REVIEW: ‘Spoiler Alert’ earns all of its tears

Sprinkled liberally throughout the drama, pop culture references help us understand the characters and their places in the world.

Michael Ausiello (Jim Parsons), a reporter for TV Guide, is enmeshed in sitcoms and hardly the type of person who might fall for Kit Cowan, (Ben Aldridge), a free-spirited photographer. They meet, however, and discover differences make them compatible. Smurf collectibles aside, they make a good pair and think life will proceed without incident. Then, Kit is diagnosed with cancer and the two go on a journey that brings out the best in both of them.

When Cowan can’t get a bed at a hospital, Ausiello re-creates a scene from “Terms of Endearment” and Cowan calls him on it. It’s one of those little gems that makes this venture stand out.

Directed by Michael Showalter, “Spoiler Alert” is based on Ausiello’s memoir, a touching, funny look at the couple’s time together.

To seal the tearjerker deal, Sally Field plays Cowan’s mother, a driven runner who first has to accept her son’s relationship, then his diagnosis. She isn’t an easy mark, making “Spoiler Alert” realistic on a number of levels. Bill Irwin plays her husband, an amenable partner who just wants the best for his family.

Parsons narrates the story (as he does “Young Sheldon”) and keeps it on an even keel. Aldridge, though, is the real cog in this wheel. Charming, good-looking and willing to confront others, he’s just what you’d want in a partner. When he goes through the first throes of the illness, it’s felt. And when he realizes there may not be hope, he has a way of making the reality more than a little OK.

“You have to run the race in front of you,” Field says. And that’s what Aldridge does. He doesn’t overplay for sympathy. He takes one hurdle at a time and, considering the subject matter, admirably crosses the finish line.

When (spoiler alert) the two decide to get married, an episode of “Law & Order” is being shot near the courthouse. It’s the perfect referent for a story like this.

Fans of the book will realize there are hat-tips to many of Ausiello’s quirks. When he first comes to the writer’s apartment, Cowan is  taken aback by the number of Smurf things he owns. TV shows that cropped up during the relationship turn up on screen (including a clip from “Felicity,” which gets a shout-out, and “RuPaul’s Drag Race”). The little things matter.

Unlike “Bros,” which detailed another gay relationship, this one resonates because there are touchstones everyone can latch onto. It doesn’t make political statements. It presents the facts and lets you, the viewer, into Michael and Kit’s world.

While tears are inevitable (bring Kleenex), there’s something about the ending that suggests all is right in the world. That’s a rare conclusion to reach with an end-of-life drama but this one finds its sweet spot.

Like “Clouds,” a similar film, it says quality of life isn’t measured in years, but in moments.

“Spoiler Alert” has plenty of them.