Initially conceived as a response to Hollywood's hypocritical reluctance to depict the AIDS crisis within mainstream cinema, "Longtime Companion" (1990) limped into production in 1989. Until the Samuel Goldwyn company bought worldwide distribution rights, most mainstream and independent distributors were disinclined to tackle a movie which concentrates exclusively on the devastating effects of AIDS on a group of middle-class gay men from the years 1981 to 1988.
Review
This movie was the first to ever really hit the nail on the head regarding the gay experience of AIDS in its earliest, scariest incarnations. Those of you who have lost friends to the first wave of the plague remember well the desperate sense of panic and confusion. The characters here are all well-played, and well-chosen/written. I think of this movie as a piece of history, sparingly written and filled with wit and humanity. Today when people are living longer, one can't help but ask "what if".
Movie Details
Starring: Patrick Cassidy, Stephen Caffrey
Director: Norman René
Format: Color, Closed-captioned, NTSC
Rated: R - Not for sale to persons under age 18.
Studio: Vidmark/Trimark
