Partners (1982 film)
| Partners | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | James Burrows |
| Produced by | |
| Written by | Francis Veber |
| Starring | |
| Music by | Georges Delerue |
| Cinematography | Victor J. Kemper |
| Edited by |
|
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million[1] |
| Box office | $6.1 million (US)[2] |
Partners is a 1982 American gay-themed buddy comedy film, starring Ryan O'Neal and John Hurt as a mismatched pair of cops. The film was directed by James Burrows.
Plot
After a series of murders in Los Angeles's gay community, heterosexual police officer Sgt. Benson (O'Neal) is assigned to go undercover as half of a gay couple with Officer Kerwin (Hurt), a Records Clerk. Kerwin naively believes that he is closeted although the entire Department knows about his sexual identity. The pair discover an earlier murder and learn that both victims appeared in the same gay magazine. Each had received a call from a hoarse-voiced man asking them to model for him, only to turn up dead soon after. Benson models for the magazine and is approached by the same hoarse-voiced man; but, when another model turns up dead, the man is cleared as a suspect.
Benson grows close to Jill (Robyn Douglass), the photographer of his shoot, and plans a weekend getaway with her. Kerwin suspects her of the murders, but his superiors put it down to jealousy. Kerwin uncovers evidence implicating Jill; but, when the police move to apprehend her, they discover her corpse. Her death unknown to Benson, he arrives for his rendezvous with Jill; and Kerwin races to his aid. Jill's killer, a closeted man whom Jill and one of the victims were blackmailing, admits to Benson that he killed Jill and two of the men but insists that Jill killed her partner in crime. Realizing that Kerwin is outside, the killer shoots at Kerwin who returns fire. Kerwin is wounded, but the other man is killed.
Production
"It's a comedy," said producer Russo. "It's a comedy that comes out of real situations, out of the tradition of French farce. I felt for both characters."[1]
The leading roles were originally offered to Clint Eastwood and Woody Allen. Eastwood expressed interest if Allen signed, but Allen declined.[1]
Reception
Rex Reed, writing for the New York Post, panned the film, saying, "Hollywood's latest crime against humanity in general and homosexuals in particular is a dumb creepshow called Partners – stupid, tasteless and homophobic, this sleazy, superficial film implies that gay cops can't be trusted to work with straight cops because they might fall in love with them."[3] Gene Siskel was also offended and later called it one of the worst films of 1982.[4] O'Neal was nominated for a Golden Raspberry Award as Worst Actor of the Decade.[5]
When asked if the film drew any complaints from gay men during filming, John Hurt said, "They didn't like it that I was wearing a lilac colored, track suit in it. They say homosexuals do not necessarily do that. And the person who saying this is sitting there in a pink track suit, It's a crazy world we live in."[6]
References
- 1 2 3 Lee, Grant (8 July 1981). "RUSSO ON LIFE AFTER MIDLER". Los Angeles Times. p. g1.
- ↑ "Partners". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ↑ Russo, Vitto. "The Celluloid Closet: Homosexuality in the Movies". Harper & Roe, Publishers Inc. 1987 (Revised Edition). P282.
- ↑ Sneak Previews: Worst of 1982
- ↑ "Decade's Worst -The 80's". Golden Raspberry Award. Retrieved May 2, 2016.
- ↑ Rutledge, Leigh W. (1989). The Gay Fireside Companion. Alyson Publications, Inc. p. 166.
External links
- Partners at the Internet Movie Database
- Partners at Box Office Mojo
- Partners at Rotten Tomatoes
- Partners at the TCM Movie Database