The Celluloid Closet

The Celluloid Closet

Documentary|

History|

7/10

What "That's Entertainment" did for movie musicals, "The Celluloid Closet" does for Hollywood homosexuality, as this exuberant, eye-opening movie serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Lily Tomlin narrates as Oscar-winning moviemaker Rob Epstein ("The Times of Harvey Milk" and "Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt") and Jeffrey Friedman assemble fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s. Tom Hanks, Susan Sarandon, Whoopi Goldberg, Tony Curtis, Harvey Fierstein and Gore Vidal are just a few of the many actors, writers and commentators who provide funny and insightful anecdotes.

Lily Tomlin

Tony Curtis

Susan Sarandon

Gore Vidal

Whoopi Goldberg

Antonio Fargas

Shirley MacLaine

John Schlesinger

Armistead Maupin

Arthur Laurents

Tom Hanks

Farley Granger

Quentin Crisp

Harry Hamlin

Sharon Stone

Susie Bright

Mart Crowley

Jay Presson Allen

Richard Dyer

Jan Oxenberg

Paul Rudnick

Barry Sandler

Ron Nyswaner

Daniel Melnick

Stewart Stern

Harvey Fierstein

Paul Newman

James Dean

Sal Mineo

Natalie Wood