Longtime Companion
1990 Directed by Norman René
Synopsis
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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Mere, necessary depiction makes it a product of its time, which is probably why the "we've arrived" of the last scene, with references to ACT-UP, perhaps feels like the most awkward, dated moment, even compared to the earlier discussions about whether AIDS -- actually GRID, back then -- might be the result of amyl nitrate use. Still, "mere depiction" of vibrant, young men losing 60 percent, 70 percent, even 80 percent of their closest friends to a disease the U.S. Government didn't care enough to mention by name (as Mary-Louise Parker's character calls, without hyperbole, "the worst thing in our lifetime") is still pretty militant.
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Good film, it addresses the subject matter accurately for the time frame it's set in.
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A deeply moving, well-acted ensemble film. A magnificent Campbell Scott leads a great cast, touchingly. Bruce Davison is excellent in a tough role and Dermot Mulroney is well-cast. It feels dated but in 1990 this film was indeed an important and timely film. I can't imagine having lived through this horrific time period. Great film.
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Mere, necessary depiction makes it a product of its time, which is probably why the "we've arrived" of the last scene, with references to ACT-UP, perhaps feels like the most awkward, dated moment, even compared to the earlier discussions about whether AIDS -- actually GRID, back then -- might be the result of amyl nitrate use. Still, "mere depiction" of vibrant, young men losing 60 percent, 70 percent, even 80 percent of their closest friends to a disease the U.S. Government didn't care enough to mention by name (as Mary-Louise Parker's character calls, without hyperbole, "the worst thing in our lifetime") is still pretty militant.
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fuzzy: what do you think happens when we die?
willie: we get to have sex again... i hope.the movie that put a face to the AIDS epidemic. sad, charming, and beautiful.
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For a film about aids, I think it's very uplifting.
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Heart breaking account of several years in the lives of a group of friends. The reason you watch this film is for the performance of Bruce Davison. It's magic.