Parting Glances

Parting Glances is a 1986 American drama film. With its realistic look at urban gay life in the Ronald Reagan era and at the height of the AIDS crisis, many film critics consider it an important film in the history of gay cinema. It was also one of the first American films to address the AIDS pandemic. First-time director Bill Sherwood died of complications due to AIDS in 1990 without ever completing another film.

Parting Glances
Film poster
Directed byBill Sherwood
Produced byNancy Greenstein
Paul L. Kaplan
Yoram Mandel
Arthur Silverman
Written byBill Sherwood
StarringRichard Ganoung
John Bolger
Steve Buscemi
Adam Nathan
Kathy Kinney
Patrick Tull
Production
company
Rondo Productions
Distributed byCinecom Pictures
Release date
  • February 19, 1986 (1986-02-19)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Description

The story revolves around a gay male couple, Robert and Michael, in their late 20s, living in New York City. Robert (John Bolger) is leaving for two years on a work assignment in Africa while his partner, Michael (Richard Ganoung), stays behind. Michael's ex-boyfriend, Nick (Steve Buscemi), for whom Michael cooks, looks after and still loves, has AIDS.

Parting Glances follows a 24-hour period with scenes taking place at a farewell party for Robert hosted by the couple's friend, Joan (Kathy Kinney), and at a dinner party hosted by Robert's employer, Cecil (Patrick Tull), and his wife, Betty (Yolande Bavan), who have an unconventional marriage.

While classified as a drama, the film also contains many comedic moments. Critics praised the movie's witty, realistic dialogue and detailed evocation of gay and gay-friendly urbanites in 1980s Manhattan. Parting Glances was also one of the earlier motion pictures to deal frankly and realistically with the subject of AIDS and the impact of the relatively new disease on the gay community. In one scene, Nick talks fondly of the 1970s and early 1980s era of decadence to a younger, college-aged gay man.

The film's soundtrack includes Bronski Beat songs "Love and Money," "Smalltown Boy" and "Why."

Cast
  • Richard Ganoung as Michael
  • John Bolger as Robert
  • Steve Buscemi as Nick
  • Adam Nathan as Peter
  • Kathy Kinney as Joan
  • Patrick Tull as Cecil
  • Yolande Bavan as Betty
  • Andre Morgan as Terry
  • Richard Wall as Douglas
  • Jim Selfe as Douglas's Sidekick
  • Kristin Moneagle as Sarah
  • John Siemens as Dave
  • Bob Koherr (credited as Bob Kohrherr) as Sam
  • Theodore Ganger as Klaus
  • Nada as Liselotte

Preservation and restoration

In 2006, Outfest and the UCLA Film and Television Archive announced that the film would be the first to be restored as a part of the Outfest Legacy Project.

On Monday, July 16, 2007 as a part of the Outfest Legacy Project, a restored print of Parting Glances received its world premiere at the Director's Guild of America in Los Angeles. The four major stars of the film, Richard Ganoung, John Bolger, Steve Buscemi and Kathy Kinney, were in attendance and participated in a panel discussion after the viewing.

The restoration print received its New York City premiere on October 29, 2007 at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts.

Reviews and recognition

Parting Glances gave Steve Buscemi his first major movie role. "It is to both his and the film's credit," wrote Janet Maslin in her New York Times review, "that the anguish of AIDS is presented as part of a larger social fabric, understood in context, and never in a maudlin light."[1] Time Out London wrote “Sherwood brings a notable grace and droll humour to his story of two male lovers parting against the backdrop of a friend dying of the Big A.”[2]

gollark: The announcement I read just said "not this academic year".
gollark: It's been kind of unclear.
gollark: If they use my mock exam grades I'll probably be fine, but I have no idea how it's actually meant to work consistently.
gollark: How do predicted grades actually work? Do they just hope schools won't manipulate them somehow?
gollark: Apparently, yes, after Friday.

See also
  • List of lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender-related films

References
  1. Maslin, Janet (February 19, 1986). "NY Times Review, Screen: A couple's Parting Glances". The New York Times. Retrieved January 16, 2006.
  2. Alexander Ryll. "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, Parting Glaces". Gay Essential. Retrieved February 7, 2015.
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