Making Love

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.

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"!

Although the film "Making Love"(1982) was done over 20 years ago, I felt than and still feel today that it delivers one of the best and strongest messages about gays and lesbians in our society; a message that unfortunately more people need to 'get', even today. The film explores not only the idea of an individual coming to grips with his true sexuality, but provides the viewer with reasons why. It does an excellent job of depicting not only Zack's 'coming out', but the emotional stages both he and Claire go through before,during and afterwards.

There were a few weak mini-scenes, segue ways into bigger more important scenes that would of, or rather could of been done better; but when one sees this film today, one must take into account that this was still a rather taboo subject and not many people, including gays and lesbians were talking about. I strongly suggest seeing this film on video; it has an excellent message, not only about 'homosexual love', but about 'loving another person',period!

MAKING LOVE was dismissed as a rather routine melodrama despite its "controversial" subject. This is a pity, for this film is years ahead of its time in the frank and non-judgmental approach it takes to same-sex love. The on-screen kiss between Michael Ontkean and Harry Hamlin was in some ways the "shot heard round the world;" although not sexually explicit, this movie has clear and frank lovemaking scenes between the two men. This has yet to be duplicated in a mainstream Hollywood film; eleven years after MAKING LOVE, Hollywood gave us PHILADELPHIA, a "groundbreaking" film in which the lovers don't even kiss! This is progress?

Unappreciated in its time, MAKING LOVE has held up surprisingly well. Yes, it is a rather routine romance; except for the gender-switch, there isn't much here that is new or unusual. Yet, oddly, this is exactly what makes this film so appealing. Homosexuality is not seen as a problem except where it coincidentally creates one; the love triangle is handled in almost exactly the same way it would be if the husband had an affair with a woman. The stars are attractive and sympathetic and all give extremely appealing and deeply felt performances. If you saw it in 1982, it's worth a second (even third) look. If you've never seen it, it's a treat.

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.