An Early Frost (1985) (TV)

User Rating:

7.8/10   

Director:

John Erman

Writers:

Ron Cowen (writer)
Daniel Lipman (writer)

Release Date:

11 November 1985 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

Set in the mid-eighties Michael Pierson, a young gay man, is struck with AIDS in the prime of his life...

Plot Keywords:

AIDS | Gay | Death | Lawyer | Seizure

Awards:

Won Golden Globe. Another 7 wins & 12 nominations

Cast

Gena Rowlands	...	Katherine Pierson
Ben Gazzara	...	Nick Pierson
Sylvia Sidney	...	Beatrice McKenna
Aidan Quinn	...	Michael Pierson
D.W. Moffett	...	Peter Hilton
John Glover	...	Victor DiMato
Sydney Walsh	...	Susan Maracek
Terry O'Quinn	...	Dr. Redding
Bill Paxton	...	Bob Maracek
Cheryl Anderson	...	Christine
Christopher Bradley	...	Todd
Sue Ann Gilfillan	...	Nurse Lincoln
Don Hood	...	Dr. Gilbert
Barbara Hey	...	Meredith
Scott Jaeck	...	Phil

Runtime:

100 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16

Company:

NBC Productions

Trivia:

In the DVD commentary, Aidan Quinn (Michael) remembers that NBC's Standards and Practices department (the network censors) were a constant (in Quinn's words, "hovering") presence on the set. They regulated matters such as Quinn appearing in bed with D.W. Moffett (Peter)--they would not allow the two to be seen together in the characters' bed, only for Quinn to be in bed while Moffett sat, fully clothed, on its edge. Quinn says in the commentary that the censors were not only adamant that the two men were never allowed to kiss, but also that any physical contact between them had to be "balanced" by Michael's contact with his parents.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Practice: An Early Frost (#5.11)" (2001)

Still absorbing 23 years after it was released

It's hard to believe that 'An Early Frost' was made for TV in 1985. I watched it for the first time on 11 November 2008 - 23 years after it was released - and I found it surprisingly fresh and enduring. Although it's an important historic record of the early response to AIDS (and for that reason alone is worth watching) it's more an exploration of family love and courage. The script is well-written, production values are high and the acting is uniformly excellent. Sylvia Sidney won a Golden Globe for her part as the grandmother, but the other main actors including Aidan Quinn (as the young man suffering from AIDS), Ben Gazzara and Gena Rowlands (playing his parents) are all excellent. A very rewarding experience.