I think their presence saved the movie for me. Two of his 'fabulous' friends, Aidan and Chase, are indeed beautiful in appearance, funny and amazingly supportive. Even more difficult to understand is how Bob managed to acquire & keep these fabulous friends or the two guys who appear to be romantically attracted to him. It's a little difficult to buy into Bob's party planning success with the few drab, low-key examples in the movie. As the synopsis states: Bob has 'fabulous friends' and a 'great job' as a supposedly much sought after party planner. Jason Alexander successfully engenders sympathy and compassion, both among his friends and those watching the movie.
I happened to re-watch Love! Valour! Compassion! the same day I watched this film and Jason Alexander plays a similar role, further complicated by being HIV positive. It's understandable that this burden has left him with a poor self-image, a suspicion of anyone who might appear attracted to him and a defensive, protective bitchiness to stave off any more rejection. Bob is a chubby, not overly attractive gay man who carries about all the acquired baggage of being gay in a straight world as well as feeling undeserving of love in the gay world.
