Making Love

When released 24 years ago, critics dismissed this as a "mawkish soaper" and it was shunned at the box office due to its "controversial" subject matter. In reality, it is a well scripted, well acted, and more than competently directed film. Quite the opposite of a melodrama, Jackson, Ontkean, and Hamlin turn in subtle and richly textured performances. The screenplay is equally satisfying: tugging at your heartstrings without being overly sentimental or maudlin. Ontkean is "Zack" Elliott, a handsome young physician who has spent his life thus far as a compassionate and dedicated doctor, husband, and son. In all of his commitment to "do the right thing" he has been suppressing the fact that he is indeed gay. Because of his stalwart ethics, he comes to the realization that he can no longer deceive his devoted wife. Ontkean shines as a man who is overcome with internal turmoil, yet through the love for his wife, is determined to do what is best for her (more so than even himself). The precepts of self-sacrifice, honesty, and integrity in the Ontkean and Jackson characters is much of the appeal of the story. Jackson is convincing as Claire Elliott, the wife who, despite her initial feelings of anger and betrayal, experiences acceptance, understanding, and ultimately, unconditional love. An especially touching moment comes in the final scene when, despite her best efforts to be super human, she subtly reveals her sense of loss after a brief reunion with Zack. Hamlin is Bart, the openly gay, randy, self-involved West Hollywood habitué and Zack's first same-sex encounter. Through narration and in his intimate dialog with Zack, he, too, exposes his humanity, need for acceptance, and sense of loss at the foregone opportunity of a serious relationship with Zack. This is a surprisingly underrated landmark film in that it serves as a rare bridge between the pre-80's depiction of gay men as mincing, self-loathing social misfits and the heavy-handed political correctness of the marginalized "queer cinema" to follow. In contrast to today's movies, there is a near absence of trendy fashions, catch-phrases, soundtrack, and banal preachy social conceits of the moment. That's what sets this apart as an enduring film.

I saw this in its first limited release, in New York City with a group of gay friends, in February of 1982, on a Saturday night. The picture had been out for about a week, and everyone, I thought, knew what it was about. We saw it in a major East Side theater, the only one where it was being shown as I remember. Well, I was mistaken about the "informed" audience! This mixed, supposedly knowledgeable New York audience nearly rioted at the first on-screen kiss, discreetly photographed, in a darkened, shadowy corner of a room, in a long shot! The gays (including my group) were cheering and applauding, the older, presumably straight folks were screaming things like "How revolting!" and "Oh, my God!" as they bolted from the theater. This only increased at the second kiss, in close-up, a few moments later. I was never more astonished in my life! I just saw this again, after a long time. Dated though it is, I still felt the message was clear: be true to yourself. The final ironic shot says it all.

Saw this movie in 1982, and remember the gasps of the audience before half the theater left. Saw it again 4/24/2001 on Fox Movie, and was amazed at how relevent this movie still is, and how it anticpated the sensitivity which we now take for granted in the portrayal of homoerotic themes. My hats off to Barry Sandler and Arthur Hill for doing this way before it's time, and to Michael Otkean and Harry Hamlin for a willingness to take on the roles of two gay men way before the American public was ready to see it.

I love how people so eagerly show their prejudice by calling movies like this "gay propaganda." If anything, these folks do us a favor by exposing themselves so that those of us with brains in our heads can steer clear of them. If the purpose of this movie was to send a message, then that message was obviously this: Trust what's in your heart, and be true to yourself and the ones you love. Would love to see this little gem released onto DVD, maybe with some commentary. Playing a gay role in a motion picture required much more bravery from an actor in 1982 than it does today. It would be interesting to hear Michael Ontkean and Harry Hamlin give their perspective on this.

A happily married doctor (Michael Ontkean) realizes he has sexual feelings about men. One day he meets openly gay Bart (Harry Hamlin) and falls in love. Meanwhile his wife Claire (Kate Jackson) can't understand why her husband is suddenly so cold and distant. I saw this twice in a theatre back in 1982. I was a 20 year old closeted gay man seriously considering suicide. Basically this film saved my life. It portrayed gay men as sympathetic people--not victims or psychopaths or comic relief as other films did before this. This was a groundbreaker for Hollywood and, at first, did very well at the box office. And, unlike other posters, I never had any audience walk-outs when I saw it. I saw it at a theatre in Boston and there was dead silence throughout--and applause at the end. Then business fell off when word got out that this was boring. In some way it is--they go out of their way to please everybody--gays and straights. The film lacks an edge that could have made it stronger BUT (in 1982) Hollywood was very timid about this subject--this probably went as far as studio executives would allow it. Credit goes to Hamlin and Ontkean for playing gay characters (very rare in those days) and sharing a long passionate kiss together. Also they both gave good performances--especially Hamlin. The real surprise was Kate Jackson--she was INCREDIBLE in her role. When her husband comes out to her, her reaction is utterly believable and actually had me crying (the first time I saw it). It's kind of sad that people still think this is gay propaganda (as one poster here does). It's just a compelling drama about a man coming to grips with his sexual orientation. Seen today the movie may seem dated and WAY too timid, but this was the first major Hollywood film to deal realistically with gay men. That makes it a gay classic. I give it a 10.

I remember hearing about this film long before it came out. Living in a small eastern Ontario town in Canada in 1982 (a town with an army base no less) I thought that as much as I wanted to, my chances of seeing this film were pretty slim unless I could somehow make it to a big city. Finally, I lucked out and the film did come to our town as part of a double-bill along with Neil Simon's "I Ought To Be In Pictures". I remember watching as this movie (the second feature) started, and silence descended upon the entire theatre. You could have heard a pin drop. As the movie progressed and we got to the scene where Zack and Bart lovingly kiss for the first time there was pandemonium in the theatre. It seemed like half the audience got up. People were yelling abusive epithets at the screen and storming out of the theatre in droves. As a young man on the brink of committing suicide because of feelings I didn't understand and had no relation to -- this movie saved my life. For the first time in my life, after watching this film, I could identify with someone else, and I knew there were other people like me in this world. I thought then, and I think now, twenty-two years later, that all the people involved with this film took tremendous chances and showed great courage in seeing to it this movie was made. Say what you will about the soap opera type plot, and making the movie more palatable for mainstream tastes, the fact remains that this was in its time a ground-breaking film. I know many other people who have been profoundly touched by this film. Several years ago I ran a group for gay men in various stages of coming out. One night I showed them my own personal copy of this film. Nearly all who were viewing it for the first time were still totally mesmerized and awed by the courage shown by all involved with this film, particularly Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. Both of these actors were already popular established actors at the time this film was made, and both of them took tremendous risks with their careers by taking these parts. For a movie to actually show two men in a loving relationship, and to actually show two men kiss each other on the lips was amazingly brave. As was pointed out elsewhere on this board Tom Hanks and Antonio Banderas would not even kiss in the 'critically acclaimed' "Philadelphia", and that was many years later. Kate Jackson was fresh off "Charlie's Angels" when she took the part of Claire. Kate did a wonderful job in this film, and held her own against two powerful actors. Her powerful speech to her husband after he comes out to her gave many women the words to say to their husbands. All of these years later I don't think there is a finer 'coming out' film than "Making Love"!

I first saw this movie when I was 17. Back then I didn't know why I liked it so much. I watched it again recently and now I know, but the reason is different. I liked it back then because it was the only gay movie I knew about. When I think about the many gay movies I've seen since then, Making Love still holds its own after all these years. It is a very realistic depiction of what, no doubt, many couples have gone through. It doesn't sugar coat anything, and still it manages a happy ending. Rare for gay films of its time.

I saw this when it first came out. I was 20. I had never seen a film about gay men before - except Boys in the Band - on late nite TV. That film scared me. This one made me feel good and positive about myself. It is warm and sad and happy and realistic. (well if we were all successful LA tyes, anyway) Credit goes to Ontkean and Hamlin for taking on these roles at the time. Jackson is terrific. She has a scene in the phone with her estranged father that makes you realize why she was first choice for Joanna Kramer in Kramer vs Kramer. Wish this would come out on dvd.

While this movie evidently struck an important chord with many viewers who apparently saw it an impressionable point in their lives, in no way is it the ground-breaking achievement a lot of people now perceive it to be. More than ten years earlier, in 1971, the same sort of material was tackled in Sunday Bloody Sunday (starring Glenda Jackson and Peter Finch, both nominated for Oscars) with a far more realistic treatment of a gay-themed love triangle. In fact, two similar made-for-TV movies (yes, TV!) hit the small screen years before with stories of husbands and wives who realized they were gay--1972's movie That Certain Summer (w/ Hal Holbrook and Martin Sheen) and 1978's A Question of Love (w/ Gena Rowlands and Jane Alexander). Again, both of these acclaimed TV films were far more convincing than Making Love, which was widely dismissed by most reviewers as a glossy soap opera--and whose cast primarily was comprised of TV show recruits with not much to lose. Whatever else you think of this movie, hard to claim this day- late/dollar-short soaper was ahead of its time when an Oscar-nominated movie and two Emmy-nominated TV movies beat it to the punch by years.

This was the most impressive movie I had ever seen in my lifetime. As a young teenager, I fell in love with a gay man. I did not know he was gay until later (4yrs) into our 'fun' relationship. After all was said and done, I will still love him till I die. I eventually married a straight man. When I was divorced, we still hung around together all the time. He would tell me time and time again that he loved me and that I will always be his best friend, but it wouldn't be fair to marry me. Of course, still being naive' I couldn't really understand. When I was in my twenties, this movie came out. He called and said, "get your pants on, we're going to the movies!" I agreed. We got into the theater and he said, "You need to really pay attention to this movie. This is why I did not, will never and can not every marry you. I love you way too much to hurt you in this way. It wouldn't be fair to either of us. Well, I swallowed every word and every action in that movie and when it was over, I cried. I cried like a baby. I now knew all of it. I knew what he was struggling with in front of me (and his parents, siblings and classmates) all the time. I figured out he wasn't teasing me when he'd tell me that some guy had a nice backside. He was for real. I am so happy he took me to see Making Love. Well, he has since passed away and there is not a day that goes by that I don't think of him. I still love him for who he was and I always will. Excellent movie!