Longtime Companion (1990)

User Rating:

7.4/10   

Director:

Norman René

Writer:

Craig Lucas (written by)

Release Date:

21 September 1990 (UK)

Genre:

Drama | Romance

Plot:

Perhaps the first film to put a human face on the AIDS epidemic, Longtime Companion follows the lives...

Plot Keywords:

Disease | New York Times | Longtime Companion | Obituary | Fire Island

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 6 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Campbell Scott	...	Willy
Patrick Cassidy	...	Howard
John Dossett	...	Paul
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Lisa
Stephen Caffrey	...	Fuzzy
Tanya Berezin	...	Office Manager
Welker White	...	Rochelle
Michael Piontek	...	Office Worker
Joyce Reehling	...	Office Worker
Bruce Davison	...	David
Mark Lamos	...	Sean
Dermot Mulroney	...	John
Michael Schoeffling	...	Michael
Brian Cousins	...	Bob
Marceline Hugot	...	Soap Opera Reader

Runtime:

96 min (approx)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 | Iceland:L | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M | Finland:K-14 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Fire Island, Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

American Playhouse

Trivia:

The title refers to the only way that newspapers at the time would allow a gay man's lover to be listed in an obituary.

Goofs:

Factual errors: In the movie, July 3, 1981 is shown to be a Sunday: everyone is reading the news about a new cancer among gay men and they're doing so in the Times Sunday paper. In fact, July 3, 1981 was a Friday.

Quotes:

Michael: I love my ears. I love my nose. I love myself.

Movie Connections:

References "Dynasty" (1981)

Soundtrack:

Things That Dreams Are Made Of

Compact, straightforward drama with an extremely rich and emotional finale

Craig Lucas adapted his own play about the confusion and panic over the on-set of the AIDS disease in the early 1980s, as seen through the lives of a circle of gay men in New York. Lucas dives headfirst into the story with minimal introductions, pinpointing the initial awareness of AIDS and the different reactions to personal crises; he doesn't get into the anger--the rage--of the illness, but instead focuses on the quiet sorrow, giving the film a somewhat soft, blurry edge (it isn't a preachy film, which is good, but neither it is gripping). The wonderful cast of actors (with kudos to Mary-Louise Parker as the proverbial indefatigable gal-pal) provides warmth and emotion even as Lucas' screenplay takes curious short-cuts. The early scenes aren't shaped, and much of the handling seems static. However, as we come to know these men, the picture's obvious good-intentions give way to moving human drama, leading to a conclusion which transcends sentiment. It's a sure-footed sequence, exceptionally well done. *** from ****