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Parting Glances

Parting Glances
Parting glances (1984 film) poster.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Bill Sherwood
Produced by Nancy Greenstein
Paul L. Kaplan
Yoram Mandel
Arthur Silverman
Written by Bill Sherwood
Starring Richard Ganoung
John Bolger
Steve Buscemi
Adam Nathan
Kathy Kinney
Patrick Tull
Production
company
Rondo Productions
Distributed by Cinecom Pictures
Release date
  • February 19, 1986 (1986-02-19)
Running time
90 minutes
Country United States
Language English

Parting Glances is an American film shot in 1984 and released in 1986. 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 movie 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.

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 then 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.

Bronski Beat songs "Love and Money," "Smalltown Boy" and "Why" are included in the film.


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