Longtime Companion (1989)

The emergence and devastation of the AIDS epidemic is chronicled in the lives of several gay men living during the 1980s.

Director:

Norman René

Writer:

Craig Lucas

Stars:

Patrick Cassidy, Stephen Caffrey, Bruce Davison

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Perhaps the first film to put a human face on the AIDS epidemic, Longtime Companion follows the lives of a small circle of friends from the first mention of the disease in the New York Times in 1981. First referred to as "Gay-Related-Immune-Disorder," we watch the effect of the disease as it devastates the lives of our protagonists. Jumping between Manhattan and Fire Island, vignettes carry us from the it-couldn't-happen-to-me mentality of the early days of the disease to the invasive effect it has had on all of our lives, today. The title of the film comes from the New York Times' refusal to acknowledge homosexual relationships in their obituary section during this period. Instead, survivors were referred to as "Longtime Companions" of the deceased.

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Plot Keywords:

disease | epidemic | aids | new york times | longtime companion | 

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Genres:

Drama | Romance

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Certificate:

R

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

1 May 1990 (Portugal)

Also Known As:

Juntos para siempre

Filming Locations:

Fire Island, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Gross:

$4,609,953 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse, Companion Productions, Samuel Goldwyn Company, The

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min 96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

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.

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Goofs

In the segment marked, "July 3, 1981," people dance to the song "Do You Want to Funk?", released by Sylvester in 1982.

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Quotes

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

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Connections

Referenced in Lie Down with Dogs (1995)

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Soundtracks

"Things That Dreams Are Made Of"
Written by Phil Oakey (as Philip Oakley) and Philip Adrian Wright (as Adrian Wright)
Performed by The Human League
Published by Virgin Music
Courtesy of A&M/Virgin Records

User Reviews

A milestone of gay cinema

A landmark film, not only in that it is the first film to deal with the AIDS crisis, but also in its portrayal of gay men and their friends. Sitting on the cusp between earlier depictions of gays as murderous or suicidal and later caricatures of funny, sexless "best friends", the men shown here are very real and very honest in their decade long struggle with death and illness. I defy you to watch Bruce Davison's heartbreaking farewell speech and not be choked up on some level of emotion. And Mary Louise Parker add a special touche. This movie has arguably the greatest final scene in gay cinema.