Parting Glances

1986

1 hr. 30 min.

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

90%

10 Reviews

Tomatometer

75%

500+ Ratings

Audience Score

As Robert (John Bolger), a successful young gay man, prepares to leave New York City for an extended work assignment abroad, his boyfriend, Michael (Richard Ganoung), must contend with his imminent absence and its effect on their relationship. Meanwhile, Michael also cares for his ex-lover, Nick (Steve Buscemi), who is struggling with HIV. At a going-away party for Robert, emotions run high as the men and their friends deal with their changing realities.

Read More

Read Less

Audience Member

Bill Sherwood presents a love story about receiving bad news and what to face once it's passed. John Bolger, Richard Ganoung, and Steve Buscemi in one of the earliest LGBTQ flicks from the 1980s. Robert and Michael have to deal with their long distance relationship when he's offered an extended assignment for his job. Then his ex Nick comes back. Turns out he's diagnosed with HIV. Now they have to face their realities as they start to take shape. This was a landmark in gay cinema and one of the first to address the AIDS crisis. Both Robert and Michael are struggling with separating and given Nick's situation it just strains everything. I just thought this was okay. But the underlying emotions are ever present from all the actors involved.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A touching humorous look at gay and straight friendships, romances in the early days of HIV. Steve Buscemi is great in the role of Nick.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The first Buscemi movie. Pretty much the first AIDS movie, too. He's a risk taker, that's for certain. It's a talky movie with gay characters, and for it's time, that was a revelation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/14/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Steve Buscemi's performance is unforgettable. The rest of the acting does not always feel as real as needed, but this is a major step forward for independent Queer Film and offers a great deal of insight into the era in which it was made.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

Audience Member

One of the first films dealing with the AIDS crisis, and still one of the better ones. Unfortunately the director, Bill Sherwood, never made another film before his AIDS related death. We lost a potentially fine filmmaker when he let go this mortal coil. This is one of the few films that seem even better now.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

i remember when this came out it is still a fave

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Bill Sherwood

Director

Richard Ganoung

Michael

John Bolger

Robert

Steve Buscemi

Nick

Adam Nathan

Peter

Kathy Kinney

Joan

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

%

%

Fern Brady: Autistic Bikini Queen

%

%

Tiger

%

%

Hip-Hop and The White House

%

%

Tigers on the Rise

88%

84%

Monkey Man

TRAILER

for Monkey Man

69%

97%

Arthur the King

TRAILER

for Arthur the King

93%

%

Something You Said Last Night

%

%

Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths Part Two

%

%

The Moon and Back

%

92%

La Cha Cha

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Know Your Critic: Alonso Duralde, Film Reviews Editor at TheWrap

View more photos

Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

One of the first movies to dramatize the AIDS era. While the Manhattan-set story’s focus is on a gay couple on the verge of breakup, the film is pretty much stolen whole by Steve Buscemi’s breakout turn...

Mar 10, 2023

Full Review

Joe Bittmann

Washington Blade

The film’s effect is that of a fleeting glimpse into the past and future on the cusp of a long night. The moods and images Parting Glances projects, firmly fixed in their period, will nevertheless resonate for a long time to come.

May 23, 2022

Full Review

Nicholas Deutsch

Gay Community News (Boston)

Even if parts of it are disappointing, it’s a warm, well-made celebration of being a gay man in terrible times. And Buscemi’s acerbic, vulnerable Nick will stay in your mind afterwards.

May 12, 2022

Full Review

Glenn Heath Jr.

San Diego CityBeat

The film may be shot like a breezy New York City trifle, but an aching undercurrent resides in every interaction.

Nov 3, 2018

Full Review

Annie Wagner

The Stranger (Seattle, WA)

Tender and resolutely unsentimental, Parting Glances avoided future AIDS movie clichs not because the example had yet to be set, but because its interests lay elsewhere.

Aug 22, 2017

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

It was one of the first films to confront the emotional repercussions of AIDS, and has not become dated--which speaks volumes for this appealing candid movie.

Rated: A-

Nov 23, 2007

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

As Robert (John Bolger), a successful young gay man, prepares to leave New York City for an extended work assignment abroad, his boyfriend, Michael (Richard Ganoung), must contend with his imminent absence and its effect on their relationship. Meanwhile, Michael also cares for his ex-lover, Nick (Steve Buscemi), who is struggling with HIV. At a going-away party for Robert, emotions run high as the men and their friends deal with their changing realities.

Director: Bill Sherwood
Executive Producer: Paul L. Kaplan
Screenwriter: Bill Sherwood
Production Co: Rondo Productions
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 17, 2020