Growing up, Guillaume internalizes this distinction. Because he admires his mother’s elegance and temperament, he mimics her—not because he necessarily feels like a woman, but because he wants to be her to win her love. This creates a central irony: everyone assumes Guillaume is gay because of his feminine mannerisms, while Guillaume is simply trying to navigate his own unique identity. 2. The Mother-Son Dynamic
The film frequently cuts back to a stage where the "real" Guillaume performs his story for an audience. This meta-theatrical layer reminds the viewer that identity is, in many ways, a . We see the effort it takes for Guillaume to peel back the layers of the characters he has played in his own life to find the person underneath. 4. Key Themes
Guillaume’s journey is about finding a place where he doesn't have to be "Guillaume and the boys," but just Guillaume.
By playing his mother, Gallienne shows that his "performance" of womanhood is actually a tribute to her.
The film is less about coming out and more about to oneself. Gallienne plays both himself and his mother, a brilliant casting choice that visually represents how much of her he has absorbed.
The film’s title sets the stage: Guillaume’s mother calls her children to dinner by saying, "Guillaume and the boys, to the table!" This phrasing effectively separates Guillaume from his brothers, categorizing him as "other."
The film challenges the idea that "feminine" traits in a male automatically dictate sexual orientation.