Today I am very happy to welcome screenwriter Barry Sandler back to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS. Barry has been on the blog previously speaking about his screenwriting of KANSAS CITY BOMBER, and many other topics; the interview can be found here. Barry wrote the screenplay of groundbreaking movie MAKING LOVE, which was released in 1982, my review is on the following page. It dealt sympathetically with the topic of homosexuality, and the impact of a husband’s decision to leave his wife for another man. In this post, Barry will be discussing his work on MAKING LOVE, and how the movie is of importance to cinema.
Welcome back to CINEMATIC REVELATIONS Barry!
Athan: MAKING LOVE was released in 1982, in a period when other films such as PERSONAL BEST, and PARTNERS, also tackled homosexuality as a subject. What is it that drew you to becoming involved in this project?
Barry: I was at the point in my life, after having written a number of big studio movies that were essentially comedies, mysteries, romances, crime and action movies, that I wanted to dig deeper into more personal and dramatic aspects of my writing. My friend and partner at the time, Scott Berg, suggested I write about my own experiences coming out as a gay man. I resisted at first, knowing it would mean exposing very personal issues, but he pushed me and I finally realized that if I ever wanted to grow as a writer, I would have to go to those internal places. What also drew me to write this movie was the fact that growing up, any movie or tv show depicting gay characters only did so by portraying them as sick, depraved, ashamed, guilt-ridden, predatory, suicidal and pathetic – one reason LGBTQ people grew up with negative self-images and fear of being exposed which forced many of us to live our lives in shame or in the closet. I felt a strong need, perhaps even a responsibility as a gay man proud and happy to live my life as a gay man, to counter that ugly depiction and show the world that you could live a happy and fulfilling life being honest with yourself and owning your LGBTQ identity – an image and statement that had never been made or seen in American films before MAKING LOVE.
One big concern I had before writing the script, that I conveyed to Scott, was spending weeks of soul-searching, gut-wrenching, very personal intensity creating a script that studios wouldn't touch due to the subject matter. I wanted some assurance before writing that a studio would be willing to make the movie if the script were good. I had enough confidence in my ability and Scott's intelligence and instinct in guiding the writing that the script would be good, but less so in Hollywood's courage to deal with homosexuality on screen, particularly in a positive way, as they had never done so before. With that in mind, we pitched the idea to Claire Townsend, head of development at 20th Century Fox and a friend of Scott's, who loved it and took it to her boss Sherry Lansing, head of production and the first woman to run a studio. Sherry was a pioneer and knew this film could be groundbreaking -- she gave us a development deal and when we turned in the script weeks later she immediately gave it a greenlight to production, attaching producer Dan Melnick, who had just signed a production deal with the studio and wanted this as his first film. The film would not have been made were it not for the courage and determination of two women, Sherry Lansing and Claire Townsend (both straight), who believed in the script and felt strongly that its message was one that the public needed to hear.
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Athan: How did it feel to see MAKING LOVE in theaters, and the characters you created come to life on screen?
Barry: It has always been very exciting for me to see characters I've written come to life on the big screen, especially when they're portrayed by great actors like some of those I've worked with – Elizabeth Taylor, Angela Lansbury, Kim Novak, Maggie Smith. Rock Hudson, Tony Curtis, James Mason, Goldie Hawn, George Segal, Jill Clayburgh, James Brolin, Anthony Perkins, Kathleen Turner, Diana Rigg, Dean Stockwell, Jodie Foster, Christopher Walken to name a few -- but in the case of MAKING LOVE, I was very actively involved in the actual production and worked closely with Harry Hamlin, Michael Ontkean and Kate Jackson. Michael and Harry being straight looked to me as an out gay man to make sure they were creating characters as honest and realistic as possible. I was thrilled to see them do so on the screen, not only for the excellence of their performances, but I felt it in a more personal way than with actors in other films of mine, having been on set with them and watched them grow into these characters.
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Athan: Is there one character in particular from MAKING LOVE you felt most affinity for not only as a writer, but as a human being, or a number of protagonists?
Barry: I felt an affinity with both the Zack (Ontkean) and Bart (Hamlin) characters, as they both connected with different aspects of my own life – Zack externally, in his coming-out journey, and Bart more internally in his identity as a writer and a sexually-liberated out gay man.
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Athan: Over the years, have you had viewers recount to you how MAKING LOVE made a difference in their lives?
Barry: Over the years I've had hundreds of people write me letters, e-mail me, or simply come up to me in public and tell me how much this movie affected them – that it gave them a sense of pride and self-respect as an LGBTQ person they never felt before from any movie or tv show, that it gave them the strength to accept who they were and no longer hide it, that it gave them the courage to come out to their families and friends, that it gave them the incentive to live their lives honestly.
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Athan: What are you most proud of having achieved with MAKING LOVE?
Barry: What I'm most proud of is to have written the screenplay that created the response I just talked about. To know that as a writer I could have touched someone that deeply and personally to affect their lives in that way is the most gratifying and meaningful achievement a writer could hope for. The film has become a groundbreaking landmark as the first film ever released by a Hollywood studio to present a positive portrayal of an LGBTQ character – not only was it hailed and embraced by the LGBTQ community at the time it was released, but it has endured over the years, found new audiences, and has had 20-year, 30-year, 35-year and two years ago a sold-out 40-year anniversary screening by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences at the new Academy Museum in Los Angeles, followed by a panel discussion with Scott Berg, Harry Hamlin and me. The film has a legacy for which I'm honored and proud.
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It has been a pleasure having you again on the blog Barry, and I thank you for taking the time to elaborate on your contributions to MAKING LOVE, and its impact on cinema, and the world. You are always welcome to return whenever you wish.
Barry Sandler links
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