1985

Moving film that stayed with me long after the film ended. Bravura performances by all but Cory Michael Smith is a standout as the returning prodigal son. He portrays the anguish of his character with a great deal of pathos. No histrionics, just true to life expressions. His reactions are subdued but we feel the turmoil within him, especially for his younger brother.What gives authenticity to the story is the masterfully written dialogue.The stark black and white gives a certain realism to the fact that this story is in a past where AIDS was a death sentence. Though the disease can be controlled today, there is still relevance because of the wisdom and importance for protection with a partner.Having been shot on super 16 mm, there is the feel of a home movie that takes us back in time.The music soundtrack takes us back to the 80s and underscores the intensity of the drama. The director has successfully recreated an era that we must never forget.A must see film of love and family!

While there have been a goodly number of films, both documentary and otherwise, on living with the full outbreak of the AIDS crisis in the mid-80s, 1985 gives us yet one more perspective on that time period from a very personal view. Led by Cory Michael Smith (Gotham - as the Riddler) as a late twenty something, with Michael Chiklis (also Gotham, etc.) and Virginia Madsen (many noteworthy roles) as his father and mother, we are given a most intimate and sensitive portrayal of an individual with AIDS who has yet to come out to his parents. Filmed in black & white to effect a particular mood and atmosphere, we are also forced to concentrate on the characters and subject matter without any scenic distractions. The multiple struggle of dealing with the disease, the loss of a personal friend and apparent lover to that disease, the best way to reveal to your parents what you are and and what you have, while helping a struggling much younger brother by possibly as much as a decade find himself, all add to the emotional drama that envelops these major characters. The acting is riveting, the emotional impact is real, and the story is totally credible.While one reviewer questioned: "Why another gay themed movie set during the AIDS crisis?" - I would respond: "Why not?" Do we limit the number of war films that relive WWII or the bombing of Pearl Harbor? We must never be allowed to forget key periods in our history and what the results are. Even as I write this review, news has come out that a possible cure for AIDS appears to have been found. While the disease brought death an disaster to so many, and was too long ignored by an insensitive Administration in power at the time, nevertheless, a positive solution has been relentlessly pursued for more than three decades. And here we are. The expression "Never again!" can be applied to many things. It must also be stated again and again in various ways so as not to be forgotten and thus repeated.1985 is a microcosm of the period in which it existed. The sharp and focused approach, employing one central figure surrounded by the immediacy of family and a key friend is extremely engaging and evokes considerable empathy. How Adrian (CMS) interacts with his family, a friend, and how they respond to him is the heart of this film. The surprise ending (NO SPOILERS HERE) should bring both tears and laughter (at least it did for me) to the viewer.See this film. It is most worthwhile. Never forget...

Another gem by Yen Tan!I really enjoyed everything about this film. It seems that some folks think that "These stories about the early 80s AIDS crisis are past their prime, due date or relevance!", but those folks are wrong. Younger viewers MUST know what it was like for millions of older GLBTQ people during that time. That there was a period before the AIDS crisis, in which many of those folks had found shelter, an oasis, a mecca in cities like NY, LA, SF, in which they could finally be able to take a deep breath, shed their facade and be able to be their true selves, to only face a few years later astronomical deaths of their close friends and lovers by thousands. How Adrian felt the need to come home, to try and tell the truth to his family and best friend, before he got too sick, is sadly what many gay/bi men either had to do on their own OR they chose not to, because they knew they wouldn't be accepted by them.This was a wonderful film and if anyone has seen an older work by Yen Tan, there will be a pleasant scene that will please your eyes, if you catch it!

Yen Tan is a very unusual filmmaker: he is a regional filmmaker who has made some of the finest films of the past decade. He has made films in Texas, and his films have shown aspects of gay life in rural Texas. This film, 1985, is a quiet and unassuming drama, presented in evocative black-and-white, about a gay man returning home for Christmas; he cannot tell his family (mother, father, younger brother) that he has AIDS and expects to die soon. But he tries to find some ways to connect to the family which he had left to find a life in New York City. The subtlety with which this drama unfolds is touching, and, finally, heartbreaking. The acting is superb: Cory Michael Smith is just amazing as the young man, and Virginia Madsen as the mother, Michael Chiklis as the father, and Aidan Langford as the younger brother are believable and restrained. Jamie Chung, as the young man's friend, provides the added dimension of raw emotion: her anger and then her understanding help to bring this drama full circle. This is an extraordinarily fine movie, and has been sadly overlooked. Yen Tan is a real talent, and it's hoped that he can continue with his career.

This is a sad story of the main character hiding his identify as a gay man and as a person living with HIV. It documents the experience of many men in the 1980s from religious and conservative backgrounds who hid themselves from their family, not the story of ACT-UP and AIDS activism. It captures how some stories disappeared in denial, shame, and stigma.The actor is subtle. It is a story of the main character disappearing from his family before he dies. 1985 was not a year of hope. A truthful elegy for the past. Many GenZ and Millennials will have a hard time believing that this was a common story.

A return to an incredibly difficult time in our history with a poignant story of the struggles a young man has with aids and coming out to his parents. Corey Michael Smith gives an emotional performance of sensitivity and compassion, not only for the loss of a partner and friends but coming out to his his family, showing what so many went through and suffered at this time.

Ho comprato questo dvd per me, interessante il bianco e nero ma preferisco il colore. Comunque bello!