Harvey Fierstein is Arnold Beckoff, a somewhat quiet drag performer who comes alive when he paints his face and performs a torch song in his early '70's New York cabaret show. Fierstein only longs for a husband and child, and when he meets the bi-sexual Ed (Brian Kerwin), it all seems possible. But Ed is confused, goes off to marry an ex-girlfriend, and Arnold finally finds happiness with the handsome Alan (Matthew Broderick), a model whom Arnold at first can't believe would give him the time of day. Finally, there's Arnold's mom (Anne Bancroft), a hard-nosed stereotypical Jewish mother who refuses to accept Arnold's homosexuality, especially when he adopts a gay teenager (Eddie Castrodad) whom she initially suspects is a mugger.
Along the way, there is lots of comedy, some true-to-life tragedy (involving a very violent gay bashing), and finally, a confrontation between mother and son that makes Arnold want to find his own lamppost, a la Fanny Brice, and sing another torch song to reveal his own inner torment. This makes for a very enjoyable film that many gays and lesbians can identify with in their desire to find a partner and gain acceptance from a parent. Broadway actor Ken Page ("Guys and Dolls", "Ain't Misbehavin'"), Axel Vera and drag legend Charles Pierce appear as Arnold's co-stars in the drag revue, all featuring funny drag names. There's also a bit of sexual action which takes Arnold inside the back room of a gay bar where obvious fornicating is taking place, another variation of the torch song which reveals how sometimes gay men use sex to deal with their tragedies. ("At least I won't have to make them breakfast", Arnold snidely tells someone he earlier cursed at before making his way into the back room.)
Throughout the entire film, you really feel the weight of Arnold's world, his very untypical hero very much worth rooting for as he deals with the loss of lovers (through break-up and death), the anger of a parent, and finally, being frustrated himself as a parent. Bancroft is extremely intense in her handful of scenes as the frustrated mother, tired of her son throwing his homosexuality in her face, and even more angry when he shows what she considers disrespect at the family grave site. She's not the type of mother you want to see showing up unannounced, yet there's a sense that, like Neil Simon's grandmother character in "Lost in Yonkers", there's a ton of regret that her emotions can't handle and has been replaced by an over-load of bitterness that cannot be diminished. As directed by Paul Bogart (best known for TV's "All in the Family"), "Torch Song Trilogy" is one of those small emotional dramas that will touch your heart and leave you thinking long after the movie is over.
Along the way, there is lots of comedy, some true-to-life tragedy (involving a very violent gay bashing), and finally, a confrontation between mother and son that makes Arnold want to find his own lamppost, a la Fanny Brice, and sing another torch song to reveal his own inner torment. This makes for a very enjoyable film that many gays and lesbians can identify with in their desire to find a partner and gain acceptance from a parent. Broadway actor Ken Page ("Guys and Dolls", "Ain't Misbehavin'"), Axel Vera and drag legend Charles Pierce appear as Arnold's co-stars in the drag revue, all featuring funny drag names. There's also a bit of sexual action which takes Arnold inside the back room of a gay bar where obvious fornicating is taking place, another variation of the torch song which reveals how sometimes gay men use sex to deal with their tragedies. ("At least I won't have to make them breakfast", Arnold snidely tells someone he earlier cursed at before making his way into the back room.)
Throughout the entire film, you really feel the weight of Arnold's world, his very untypical hero very much worth rooting for as he deals with the loss of lovers (through break-up and death), the anger of a parent, and finally, being frustrated himself as a parent. Bancroft is extremely intense in her handful of scenes as the frustrated mother, tired of her son throwing his homosexuality in her face, and even more angry when he shows what she considers disrespect at the family grave site. She's not the type of mother you want to see showing up unannounced, yet there's a sense that, like Neil Simon's grandmother character in "Lost in Yonkers", there's a ton of regret that her emotions can't handle and has been replaced by an over-load of bitterness that cannot be diminished. As directed by Paul Bogart (best known for TV's "All in the Family"), "Torch Song Trilogy" is one of those small emotional dramas that will touch your heart and leave you thinking long after the movie is over.