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      An Early Frost

      TV-14 1985 1h 40m Drama List
      Reviews 72% 500+ Ratings Audience Score Successful lawyer Michael Pierson (Aidan Quinn) is gay, but he has always hidden this part of his life from his mother, Katherine (Gena Rowlands), father, Nick (Ben Gazzara), and grandmother Beatrice (Sylvia Sidney). But when Michael discovers he has AIDS and is dying of complications from the disease, he must open up to his parents and the rest of his family. Though fearful of their reactions, he introduces them to his longtime lover, Peter (D.W. Moffett), and looks to them for support. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Daniel O Beautiful movie and well done about AIDS Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/18/23 Full Review Audience Member The very first TV movie to address AIDS head-on, with a cast of serious stars. By now some of the story elements seem like mere melodrama - the father who can't accept his son's homosexuality; the understanding mother; the flamboyant gay man our hero befriends. What's important is to recall that *no film* on TV had ever addressed this subject before; for that reason alone, this groundbreaking film is well worth seeing. Defying Hollywood convention, heartthrob Aida Quinn bravely plays Michael, a complex character far beyond what many earlier films made of gay men. Yes, it's a tear-jerker, but in the best possible sense. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member On November 11, 1985, 35 years ago today, "An Early Frost" aired on NBC. 40 million viewers watched it -- the highest rated show of the night. It was the first major movie, feature or television, about AIDS. As such, it is a historic landmark in LGBTQ history and television history. It was also the first time the American public, who viewed the disease as "the gay plague," got to learn the facts about AIDS, as they were know at the time. It was also the first time the public got to see a sympathetic and truthful representation of gay men who had to suffer not only the cruelty of a terrifying disease for which there was no cure, but the cruelty and rejection of family, friends, an uncaring government, even hospital workers. "An Early Frost" was a beautiful, sensitive and deeply moving film. It is still moving today. It should also be noted that the film received 14 Emmy nominations, winning several, including one for the writers, as well as winning the Peabody Award. "An Early Frost" deserves the honors and respect that it received, and should be seen even today when people, gay and straight, are still being infected, and for which there is still no cure or vaccine. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member first TV movie 2 deal with AIDS & a pre-cursor to "Philadelphia" Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member An extremely important movie if you have in mind the period that this movie came out.It is an extremely groundbreaking,brave film,serving a lot of positive purposes and trying to educate its viewers,all in a respectful way to the HIV positive people,the gay community and the family of the infected.Some really good performances form a story that now we have seen discussed a lot in cinemas and TV screens and theater,but at that time was more than a taboo,when everything was still fresh and new and threatening.Only with brave people and caring people can movies like this be created to teach the public how to love and show support. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member very touching,according to me deserved a Oscar for Aidan Quinn and i like Ben Gazzarra and Gena Rowlands Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Critics Reviews

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      Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Though a capusle of its times, this groundbreaking TV film, the first work about AIDS in film or television (but not theater) holds up well due to high-caliber acting by Aidan Quinn as the son with AIDS and Ben Gazzarra and Gena Rowlands as his parents Rated: B+ Jul 18, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Successful lawyer Michael Pierson (Aidan Quinn) is gay, but he has always hidden this part of his life from his mother, Katherine (Gena Rowlands), father, Nick (Ben Gazzara), and grandmother Beatrice (Sylvia Sidney). But when Michael discovers he has AIDS and is dying of complications from the disease, he must open up to his parents and the rest of his family. Though fearful of their reactions, he introduces them to his longtime lover, Peter (D.W. Moffett), and looks to them for support.
      Director
      John Erman
      Rating
      TV-14
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Runtime
      1h 40m