Welcome to Screen Gems, our weekend dive into queer and queer-adjacent titles of the past that deserve a watch or a rewatch.
The Glittering: Behind the Candelabra
Michael Douglas may have taken home the Emmy for his performance as Liberace in this biopic, but the movie belongs to Matt Damon who gives an uninhibited performance as Liberace’s on-again, off-again lover Scott Thorson. As directed by Steven Soderbergh, Behind the Candelabra isn’t so much a biopic of the Las Vegas-loving, oh-so-gay pianist as a biography of the very weird relationship between Liberace and Thorson. As Liberace says in the film: “I want to be everything to you, Scott. I want to be your father, brother, lover, best friend.”
That, folks, is a recipe for disaster.
By now the details of Liberace’s final years have become common knowledge: his drug and spending habits, his death from AIDS, and the bizarre narcissism that drove him to own Throson as a kept man and undergo plastic surgery to look more like Liberace himself. Neither Throson nor Liberace comes off well in Behind the Candelabra, and yet somehow, Soderbergh, Douglas and Damon make us love the couple, their hedonistic lifestyle, and even their flaws. Though Thorson & Liberace’s relationship ends on a bitter note, the move doesn’t. Rather, it celebrates the real affection between two men who really did love one another, even when their relationship turned destructive. Featuring outstanding performances from its two lead, as well as Scott Bakula, Rob Lowe and the late Debbie Reynolds, Behind the Candelabra is a film as complicated–and joyous–as the men who inspired it.
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Dick Gozinia
For years I wouldn’t watch this movie because the thought of those 2 guys playing gay was a turnoff. But when I watched it I was amazed. They are both excellent actors and completely believable as gay men. I’d also say the same about “I Love You Phillip Morris” with Jim Carrey and Ewan McGregor.
barryaksarben
your are right about both movies. I do get upset that gay actors arent used more but when a straight actor commits like these guys did it is hard to argue with the results. I was angry when they filmed six degrees of separation when WIll Smith refused to kiss another man even when it was in the script long before he was even considered for the part and his terrible acting in the movie almost ruined Stockard Channings great performance. Dont whitewash or go ick on a gay character or get a gay guy to do it in the first place.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I was watching American Greed a few months ago and my jaw DROPPED when I found out that not only was EVERYTHING in that segment true but thats what the movie I Love You Phillip Morris was about. It takes a lot to shock me but that segment did. Its just unbelievable what that guy did for love and how he duped that many people for the love of that kid. He must have been one hot bottom for some one to go thru all of that.
ptb2016
Matt Damon looked so fit in the movie I could have just sat and watched him in speedos for two hours and left happy!
David Reddish
Considering Matt Damon was pushing 50 and still playing a teenager it is pretty amazing, isn’t it?
Chrisk
Such a well done movie. Actors did such a great job.
Harley
Jesus QUEERTY. Don’t y’all have proofreaders? There are so many misspelled words in this article I quit counting.
Driftwood
I enjoyed this movie, but at the very end, the characters mentioned a lawyer several times to my horror. I won’t mention his name here, but I can tell you first-hand the guy is a royal bastard and is a person I despise to this day. I’m not going to get into it, but suffice to say this lawyer is the real villain in anything “Liberace”. And just to clarify I did not know this lawyer during the Liberace timeline, but after. A real piece of work he is.
Cam
The only problem with this movie is that is let Liberace off the hook somewhat. Having an actor in his 30s playing the boyfriend, really removed a lot of the grossness of how he took that young kid out of his real life and at the end just left him in the cold. The guy was a teen when they met and had no skills when Liberace dumped him.
Other than that, a very good movie, surprisingly so!