Torch Song Trilogy (1988)

Tony Award-winning actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein re-creates his role as the unsinkable Arnold Beckoff in this film adaptation of the smash Broadway play TORCH SONG TRILOGY. A very ... See full summary »

Director:

Paul Bogart

Writers:

Harvey Fierstein (play), Harvey Fierstein (screenplay)

Stars:

Anne Bancroft, Matthew Broderick, Harvey Fierstein

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Anne Bancroft	...	Ma Beckoff
Matthew Broderick	...	Alan Simon
Harvey Fierstein	...	Arnold Beckoff
Brian Kerwin	...	Ed Reese
Karen Young	...	Laurel
Eddie Castrodad	...	David
Ken Page	...	Murray
Charles Pierce	...	Bertha Venation
Axel Vera	...	Marina Del Rey
Benji Schulman	...	Young Arnold Beckoff
Nick Montgomery	...	Chorus Boy #1
Robert Neary	...	Chorus Boy #2
Kim Clark	...	Female Bar Patron #1
Stephanie Penn	...	Female Bar Patron #2
Geoffrey Harding	...	Man with Lighter

Storyline

Tony Award-winning actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein re-creates his role as the unsinkable Arnold Beckoff in this film adaptation of the smash Broadway play TORCH SONG TRILOGY. A very personal story that is both funny and poignant, TORCH SONG TRILOGY chronicles a New Yorker's search for love, respect and tradition in a world that seems not especially made for him. From Arnold's hilarious steps toward domestic bliss with a reluctant school teacher, to his first truly promising love affair with a young fashion model, Arnold's greatest challenge remains his complicated relationship with his mother. But armed with a keenly developed sense of humor and oftentimes piercing wit, Arnold continues to test the commonly accepted terms of endearment--and endurance--in a universally affecting story that confirms that happiness is well worth carrying a torch for.

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Plot Keywords:

tearjerker | gay kiss | homosexuality | gay bar | new york city | 

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Taglines:

It takes a lot of guts and a helluva sense of humor to live life in Arnold's shoes.

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Hebrew

Release Date:

14 December 1988 (USA)

Also Known As:

Das Kuckucksei

Filming Locations:

Denville, New Jersey, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$4,865,997 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Line Cinema, Howard Gottfried/Ronald K. Fierstein Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

120 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The farm scene was filmed at the Knuth Farm in Denville, NJ.

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Quotes

Laurel: [attempting to make polite conversation] So, Arnold, Ed tells me you're a transsexual?

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Connections

Referenced in Rescued from the Closet (2001)

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Soundtracks

"'S Wonderful"
Music by George Gershwin
Lyrics by Ira Gershwin
Performed by Joe Williams with Count Basie and His Orchestra

User Reviews

Preaching to the Converted, but How Sweet it Is

TST is like Harvey Fierstein himself: you love it or you loathe it; I love it. Preachy and heavy-handed as "Torch" is at times, it's also a brilliant, hilarious, and truly heartfelt look at how gay men love each other and their families. Arnold Beckoff, like Harvey, apologizes to no one for who and what he his, and his pride is infectious. And Matthew Broderick, as Arnold's model lover, has never been more appealing.