Longtime Companion

"…a motion picture for everyone"

May 1 1990 R 1h 36m
Drama, Romance

During the summer of 1981, a group of friends in New York are completely unprepared for the onslaught of AIDS. What starts as a rumor about a mysterious "gay cancer" soon turns into a major crisis as, one by one, some of the friends begin to fall ill, leaving the others to panic about who will be next. As death takes its toll, the lives of these friends are forever redefined by an unconditional display of love, hope and courage.

Plot

Longtime Companion follows the lives of a small circle of friends from the first mention of the disease in the New York Times in 1981. First referred to as "Gay-Related-Immune-Disorder," we watch the effect of the disease as it devastates the lives of our protagonists. Jumping between Manhattan and Fire Island, vignettes carry us from the it-couldn't-happen-to-me mentality of the early days of the disease to the invasive effect it has had on all of our lives, today. The title of the film comes from the New York Times' refusal to acknowledge homosexual relationships in their obituary section during this period. Instead, survivors were referred to as "Longtime Companions" of the deceased.

Written by

Craig Lucas

Directed by

Norman René

Production Countries

United States of America

Production Companies

Companion Productions, American Playhouse, Samuel Goldwyn Company

Languages

English

Awards

Nominated for 1 Oscar. 6 wins & 6 nominations total

Scores
# of Votes
6,313
Average Rating
7.6 out of 10
Metascore
NA
Popularity
NA