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The Celluloid Closet

The Celluloid Closet

  • Overview
  • Cast
  • Crew
  • Recommendations

Status

Released

Release Date

Jan 30, 1996

Runtime

1h 42m

Genres

Documentary, History

User Score

71%

Original Title

The Celluloid Closet

Production Companies

ZDF, ARTE, Brillstein-Grey Entertainment, HBO, Telling Pictures, Sony Pictures Classics, Film4 Productions

Director

Rob Epstein

Description

What "That's Entertainment" did for movie musicals, "The Celluloid Closet" does for Hollywood homosexuality, as this exuberant, eye-opening movie serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Lily Tomlin narrates as Oscar-winning moviemaker Rob Epstein ("The Times of Harvey Milk" and "Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt") and Jeffrey Friedman assemble fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s. Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Curtis, Harvey Fierstein and Gore Vidal are just a few of the many actors, writers and commentators who provide funny and insightful anecdotes.