On this day, February 12, 1982, Making Love was released in theaters. Directed by Arthur Hiller, the romantic drama starred Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin, and Michael Ontkean. The film was groundbreaking for its time, tackling themes of self discovery, identity, and same sex relationships in mainstream Hollywood cinema.
The story follows Zach, a successful doctor married to Claire, who begins questioning his sexuality after developing feelings for Bart, a confident and openly gay writer. As Zach navigates his personal journey, Making Love presents a rare and sensitive portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes in the early 80s. While the film had a $14 million budget, it underperformed at the box office, earning only $11.8 million. However, it remains an important milestone in LGBTQ+ film history, praised for its sincere and realistic depiction of a man coming to terms with his identity.
80s insight: Harry Hamlin turned down multiple leading roles after Making Love due to concerns that playing a gay character had harmed his career in the 1980s.
The story follows Zach, a successful doctor married to Claire, who begins questioning his sexuality after developing feelings for Bart, a confident and openly gay writer. As Zach navigates his personal journey, Making Love presents a rare and sensitive portrayal of LGBTQ+ themes in the early 80s. While the film had a $14 million budget, it underperformed at the box office, earning only $11.8 million. However, it remains an important milestone in LGBTQ+ film history, praised for its sincere and realistic depiction of a man coming to terms with his identity.
80s insight: Harry Hamlin turned down multiple leading roles after Making Love due to concerns that playing a gay character had harmed his career in the 1980s.
