In the early ‘80s, same-sex relationships or questioning one’s sexuality wasn’t in the acceptable norms of society. Even Hollywood treaded that path with caution. Arthur Hiller’s Making Love was thus a risky venture featuring a man’s journey of coming to terms with his suppressed homosexual side of personality.
Michael Ontkean (of Twin Peaks fame) stars as Zack Elliot, a young oncologist at the prime of his career and marriage with his loving and loyal wife Claire (Kate Jackson), a television executive. Zack starts visiting gay bars but abstaining from intimacy until he meets Bart McGuire (Harry Hamlin), a writer who has come out but stayed single. As their relationship secretly grows, Zack has to figure out how to break it to Claire whom he genuinely respects and wants safe from any emotional disaster.
Structurally, the movie highlights two characters – Bart and Claire – by bits of their video commentary about Zach’s place in their life and how they feel about their relationships.
Making Out came out at a time when the LGBT recognition by the wider society hadn’t become a political issue. The movie does a terrific job in keeping an apolitical and humanistic tone, keeping it as drama-free a drama as a story can without losing its dramatic appeal. The dialogue is natural and believable coming from genuine and relatable characters. The editing department deserves applause for keeping it a social play without adding any sleaze or erotic scenes.
The movie couldn’t get a better cast; though for Ontkean and Hamlin – both straight men in real life – playing gay men was a career-risking decision. From behind-the-scenes records, the roles were offered to many famous actors of the time and were declined by them.
Making Out remains significant not only as an early explorer of the sexuality issue but also for a movie that shows people facing difficult or even taboo issues by sitting face to face and sorting things out without losing their sanity. It is recommended for all fans of drama and socially conscious audiences.
