Manhattan prosecutor Nick is charged with looking into the untimely death of city resident Matt, a musician who had AIDS. As she questions Matt's loyal family members — mother Lila and sister Dana — she comes to learn that his closest pal, health-care worker Brian, is an ardent believer in assisted suicide and that he threw Matt a big party before his death. This presents a dilemma for the humane but dutiful Nick.
Acting
Olympia Dukakis delivers devastating maternal warmth.
Writing
Balances courtroom tension with raucous memorial party.
Production
Pre-gentrification Manhattan shot like a love letter.
Director
Thom Fitzgerald
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Released when AIDS deaths were still peaking in the US, the film captures a specific moment when queer communities were pioneering death-positive rituals in defiance of medical and social stigma.
Director Thom Fitzgerald originally conceived this as a stage play, which explains the theatrical structure of competing testimonies and the single-location party scenes.
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