Partners

This 46-year-old, (now 47-year-old) lifelong gay native of Fort Worth saw this movie when I was 21 years old. I liked it and I didn't like it even then. Gay what? What is 'gay'? Anyway, I enjoyed many things about this movie just as much as I could complain about just as many more that I didn't like. I think that John Hurt and Ryan O'Neil deserved to be shown better than they were shown in "Partners."

WARNING: What follows is a big rambling digression from my "Partners" comments. (Updated by original poster on Dec. 30, 2008)

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I had seen the movie "Ode To Billie Joe" with my gay parent and my straight sister when it first came out in 1976. We all had known gay people for many years. In those days, the idea of being 'gay' was still kept private and only spoken of in close circles. Times were evolving then, just as they are still evolving now.

In my experience back in those days, one's own "gayness" was not talked about openly unless they had a desire to tell their story on Television. In the early to mid 1970s a lot of different kinds of people wanted to be on TV or something like that. I do admire those early open pioneers.

Back in the day I remember that 'gayness' (whatever that means) was respected by those who matter. Nobody ever had to make an issue of it, just as I have never done.

Neither my gay parent nor I or anybody else cared to talk about our personal business, and it was good in a way and it still is.

I had always loved the Bobbie Gentry song that inspired the movie since it was released in 1968. I had to see this movie, of course.

I rather understood the idea of Billy Joe's situation and that of the other characters because the story was told from a 1950's rural Mississippi perspective. Later in my life, it was suggested that the end was the particularly offensive part because of a line that was spoken by one of the main characters, and I still agree with that observation. (Though, if the viewer takes into account the locale and time period of the story, the line is actually respectful of the person considering the place and time)

Over My 46 years I've seen a lot of movies with gay characters and the only one I ever respected for that effort is "Victor/Victoria" (1982).

I didn't care too much for "The Birdcage" (1996) in spite of the talented people that participated in the making of the movie. I despised Nathan Lane's character (though Lane later redeemed himself as a gay/?/ man in the cable series "Sex And The City"). To me, the only good thing about "The Birdcage" was Gene Hackman's stellar performance as the conservative U.S. Senator.

In 1973 a wise women said: "Everybody thinks and feels differently as the years go by, don't they"

John Martin, 46, Fort Worth, Texas

Stereotypes, how does anyone get them. I've met men and women throughout my life and around the world whom were either shy closet types you'd never know existed, or standing up waving a flag obvious, and everything in between. Some have noted the movie is anti-gay, guess it depends on your attitude and who's watching it, just like anything else. I didn't think it was. To me the movie was a comedy about two reluctant cops balking at crossing orientation lines. And they find out they can work together just fine, co- exist, and the orientation lines blur a bit. I'd tell you my favorite scenes but that would ruin the movie. And except for a guy who's flamboyancy preceded him (funny as hell too), and the guy that used to come to the grocery store in paint, heels, and purse, most of the obvious stereotype stuff is kept indoors in my opinion.

This is a funny and entertaining movie that I went looking for again to add to my collection. If your not afraid of the flamboyant stereotypes and have an open mind you're going to love this movie.

PARTNERS (3+ outta 5 stars) Very funny movie... I guess you could basically call it the situation comedy version of "Cruising". In the Al Pacino role of the reluctant undercover cop who has to pretend to be gay is Ryan O'Neal. He is teamed up with Kerwin, an actual gay man (John Hurt) who will help them gain legitimacy as they move into LA's gay community to search for a killer. O'Neal does a nice, light comedy job (and even gets to show off some naked tush) but Hurt really gives this movie some heart as it becomes more and more obvious that he is starting to have tender feelings for his hetero partner. For the life of me I can't understand how people have gotten the idea that this is an ANTI-gay movie? Sure, some the attitudes towards homosexuals and the jokes directed at them are offensive at times... but the movie makes it clear that the people making those remarks are in the wrong! The film's sympathies are definitely with Hurt and not with the gay-bashing cops and their snide comments. As a police story or a mystery the movie is only so-so... but as a smile-inducing buddy movie it hits the bullseye. Scripted and produced by Francis Veber, who created "La Cage Aux Folles" and many other similarly-themed movies in France. The direction might be a little crude and uninspired, but the movie's heart is in the right place.

Here's a gay-themed action-comedy that even the gay community has thankfully forgotten, an appalling, tangled mess involving two male Los Angeles police detectives (one straight, one gay) posing as lovers in order to track down a killer of homosexuals. You have to commend Ryan O'Neal, he gives this one-joke affair his best shot; but poor John Hurt (the most sullen gay character ever!) sluggishly performs as if against his will. The plot is promising--it might've been a sharp satire of "Cruising" had the handling been a bit more nimble. But "Partners" has the patched-together feel of too many different hands, and the laziness of the writing and directing sinks the idea almost completely. Sniggering jokes, embarrassing and half-hearted sentiment, and a plea for the understanding of the gay minority turns this tale into one swishy stew. *1/2 from ****

Eccentric misfire comedy about a macho cop teamed with a meek desk-bound police officer and sent undercover as a gay couple to find the murderer of gay male models. O'Neal's subsequent appearance in full leathers while Hurt's character fusses around the apartment in pink T-shirt and cargo pants provides endless mirth.

Fans of O'Neal's manly physique will not be disappointed, but the coy jokes built on his character's awkwardness at being thrust into the gay scene are not very funny. The murder mystery aspect of the plot is the best thing about the film but it is constantly undermined by the film's habit of switching back into comedy mode whenever the suspense starts the build. And then as if that isn't bad enough, they slot in some cute and thoughtful scenes just to show us that O'Neal's character really is a caring guy after all. Then, despite the fact we have already met his girlfriend, he is straight to bed with whatever woman happens to cross his path.

The general story is also quite sloppy. Characters are introduced then disappear having fulfilled no greater function than to be the butt of a joke. The effeminate motel owner, Benson's original girlfriend, and the caftan-wearing landlord are given big introductions and then disappear.

Since Australian TV soap operas like 'Number 96', 'The Box', 'Prisoner' had been filled with positive gay and lesbian characters in the preceding decade this film wasn't even that groundbreaking at the time.