Aahana Swrup
The romantic comedy film ‘Am I OK’ is a coming-of-age story about a woman in her thirties whose late-in-life revelation about her sexuality sends her into a spiral of newfound emotions and complications. After Lucy confronts the reality of her disinterest in dating men and embraces the fact that she’s a lesbian, life becomes infinitely more complex for her— if only due to her own insecurities. Add on the news that her long-term best friend, Jane, is making a career-driven move to London— and Lucy has the perfect recipe for a crisis.
Once Jane learns about her perpetually overthinking best friend’s newfound journey of self-discovery, she decides to make it her own mission in life to help Lucy get a girlfriend before the big move. Naturally, the two women end up in a local lesbian bar, The Womb. While Lucy’s awkward foray into the queer-focused bar may hold a certain relatability to reality, can the same be said about the bar itself?
The Womb: An Authentic Stepping Stone in Lucy’s Story
The Womb enters the narrative of ‘Am I OK’ after Jane encourages Lucy to get out there and explore her sexuality. Despite suspecting she isn’t attracted to men, Lucy spent most of her life in the closet, unwilling to examine her attraction toward women. As a result, now that she has finally confronted that part of herself, Jane wants to do everything she can to help her friend find her happiness. As a result, she falls into the usual role of talking Lucy into various adventures, with a lesbian bar as their latest target. Therefore, the bar’s presence within the story emerges from a highly realistic place.
Likewise, Lucy’s experiences at the lively bar as an introverted, freshly out-of-the-closet lesbian remain relevant to numerous individuals’ real-life stories as well. Since Lucy is a naturally shy and awkward person who doesn’t deal well with change, her struggle with her identity reaches beyond a matter of opportunity and availability. Thus, although Jane assumes a trip to a lesbian bar will help Lucy find love, the latter ends up leaving early, unable to reconcile her feelings with her situation.
Consequently, The Womb ends up infusing Lucy’s journey with a realistic aspect of self-discovery as a queer individual. The same fleshes out the protagonist’s character and helps the film resonate with its target audience by showcasing an unconventional but relatable experience. However, even though the bar sports a specific kind of authenticity, it doesn’t have a tangible, real-life counterpart.
LA houses numerous Lesbian bars, such as The Ruby Fruit, Frolic Room, and Risky Business. Yet, The Womb—cheekily named for its women-only environment—seems to be an establishment entirely fictionalized for the project. As such, sharing roots in real-life experiences, The Womb adds a relatable storyline to the film but remains a fictional aspect of it.
Read More: Am I OK: Is Spring a Real Dating App?
