Title: All That Heaven Allowed
Year: 2023
Director: Stephen Kijack
Country: US
Languge: English
The AIDS epidemic began with the first reported case in 1981 and quickly spread throughout the world. The epidemic peaked in 1995 when over 40,000 people died of the disease anually. Originally thought of as "the gay disease", politicians like Ronald Reagan would refuse to acknowledge the crisis. Rock Hudson's untimely death from AIDS created more awareness of the disease than any campaign at the time.
Renowned actor Rock Hudson is examined in this relevant investigation of Hollywood and LGBTQ+ identity, from his public "ladies' man" character to his private life as a gay closeted man.
Using a vast amount of archival footage and photography, All That Heaven Allowed begins as an intriguing look at the Queer community of Hollywood and the vast amount of work it took to keep the truth from spreading via gossip magazines. Golden Hollywood is far more gay than most people think.
The film begins to lose me when we focus on Hudson's sexuality and Director Stephen Kijack uses Hudon's film footage (Giant, Magnificent Obsession) out of context to make sly double entedres & lazy queer readings of those films. It cheapens the overall picture and makes it hard to take the rest of it seriously.
I was touched by the interviews with his friends, particularly George Nader. The excepts from his diary do a great deal in regards to showing the type of man Hudson was. I hope new generations watch this film & rejuvinate an interest in Hudson's filmography.
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