The Fifty Greatest Gay Movies!

11. Longtime Companion (1990)

By the late 1980s, Hollywood, like the American political establishment, had still barely acknowledged the tragedy of AIDS. So playwright Craig Lucas and his directing partner the late Norman René took matters into their own hands (with help from PBS’ American Playhouse), moving heaven and earth to cast and finance this movie chronicling the impact of AIDS on a group of gay New York men throughout the 80s.

If the film was going to have any impact at all, it had a very fine needle to thread — telling a story that would be accessible to a broad audience about a topic that was still extremely controversial. But all doubts were immediately erased by this tender, sensitive story that finally put a human face on AIDS. Bruce Davison’s incredible performance as a man caring for his dying partner was Oscar-nominated. And the film’s ending on the beach, as three surviving characters imagine a world where AIDS has ended and all the main characters have been brought back to life, is still one of the most heart-rending in all of filmdom.

12. Torch Song Trilogy (1988)

In 1988, Harvey Fierstein adapted for the movies his landmark Tony-award winning play about gay life in the 70s. Matthew Broderick, who had originated the role of Fierstein’s adopted son David, was cast as Fierstein’s partner Alan. Meanwhile, Anne Bancroft at her scene-chewing best replaced Estelle Getty, who had played Fierstein’s mother in the Off-Broadway and Broadway productions. The result isn’t just a surprisingly successful (and amazingly faithful) adaptation of the play; it’s a slice of gay history preserved forever on celluloid. “A thing of beauty is a joy till sunrise,” Arnold says wryly, but this movie has been a beauty a lot longer than that.

13. My Beautiful Laundrette (1985)

Some movies are released; others explode into the world, crackling with creativity and audaciousness. My Beautiful Laundrette was just such a movie, highlighting the bold new talents of director Stephen Frears, actor Daniel Day-Lewis, and screenwriter Hanif Kureishi. Of all the movies on this list, this might be the least overtly “gay.” Instead, it’s more a movie about racism and Margaret Thatcher’s economic policies in the U.K.

The gay element, even its gay sensuality, is presented in a remarkably matter-of-fact way, which is part of why the film seemed so bold and refreshing at the time. Like Beautiful Thing, My Beautiful Laundrette was originally a television movie, but there was just no containing this cinematic wonder on the small screen. And how often had we seen gay people of color on film before this movie?

14. Parting Glances (1986)

How’s this for cinema verite? In 1986, when almost every other feature filmmaker was staying far away from AIDS, and when television was talking about AIDS only as it relates to straight people, writer-director Bill Sherwood released this intimate, low-budget film about the disease’s impact on gay men. Made for a mere $310,000 back when the cost of basic filmmaking was much higher, Parting Glances tells the story of a group of gay men over a single 24-hour period; one of the men, a rock star dying of AIDS, is played by Steve Buscemi in his much-heralded film debut. Sherwood wrote other screenplays, but none were ever produced, and he died of AIDS in 1990. Still, by daring to go where other filmmakers would not, Sherwood earned a pivotal place in the history of gay cinema; Parting Glances was recently named one of the first two films to be restored by the Outfest Legacy Project for the LGBT Film Preservation Partnership

15. Just a Question of Love (2000)

This thoughtful 2000 family drama first aired on French TV. In it, Laurent is gay, but he doesn’t dare tell his parents; after all, he loves them deeply, and when his cousin came out only the year before, they completely rejected him. What difference does coming out make anyway? Laurent’s not in love with anyone, and he’s got his female friend Carole who acts as his cover. But then Laurent meets hunky Cedric, who comes from a family where everyone thinks it’s healthy to be honest and open. Suddenly everyone wants Laurent to come out, and he’s not sure he can handle the pressure. What is more important — duty to one’s parents or love for one’s partner? The answer might be complicated, but it’s ultimately still just a question of love.