The film centers on a lesbian high school student fighting for the right to attend prom with her girlfriend. It portrays LGBTQ+ characters with dignity and agency, framing societal prejudice as an external obstacle. The narrative champions acceptance and celebrates queer love, culminating in an affirming resolution.

The character Mrs. Greene, originally portrayed by a white actress in the Broadway musical, is depicted by a Black actress in the film adaptation. This constitutes a race swap for a significant character.

The film's narrative clearly endorses progressive family values by celebrating alternative family structures and relationships, specifically normalizing same-sex partnerships and critiquing traditional community norms that oppose them.

The film critiques the exclusionary and hypocritical actions of characters who invoke conservative Christian beliefs to justify discrimination against a lesbian student. The narrative unequivocally condemns this bigotry, aligning with universal values of love and acceptance, thereby affirming a more inclusive understanding of faith.