Making Love (1982) - 1982 was a banner year for Hollywood's coming out party, so to speak. No fewer than four films with prominent gay themes or subplots were released by the major studios including Making Love, Victor Victoria, Personal Best and Partners. Making Love was the only one in which the main plot was the coming out of a man, the main character of the story, and in 1982 suffered the consequences of an unaccepting public, and unaccepting film critics.
I watched Making Love at the theater upon its release in 1982. I went to see it because Kate Jackson was in it, having been a fan of Charlie's Angels as any teenage boy of the time would have been. I didn't read any reviews and was completely ignorant of what the movie was about. It was slowly sinking in this was not a love triangle between Kate Jackson's character and two guys.
When Michael Ontkean's and Harry Hamlin's first onscreen kiss happened, the theater erupted. Some guy several rows behind me shouted some now forgotten expletive as he launched his large soft drink at the screen, ice and cola splattering on the upper right -hand side of the screen and running down the length. The lights came on as probably one third of the audience left the theater; I guess in the few days the movie had played there they had gotten used to such reactions. At the time I laughed at the audience's reaction though I stayed and got to see a wonderful movie, even with the stain on the screen throughout.
Unfortunately, at the time, many film critics, though they may have stayed for the movie, just as much walked out with that one third of the audience in their minds. If you think that is an overstatement, just consider the national film critic consensus for the movie according to Rotten Tomatoes at just under one third approval rating as compared with the IMDb general audience rating of just over two thirds approval.
I can't say what the perspective of a reviewer with a homosexual viewpoint might be, but the clearly negative film critic, to be read as heterosexual, response strikes me as more boys club gay jokes than honest critique. Despite Rotten Tomatoes having a usually dependable cross-section of opinion from knowledgeable film critics, the 31% average score on their site for this film clearly, in my opinion only, shows a conservative stuck in the Reagan 80s bias of film critics, which as a movie reviewer is embarrassing. While the IMDb audience rating comes in at 68% showing a more progressive and socially conscious contemporary audience as contrasted with film critics.
In all fairness to Rotten Tomatoes and more contemporary film critics, there are only 16 critic reviews for the film on Rotten Tomatoes, with many written when this was released to the theater in 1982; and many of those lead to error pages as they are no longer valid links. Their average might be representative of a 1980s opinion and a conservative white opinion but it sure is not representative of more contemporary and progressive critical or public opinion. Perhaps Rotten Tomatoes might want to incorporate a better system when it comes to legacy films that doesn't rate them based on outdated viewpoints that are most definitely entrenched in their time.
I watched Making Love at the theater upon its release in 1982. I went to see it because Kate Jackson was in it, having been a fan of Charlie's Angels as any teenage boy of the time would have been. I didn't read any reviews and was completely ignorant of what the movie was about. It was slowly sinking in this was not a love triangle between Kate Jackson's character and two guys.
When Michael Ontkean's and Harry Hamlin's first onscreen kiss happened, the theater erupted. Some guy several rows behind me shouted some now forgotten expletive as he launched his large soft drink at the screen, ice and cola splattering on the upper right -hand side of the screen and running down the length. The lights came on as probably one third of the audience left the theater; I guess in the few days the movie had played there they had gotten used to such reactions. At the time I laughed at the audience's reaction though I stayed and got to see a wonderful movie, even with the stain on the screen throughout.
Unfortunately, at the time, many film critics, though they may have stayed for the movie, just as much walked out with that one third of the audience in their minds. If you think that is an overstatement, just consider the national film critic consensus for the movie according to Rotten Tomatoes at just under one third approval rating as compared with the IMDb general audience rating of just over two thirds approval.
I can't say what the perspective of a reviewer with a homosexual viewpoint might be, but the clearly negative film critic, to be read as heterosexual, response strikes me as more boys club gay jokes than honest critique. Despite Rotten Tomatoes having a usually dependable cross-section of opinion from knowledgeable film critics, the 31% average score on their site for this film clearly, in my opinion only, shows a conservative stuck in the Reagan 80s bias of film critics, which as a movie reviewer is embarrassing. While the IMDb audience rating comes in at 68% showing a more progressive and socially conscious contemporary audience as contrasted with film critics.
In all fairness to Rotten Tomatoes and more contemporary film critics, there are only 16 critic reviews for the film on Rotten Tomatoes, with many written when this was released to the theater in 1982; and many of those lead to error pages as they are no longer valid links. Their average might be representative of a 1980s opinion and a conservative white opinion but it sure is not representative of more contemporary and progressive critical or public opinion. Perhaps Rotten Tomatoes might want to incorporate a better system when it comes to legacy films that doesn't rate them based on outdated viewpoints that are most definitely entrenched in their time.
Interestingly if this had been a story about a woman coming out and her lesbian lover, not only would that one third of the audience not walked out but I wouldn't be writing this commentary. If you think that is bunk, Personal Best was also released in 1982, and though the homosexual element of the story is secondary to the competition main story, it is a story about two women who develop a romantic relationship. On Rotten Tomatoes it has a 77% approval rating. There are a few more recent reviews out of the 22 reviews as compared to Making Love, but still quite a few legacy reviews, and some of those legacy reviewers panned Making Love.
Making Love is the story of an all too idealistic marriage. Zach and Claire are a couple on the edge of 30 following their goals in life together. They have just bought a house, and though no children as they wanted to get their careers in order first, they have settled on a name for the child. They are best friends who seemingly have the idyllic marriage, except for one thing he has been trying to repress all these years; he's attracted to men. Enter Bart, a successful writer and all too seemingly the guy most any man would want to be; handsome, fit, well to do, and free spirited. However, Bart is gay, despite all those so-called 'man' qualities, and those qualities don't go unnoticed by Zach in a chance meeting. Eight years of marriage thinking he is living the life he's suppose to, now Zach is questioning his own inner mysteries as what he has been suppressing all these years he cannot hold back.
The storyline of the movie is chronological though told in flashback, introduced by the characters of Claire and Bart, then intermittently as Claire and Bart separately inject their feelings about the events which have transpired in the movie; using a narrator approach in these instances of breaking the fourth wall and speaking to the viewer to explain things that would have otherwise labored the dialogue of the film.
The story unfolds brilliantly. We are introduced to the characters of Zach and Claire out with a realtor looking at a home. It is the ideal home for them, though even with their successful careers it is a little out of their league. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, and to pack bagged lunches for economy, they take the home as it is one more perfect step in their marriage, their marriage as they always wanted it to be.
I don't know if it was just a happy coincidence in getting Michael Ontkean and Kate Jackson to play a couple. It strikes me as deliberate, having starred together previously in the TV series The Rookies they have a natural and fun chemistry together. This is ideal for painting them as the seemingly perfect and loving couple.
Hamlin and Ontkean work well together. The characters of Zach and Bart have an instant chemistry. Together they are at times whimsical, intriguing, and playful. As portrayed onscreen, and this is from a heterosexual viewpoint for context, it's easy to see the attraction of the two characters, and when they are together in the early stages they are as much fun as Zack and Claire.
These are important distinctions in the story, presenting Zach as someone following the imposed rules of a social dogma which frowns upon and even chastises what he feels naturally. His relationship with Claire is not presented so perfectly to be read as something he'd be stupid to give up so he should just go 'straight', it's presented as even in the most seemingly idyllic marriage he is just checking off the list as he's told to do and trapped, not being who he really is.
Making Love does not waste a line of dialogue or a scene. The structure of the narrative fits everything together seemlessly. Unlike one prominent critic's comment "This movie has some of the worst dialogue one can imagine.." it is intelligently written with dialogue that pulls the viewer into the story and defines the characters. This is not a script trying to be gay but was actually developed as a story idea by A. Scott Berg and the screenplay was written by Barry Sandler, both of whom are gay and the contrast in the characters of Zach and Bart takes a little from each of them, in Zach being relationship minded and Bart being a player. Zach and Bart are well fleshed out characters with intriguing conversations between them and come off as very human and very normal characters in contrast to the all too common stereotypes of gay characters Hollywood flooded movies with. You can read more on the writing of the script and the making of the movie in this excellent article.
Ultimately Making Love is a play set upon an idyllic stage of life against a backdrop of the all-American dream. It's not 'slice of life' but an allegory of 'life by the rules' and those very rules stigmatizing someone's inner self forcing them into a facade they try to believe is real, and certainly parts of it are, but being true to oneself is repressed by this very facade. Living by the rules not only victimizes the repressed by living within 'acceptable' social (to be read as theocratic) boundaries, but those who unknowingly become a part of the facade, and the dream.
I saw Making Love as I mentioned in 1982. I had not seen it again until I watched it for this review. For a movie I had not seen in 35 years much of it had stuck with me. That's quite a movie that has that kind of staying power.
I give it a full 5 Daggers
Availability
Making Love is available on DVD
Making Love is the story of an all too idealistic marriage. Zach and Claire are a couple on the edge of 30 following their goals in life together. They have just bought a house, and though no children as they wanted to get their careers in order first, they have settled on a name for the child. They are best friends who seemingly have the idyllic marriage, except for one thing he has been trying to repress all these years; he's attracted to men. Enter Bart, a successful writer and all too seemingly the guy most any man would want to be; handsome, fit, well to do, and free spirited. However, Bart is gay, despite all those so-called 'man' qualities, and those qualities don't go unnoticed by Zach in a chance meeting. Eight years of marriage thinking he is living the life he's suppose to, now Zach is questioning his own inner mysteries as what he has been suppressing all these years he cannot hold back.
The storyline of the movie is chronological though told in flashback, introduced by the characters of Claire and Bart, then intermittently as Claire and Bart separately inject their feelings about the events which have transpired in the movie; using a narrator approach in these instances of breaking the fourth wall and speaking to the viewer to explain things that would have otherwise labored the dialogue of the film.
The story unfolds brilliantly. We are introduced to the characters of Zach and Claire out with a realtor looking at a home. It is the ideal home for them, though even with their successful careers it is a little out of their league. Deciding to throw caution to the wind, and to pack bagged lunches for economy, they take the home as it is one more perfect step in their marriage, their marriage as they always wanted it to be.
I don't know if it was just a happy coincidence in getting Michael Ontkean and Kate Jackson to play a couple. It strikes me as deliberate, having starred together previously in the TV series The Rookies they have a natural and fun chemistry together. This is ideal for painting them as the seemingly perfect and loving couple.
Hamlin and Ontkean work well together. The characters of Zach and Bart have an instant chemistry. Together they are at times whimsical, intriguing, and playful. As portrayed onscreen, and this is from a heterosexual viewpoint for context, it's easy to see the attraction of the two characters, and when they are together in the early stages they are as much fun as Zack and Claire.
These are important distinctions in the story, presenting Zach as someone following the imposed rules of a social dogma which frowns upon and even chastises what he feels naturally. His relationship with Claire is not presented so perfectly to be read as something he'd be stupid to give up so he should just go 'straight', it's presented as even in the most seemingly idyllic marriage he is just checking off the list as he's told to do and trapped, not being who he really is.
Making Love does not waste a line of dialogue or a scene. The structure of the narrative fits everything together seemlessly. Unlike one prominent critic's comment "This movie has some of the worst dialogue one can imagine.." it is intelligently written with dialogue that pulls the viewer into the story and defines the characters. This is not a script trying to be gay but was actually developed as a story idea by A. Scott Berg and the screenplay was written by Barry Sandler, both of whom are gay and the contrast in the characters of Zach and Bart takes a little from each of them, in Zach being relationship minded and Bart being a player. Zach and Bart are well fleshed out characters with intriguing conversations between them and come off as very human and very normal characters in contrast to the all too common stereotypes of gay characters Hollywood flooded movies with. You can read more on the writing of the script and the making of the movie in this excellent article.
Ultimately Making Love is a play set upon an idyllic stage of life against a backdrop of the all-American dream. It's not 'slice of life' but an allegory of 'life by the rules' and those very rules stigmatizing someone's inner self forcing them into a facade they try to believe is real, and certainly parts of it are, but being true to oneself is repressed by this very facade. Living by the rules not only victimizes the repressed by living within 'acceptable' social (to be read as theocratic) boundaries, but those who unknowingly become a part of the facade, and the dream.
I saw Making Love as I mentioned in 1982. I had not seen it again until I watched it for this review. For a movie I had not seen in 35 years much of it had stuck with me. That's quite a movie that has that kind of staying power.
I give it a full 5 Daggers
Availability
Making Love is available on DVD
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