An Early Frost
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Movie Reviews of An Early Frost
Movie Review: "Relevent and Daring For Its Time"
Summary: 5 Stars
On October 2, 1985 movie star Rock Hudson died of AIDS in his home in Los Angeles. Never before had there been so much publicity surrounding the death of a male actor in Hollywood, with questions arising regarding Rock's sexuality and his diagnosis. For the first time in American history those who watched the evening newscasts could finally put a face with AIDS, as up to the time of Hudson's death the general public simply believed those who were infected with HIV/AIDS were promiscuous gay men and drug users. Now, one of the most beloved and well-respected movie actors had died from a disease no one wanted to talk about.
So, it was very relevent that NBC decided to air a two-hour made-for-TV movie called "An Early Frost" a month after Rock died on November 11, 1985. This was the first film to ever tackle the issue of HIV/AIDS head on and was a forerunner to other big-time Hollywood movies to use HIV/AIDS as the centerpiece of their story such as "Long Time Companion" and "Philadelphia". "An Early Frost" dealt with a very successsful lawyer named Michael Pierson who discovers his lover has been unfaithful and has exposed to him to the AIDS virus. Michael leaves his boyfriend and finds out by his doctors that he hasn't got much time to live (this was during the early days of AIDS and the drug cocktails were not available yet). Michael then decides to spend his last remaining months with his family and to finally tell them he is not only gay, but suffering from AIDS. The bulk of the story deals with Michaels' interaction with members of his family, many of whom are bigoted toward him for both his illness and sexuality. The film is also poignant and relevant as many gay men who were dying of AIDS in the eighties were going home to their families before they died, and many of them suffered similar situations like Michael.
"An Early Frost" is an exceptional film, one of the better made-for-TV films ever made with consistent story-telling and extraordinary acting. "Queer as Folk" creators and writers Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman, along with writer Sherman Yellen, wrote this innovative and touching film, and would go on to win an Emmy for Best Writing for a film made for television. Ron and Dan also wrote stories on "Queer as Folk" that dealt with HIV/AIDS that were thought-provoking and intelligent.
Aidan Quinn does a remarkable job in playing Michael, and it was through his performance which was both sensitive and compelling that the general public finally realized that no one deserves to be infected with HIV/AIDS, but that they are simply victims who need both understanding and compassion. Gena Rowlands is touching as Michael's sensitive mother who tries to get her husband to accept their son for who he is and to give him the respect that he deserves before he dies. Sylvia Sidney won an Emmy for her performance playing Michaels' understanding grandmother.
"An Early Frost" won its time slot on the night its aired beating out "Monday Night Football" on ABC and a "Cagney and Lacey" episode on CBS. Its Nielsen Rating was a huge 23.3 meaning that over 20,000,000 Americans watched the film. It is also wonderful that this rare film has a place on DVD, as many made-for-TV films are aired, ultimately put into various studio archives, are forgotten, and will never see a release for home viewing.
This film is presented in full screen as it was originally broadcast and comes with an informative audio commentary with Aidan Quinn, Ron Cowen, and Daniel Lipman.
Movie Review: Just When We Needed It The Most
Summary: 5 Stars
By 1985 AIDS was making life very difficult for Gay Men. Histeria about the disease was running rampant, and
it seemed that very day we not only learned of someone new coming down with AIDS, but rumors ran than you could be infected from tears to sharing the same bathroom, add to this was the falsehood that everyone who contracted AIDS was wildly sexual and someone deserved what they got.
Hollywood was going through it's own denial issues about AIDS, when finally this made for TV movie was created. An Early Frost painted a very real picture of what many AIDS patients were going through, not only did the have to break the news to their famalies, in many cases they were not open about their sexuality, so they wound up coming out of the closet, and disclosing their illness in tandem.
Aiden Quinn plays a young lawyer who winds up in this very situation, his lover played by DW Moffett is unkown to his family and to his colleagues at the firm as well. Gena Rowlands and Ben Garaza as his parents
struggle through the news, and his Grandmother played by Sylvia Sydney becomes his mother rock to lean on.
Sydney Walsh plays his sister who knew all along about her brother being Gay, but then turns on him when he reveals his illness with her.
In particular there are a number of exceptional scenes including the Father, and Lover meeting in the living room, they each aknowledge not knowing about his "other life" Ben Gazarra then looks up and says "why could it have not been you", and near the end of the film Aiden Quinn attempts suicide, only to be rescued by his father, who clearly does not want his son to die.
Through the film you see first hand what many AIDS patients lived through including Hospital food trays being left in hallways, and ambulance crews refusing to transport them.
A standout performance goes out to John Glover, as Vincent. Vincent is a patient with advanced AIDS, and yet manages to maintain his dignity, and humor and in the process becomes a role model for those stricken.
One of the best TV shows ever.
Ken
Movie Review: Another Powerhouse Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
I am very impressed with this movie. It addressed an issue of major importance in a time when that was "just not done". It is sensitive and moving. It does not condone nor condemn, it simply tries to present an objective view of a very serious issue - AIDS.
The acting was well above average. The emotions and fears of everyone involved were extremely evident. It drives home the circumstances in life that these people had to deal with.
It also allows us to look back to 1985 and see just how far we have come with the treatment of AIDS. The facts presented were certainly relevant and "right-on" for the time. It also allows us to see the courage it took for the actors and networks to produce and broadcast this movie in a time when it could have back-fired. It has the same message as "AS IS" and "Longtime Companion", but presented in a very different manner. I strongly recommend this movie if you want to try to honestly and objectively understand the people - parents, doctors, society, and certainly the patients - involved with AIDS.
Movie Review: A recent classic
Summary: 5 Stars
I remember watching "An Early Frost" as a teenager, and how shocked I was with this new illness, the "something unspoken" and, at the same time, and the unbreakable bonds of family, highlighted by a magnificent cast, with the eyes of Sylvia Sidney forever etched in my memory, the anger of Ben Gazzara and the unconditional Gena Rowlands. Aidan Quinn carries the movie quite credibly and you can't help feeling a little bit crushed with the entire ordeal, even though it's only a movie.
If you want to take a short trip back in history and discover how AIDS was first seen, dealt with, understood, I strongly recommend this film. You may actually be shocked to see not that much has changed, both on the bad (the world's general reaction) and on the good things (the endurance of family love).
Movie Review: VERY MOVING . . . VERY REAL
Summary: 5 Stars
Like "Philadelphia", "An Early Frost" is a very moving and real portrayal of what it was like back in the 80s and having to deal with this dreaded 'gay' disease before society as a whole had the information on it that we do today. The all-star cast was superb. What I liked about it is that the main character, played by Aidan Quinn, was not stereotyped as an effiminite queen, because there are hundreds of thousands of gays that are not what is considered 'flaming'. An awesome movie about what has become an awful worldwide pandemic. Superbly done.
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