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Longtime Companion

Longtime Companion

Drama · Romance · 1989

During the summer of 1981, a group of friends in New York are completely unprepared for the onslaught of AIDS. What starts as a rumor about a mysterious "gay cancer" soon turns into a major crisis as, one by one, some of the friends begin to fall ill, leaving the others to panic about who will be next. As death takes its toll, the lives of these friends are forever redefined by an unconditional display of love, hope and courage.

Movie details

Longtime Companion

“…a motion picture for everyone”

1989 Drama · Romance 1h 39m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.7 / 10

Community rating

During the summer of 1981, a group of friends in New York are completely unprepared for the onslaught of AIDS. What starts as a rumor about a mysterious "gay cancer" soon turns into a major crisis as, one by one, some of the friends begin to fall ill, leaving the others to panic about who will be next. As death takes its toll, the lives of these friends are forever redefined by an unconditional display of love, hope and courage.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Longtime Companion?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Norman René

Written by

Craig Lucas

Bruce Davison

Bruce Davison

David

Campbell Scott

Campbell Scott

Willy

Patrick Cassidy

Patrick Cassidy

Howard

Mary-Louise Parker

Mary-Louise Parker

Lisa

Stephen Caffrey

Stephen Caffrey

Fuzzy

Dermot Mulroney

Dermot Mulroney

John

John Dossett

John Dossett

Paul

Court is in session

Put Longtime Companion on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Cool Ironist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.