PARTING GLANCES (1986) | Dir: Bill Sherwood | Three years before LONGTIME COMPANION became widely recognized as the first dramatic feature about AIDS, there was PARTING GLANCES, starring a young Steve Buscemi as a gay man with AIDS in one of his first movie roles. Directed by Sherwood (his only film; he died of AIDS-related complications in 1990), the film is about a New York City couple who are facing the challenges of a long-distance relationship, as well as personal and professional obstacles. It’s an at times quiet, funny, moving, and superbly acted and written film that puts AIDS as one more obstacle in a larger context rather than foregrounding it, as LONGTIME COMPANION does. I saw PARTING GLANCES after seeing LONGTIME COMPANION and what I remember most was how much I loved them both for completely different reasons. LC feels epic in comparison, tracking the rise of the disease as it ravages a group of friends, whereas PG covers a smaller time span and a more intimate look into the lives of fewer characters. I hate comparing films. I’ve even become allergic to (publicly) criticizing films, mostly because I know how hard it is to get them made, but also because I know how hard it is to get them made WELL. In the best of circumstances, it’s still a gamble and an uphill battle. I love PARTING GLANCES for so many reasons, but mostly of its unsentimental, non-sensational approach to the storytelling, which made the more emotional scenes even more moving. The AIDS drama became its own genre for a while, and for good reason, and for many it became tiresome - you don’t have to search too hard to find “think” pieces on them. But it’s important to remember that while the government and the public was ignoring the disease because it was attacking mostly gay men, filmmakers like Sherwood were writing and directing stories that humanized and informed, as well as entertained.
