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(More customer reviews)Many movies that are now considered classics didn't start out that way. "Wizard of Oz" turned only a modest profit as a new release. "Casablanca" did okay, but it was forgotten for years until TV showings made it an audience favourite. "Citizen Kane" was little short of a box-office disaster.
"Making Love" is newer than those films, but it seems to be following the same path. In first release, it was dismissed as too softly soapy by gay audiences and as too much by straight ones, primarily because of one gorgeously sensual kiss between its two male stars. Twenty years on, we've all calmed down, and "Making Love" is looking better and better.
Although the script falls into the usual Hollywood trap of making everyone in the film devastatingly attractive and well over the median income line, Michael Ontkean, Harry Hamlin, and Kate Jackson deliver honest emotional connection with their characters. Jackson is the surprise of the film, turning in a powerful performance that will surprise "Charlie's Angels" fans. Ontkean's sensitive portrayal of a man who realises he's gay after eight years of marriage is a tour-de-force. Hamlin delivers, too, fleshing out the movie's love triangle as a writer who brings Ontkean's character out, then dumps him because he's afraid of commitment.
Yes, "Making Love" is something of a soap opera, and yes, it's a bit too determined to avoid giving offence. It still treads where very few movies dare to go, into the hearts of good people trying to make the best of a difficult situation. Even at its end, the film yields surprises. Kate Jackson's character is seen as content with her remarriage after losing Ontkean; using the most economical means, Jackson lets us know that her gay ex-husband was truly the love of her life, and that her ultimate act of love was to let him go.
There are two names seldom mentioned in connection with this movie that should be singled out: Dame Wendy Hiller and Daniel Melnick. Dame Wendy is a delight as Winnie Bates, a neighbour who is friend to the young gay doctor and his wife; her performance gives "Making Love" much of its texture. And Daniel Melnick, as producer, deserves kudos, too. Melnick's early career was in 1950's TV, when the tube still had some notions of social responsibility. That ethic carries over into "Making Love"; Melnick took an extraordinary professional risk putting his name on this movie, and he is owed a debt of gratitude by everyone who loves "Making Love". Melnick's next film was "Footloose", so he landed on his feet, if ever anyone did.
Again, it's a great little movie, and you won't regret making the acquaintance of the people so lovingly brought to life in it. To everyone who worked on the film: You had guts, and we appreciate what you accomplished more and more as the years roll by.
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What would you do if your husband fell in love - with another man? "Making Love" is about Zack (Michael Ontkean) and Claire (Kate Jackson) - two attractive, successful and playful affectionate partners who share the perfect marriage. He's a medic. She's a TV exec. And they're about to buy an absolutely gorgeous Beverly Hills home. Enter Bart (Harry Hamlin). He's a gay writer whose striking good looks pepper his social life with enough one-night stands so that he easily avoids commitment. When they first meet, Zack is merely curious. Gradually, he decides to take the plunge. Less about homosexuality than self-discovery, "Making Love" tackles the fundamentals of life - pain, loss, recovery - with astonishing sincerity and candor. Some critical scenes - such as when Zack tells Claire what's really happening to their marriage - are handled with a sensitivity rarely found in American movies. Highlighted by touching performances, "Making Love" really probes the depths of passion - in all of us.
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