NySocBoy's Beefcake and Buddy-Bonding: Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg's Last Straw. Cartoon mayhem with a few gay hints, at least one gay actor, and a pleasant absence of The Girl.

Jan 8, 2026

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg's Last Straw. Cartoon mayhem with a few gay hints, at least one gay actor, and a pleasant absence of The Girl.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, with the illustrated adventures of self-centered, accident-prone middle-schooler Greg Heffner, began as a web series in 2004. It spun into a series of chapter books, 20 to date, plus seven movies and a stage musical. While author Jeff Kinney is a gay ally, he has kept LGBT characters and most of the gay subtexts out of Greg's life, instead making his buddy Rowley too weird for romance, and giving them both regular crushes on girls.

The movies are a mixed bag of gay-subtext, heterosexism, and downright homophobia: Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2010) doesn't give the guys girlfriends, but moves into gay panic when Greg and Rowley (Zachary Gordon, left, Robert Capon) accidentally touch hands and spring away in disgust: "I touched a dude! That means I'm...ugh!"

Rodrick Rules (2011) features Greg's attempt to win the Girl of His Dreams, but his brother Rodrick (gay actor Devon Bostick) has no interest in girls.

But in Dog Days (2012), both Greg and Rodrick pursue the Girls of Their Dreams.

So I'm approaching the latest animated film, Last Straw (2025) on Disney Plus, with some concern. But I'm reviewing it just in case (besides, it's been sitting in my "to review" file since early December).

Scene 1: Unreliable narrator Greg (Aaron Harris) discusses his problem: Dad (Chris Diamantopoulous) likes everything to be organized, and Greg likes to "go with the flow." On Christmas morning, he takes his time in the shower, making the family late for church. As they are waiting, in the car Mom and Dad discuss Greg's woeful lack of life skills. He can't even use the house key to lock the door. Rodney, however, is fully competent.

Left: Now Rodney is played by gay actor Hunter Dillon. I wonder if it's significant that they keep casting gay guys to play Rodney, even though nothing can be stated in the movies.

Scene 2: The church has some nondescript stained glass windows and a lot of Christmas trees, but no crosses anywhere. The priest mentions the Wise Men but not Jesus. There are medallion of a horned stag and a rabbit, and a giant statue of a female angel behind the altar. What religion are these people, Manichean? (In the novel, it's a regular Christian church, at Easter).

Uh-oh, Greg sat on chocolate in the car. He tries to keep covered, but everyone can see, and thinks that he pooped his pants.

Scene 3: After the chocolate disaster, Dad worries that he hasn't taught Greg the things he needs to know to become a man. Sounds like you have some old-fashioned ideas about masculinity, buddy. Mom says not to worry, Greg is fine: he and his friend Rowley are starting a snow removal company. Capitalism solves everything.

Scene 4: It's Beefcake Snow Removal, with a drawing of the Greg and Rowley as muscular, shirtless grown-ups: "pamper yourself with our service."

Their first customer expected two grown-up hunks to shovel with their shirts off (so he's gay?), and angrily rejects the two kids. As do others on the block. When they finally find an old lady willing to hire them, they don't have snow shovels.Plan ahead? Rowley scrams, and Greg tries to use a lawn mower, with slapstick mayhem results.

More after the break

Dad drops by with hot chocolate, and tries to help Greg undo the damage. First he needs the bolt for the lawn mower, but Greg can't find it. Suddenly a muscle dude (is that a basket?) saves the day by finding the bolt -- and fixing everything else. He's Lenwood (Jabari Banks), who used to be the neighborhood troublemaker, until Spag Union taught him discipline and respect for authority -- and bulked him up (and gave him a basket?).

Oh no, it's a boot camp. They sent a lot of delinquents to them during the 1980s and 90s, but there were complaints of trauma from the bullying, harsh discipline, suicidal ideations, and deaths. There are still some privately-run "troubled teen" camps in states that haven't shut them down.

Scene 5: Greg begs to not be sent to Spag Union. Maybe he could become a Woodchipper instead (a Scout-like organization for boys and their Dads). Dad didn't do well when he was a kid, and resists the idea, but Mom forces him. What? I was looking forward to scenes set at Spag Union, with muscle guys doing push-ups.

Cut to the Woodchippers making soap sculptures. The Scoutmaster outlines the road to Woodchipper Elite: five badges, culminating in Wilderness Survival at the Icy Pines Campout. So you can only get that badge in the wintertime?

Scene 6: Greg and Dad at the gym, trying to win his Physical Fitness Badge: 100 push-ups, a mile run in less than 6 minutes. Wait... Greg wants Dad to lie and say he completed it, but Dad refuses.

A muscular dad and his son drop by to tell them about Winter Soccer. Maybe Greg could do that instead? What? I was looking forward to the Icy Pines Campout. Pick a plot thread, and stick to it!

Greg wanders off to the free weights, and tries to spot a guy with an enormous d*ck (at least that's what it looks like, standing straight up from his face). Slapstick mayhem ensues, and the guys are permanently banned from the gym.

Scene 7: After interacting with his nemesis Patty (no hetero-romance), Greg decides on a new strategy: he'll run for Class Treasurer and get his Leadership Badge. Except elections are tomorrow. He tries to sabotage her campaign by lying: she will ban chocolate milk, she hates recess, and so on. But he's discovered.

Scene 8: In detention, a Sleazy Guy agrees that Spag Union would "Eat you alive!" He suggests that Greg could reconcile with his dad with a "My Child is Student of the Week" bumper sticker. But he only sells them in batches of 50.

Left: Dashiell McGaha-Schletter plays the Sleazy Guy, Ricky. I love that name.

At home that night, Dad is impressed, and signs off on his Scholarship badge (and, since Greg lied about winning the election, his Leadership badge).

Scene 9: A montage of Greg winning Rock Climbing and Cooking. Cut to helping Dad work on his Revolutionary War diorama. He likes it because it makes him feel like he's in control of something, while everything else in his life is in chaos. Greg can relate. You've cheated on almost everything, buddy. Going to get a comeuppance, or is this a postmodern children's story?

Scene 10: Safety Patrol, the last badge Greg needs before Icy Pines. He and Rowley are leading kindergarteners on a leash, but they escape and run into a construction site! And Dad drops by to praise him! Cartoon mayhem ensues, culminating with wet cement and an principal trying to calm angry parents.

Left: I ran out of actor photos, and I'm getting bored, so here's a random twink with nice abs. I'll fast-forward through the rest.

We eventually get to Icy Pines. But Greg cheated to get most of the badges.

Dad and Greg bond, realizing that they're both sort of losers, so neither should judge the other. They give up on the Wilderness Survival badge to drive down the mountain, rent a hotel room, and watch tv while eating pizza.

Heterosexism: This is one of the movies with none.

Gay Subtext: Greg and Rowley appear together a few times, but I don't see any strong emotional connection.

Gay Hints: The male customer rejecting the shirtless snow shovelers when they turn out to be kids. The Sleazy Guy in detention has sort of a femme presentation. One of the Dads could be read as gay.

What Have We Learned: According to Common Sense Media, we learn that failing is nothing to be ashamed of, parents are fallible, and cheating is wrong.