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:

Stephen Caffrey, Patrick Cassidy, Brian Cousins

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 6 wins & 5 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 | aids | new york times | longtime companion | epidemic | 

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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:

Dugogodišnji prijatelj

Filming Locations:

Fire Island, Long Island, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,609,953

Company Credits

Production Co:

American Playhouse,Companion Productions,The Samuel Goldwyn Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the poster art and DVD cover, the image of the guys walking on the beach has been altered - some might say censored. In the scene where the poster/cover image is taken from in the movie, the character "Fuzzy" is wearing an ACT-UP t-shirt that depicts two sailors kissing with the tag line that read "Read My Lips", a play on then President Bush's "Read My Lips, No New Taxes" slogan. In the cover art, the t-shirt graphic has been removed so that he only has a blank white t-shirt now. In the film scene, in contrast to the poster scene, "Fuzzy" also has shaved off his beard.

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Goofs

In the opening scene set in July 1981, a character plays a tape of The Human League's song "The Things That Dreams Are Made Of". However, this song was not released until October 1981 when it appeared on the band's album "Dare".

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Quotes

Bartender: What do you want?
John: I'll have the sweat of that hairy man's brow, thank you.

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Connections

Referenced in Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Creeping Terror (1994)

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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

Well acted film on A.I.D.S.

Following in the footsteps of AN EARLY FROST, here is yet another film with an AIDS theme to reckon with. Unlike FORST [which actually dealt with a gay couple and their parents] this deals with the gay community and several lover relationships. What I like about this film, and I did like FROST, was the honesty in telling the story of relationships. We are introduced to a group of gay friends and their mates, who spend much time together in vacationing on Fire Island, the gay resort, and in the hospital visitng each other when stricken with the unknown disease that has become a plague amongst us today. The actors brought their own individual depth to each character. I couldn't find a bad performance in the lot. Notably Bruce Davison stands out. He brings such an understanding and compassion to his work. You really believe him as he becomes his partner's companion in the last days of his life. The scene when he tells him it's okay to leave, was awesome. How can you separate the good actors from acknowledgement. Campbell Scott and Stephen Caffrey, Patrick Cassidy [and that famous kissing scene on the soap he was acting in] gave such a wonderful scene when he's in his lover's hospital room and begins to break down. The face of his lover as he listens to him cry broke my heart. John Dossett, Mark Lamos and Dermot Mulroney [and I'm not sure what actor played what role] all gave so much honesty to their work. A great ensemble of players, a delicate and honest script about a controversial disease that has by this time taken the lives of millions of young people [gay and straight], excellent direction and well photographed, I highly recommend this to everybody to see. You'll come away with a different attitude about not only gay life, but the killing disease.