Making Love (1982)

User Rating:

6.5/10   

Director:

Arthur Hiller

Writers:

A. Scott Berg (story)
Barry Sandler (writer)

Release Date:

5 March 1982 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

A successful young L.A. doctor and his equally successful television-producer wife find their happily-ever-after...

Plot Keywords:

Love | Gay Interest | Homosexual | Coming Out | Unfaithful Husband

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe.

Cast

Michael Ontkean	...	Zach Elliot
Kate Jackson	...	Claire Elliott
Harry Hamlin	...	Bart McGuire
Wendy Hiller	...	Winnie Bates
Arthur Hill	...	Henry
Nancy Olson	...	Christine
John Dukakis	...	Tim
Terry Kiser	...	Harrington
Dennis Howard	...	Larry
Asher Brauner	...	Ted
John Calvin	...	David
Gwen Arner	...	Alrene
Gary Swanson	...	Ken
Anne Haney	...	Lila (as Ann Harvey)
Stanley Kamel	...	Charlie

Runtime:

113 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Certification:

UK:18 | Australia:M | Finland:K-16 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

IndieProd Company Productions

Trivia:

Goldie Hawn turned down the role of Claire, fearing that too much of the dramatic subject matter would have to be altered to fit her comic talents and fan base.

Quotes:

Claire: Crepe paper is a bitch to tear.

Movie Connections:

References Roman Holiday (1953)

Soundtrack:

The Goodbye Look

A gay classic

A happily married doctor (Michael Ontkean) realizes he has sexual feelings about men. One day he meets openly gay Bart (Harry Hamlin) and falls in love. Meanwhile his wife Claire (Kate Jackson) can't understand why her husband is suddenly so cold and distant.

I saw this twice in a theatre back in 1982. I was a 20 year old closeted gay man seriously considering suicide. Basically this film saved my life. It portrayed gay men as sympathetic people--not victims or psychopaths or comic relief as other films did before this.

This was a groundbreaker for Hollywood and, at first, did very well at the box office. And, unlike other posters, I never had any audience walk-outs when I saw it. I saw it at a theatre in Boston and there was dead silence throughout--and applause at the end. Then business fell off when word got out that this was boring. In some way it is--they go out of their way to please everybody--gays and straights. The film lacks an edge that could have made it stronger BUT (in 1982) Hollywood was very timid about this subject--this probably went as far as studio executives would allow it.

Credit goes to Hamlin and Ontkean for playing gay characters (very rare in those days) and sharing a long passionate kiss together. Also they both gave good performances--especially Hamlin. The real surprise was Kate Jackson--she was INCREDIBLE in her role. When her husband comes out to her, her reaction is utterly believable and actually had me crying (the first time I saw it).

It's kind of sad that people still think this is gay propaganda (as one poster here does). It's just a compelling drama about a man coming to grips with his sexual orientation.

Seen today the movie may seem dated and WAY too timid, but this was the first major Hollywood film to deal realistically with gay men. That makes it a gay classic. I give it a 10.