''An Early Frost'' is a 1985 American

made-for-television A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...

drama film In film and television, drama is a category or genre of narrative fiction (or semi-fiction) intended to be more serious than humorous in tone. Drama of this kind is usually qualified with additional terms that specify its particular super-g ...

. It was the first major film with major motion picture stars,

Aidan Quinn Aidan Quinn (born March 8, 1959) is an American actor who made his film debut in '' Reckless'' (1984). He has starred in over 80 feature films, including ''Desperately Seeking Susan'' (1985), '' The Mission'' (1986), ''Stakeout'' (1987), ''Aval ...

Gena Rowlands Virginia Cathryn "Gena" Rowlands (born June 19, 1930) is an American retired actress, whose career in film, stage, and television has spanned seven decades. A four-time Emmy and two-time Golden Globe winner, she is known for her collaborations ...

Ben Gazzara Biagio Anthony Gazzara (August 28, 1930 – February 3, 2012) was an American actor and director of film, stage, and television. He received numerous accolades, including a Primetime Emmy Award and a Drama Desk Award, in addition to nominatio ...

, and

Sylvia Sidney Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen and film actress whose career spanned over 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Aca ...

, broadcast on a major television network, NBC, to deal with the topic of

AIDS Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual m ...

. It was viewed by 34 million households in its initial airing, the highest rated show of the night, even beating Monday Night Football, received 14 Emmy nominations, winning three including Best Original Teleplay, a Peabody Award, as well as multiple Golden Globe nominations, including one for Sylvia Sidney who won for Best Supporting Actress. It was a major breakthrough into mass culture, as it was the first time an American audience of that size saw a film about a gay man who had AIDS, which up until then was considered a gay disease. It was first broadcast on the

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...

television network on November 11, 1985. It was directed by

John Erman John Erman (August 3, 1935 – June 25, 2021) was an American television director, producer, and actor. He was nominated for ten Primetime Emmy Awards, winning once for the film ''Who Will Love My Children?'' (1983). He also won two Directors Gu ...

, from the Emmy Award-winning teleplay written by

Ron Cowen Ron Cowen is an American writer and producer. He is a partner with Daniel Lipman in the television production company Cowlip Productions. Filmography As a writer * '' Queer as Folk'' (2000–2005) TV Series (developed by, writer) with Daniel L ...

and

Daniel Lipman Daniel Lipman is a writer and producer from Baltimore, Maryland. His best-known work to date is writing for and producing the hit American television shows ''Queer as Folk'' and ''Sisters''. He is a partner with Ron Cowen in the television produ ...

(story by

Sherman Yellen Sherman Yellen (born February 25, 1932, New York City) is an American playwright, screenwriter, and political commentator. Early life and education Sherman Yellen was born in 1932 to Nathan and Lillian Yellen. He attended the High School of Mus ...

stars as Michael Pierson, a

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

attorney who goes home to break the news that he is gay and has AIDS to his parents, played by

and

Storyline

Michael Pierson, a successful lawyer, suffers a bad coughing jag at work and is rushed to the hospital. There he learns from a doctor that he has been exposed to HIV. At home, he receives another piece of disturbing news: his lover, Peter (

D. W. Moffett Donald Warren "D.W." Moffett (born October 26, 1954) is an American film, stage, and television actor. Moffett began his career in stage productions in Chicago before starring in the original New York City production of Larry Kramer's ''The Norma ...

), confesses that he had sex outside the relationship because Michael is a workaholic and is living

in the closet "In the Closet" is a song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was released on April 9, 1992, as the third single from his eighth album, ''Dangerous'' (1991). The song was written and produced by Jackson and Teddy Riley. It became ...

. Michael, in a rage, throws Peter out of the house. He then travels to his parents' home to inform them that he is gay and has AIDS. Michael's father, Nick (

), is a lumber company owner, and his wife, Kate (

), is a former concert pianist, housewife, and grandmother. The couple's daughter, Susan (

Sydney Walsh Sydney Walsh (born in Manhattan, New York) is an American actress. She is perhaps best known for her role as Maureen "Mo" DeMott, a police officer who tries to "save" her gay patrol partner (Joseph Gian) by making passes at him, in the television ...

) is married and has a child. Nick reacts angrily to the news, while Kate attempts to adapt to the situation. Nick initially refuses to speak to Michael for a day before breaking silence by saying, "I never thought the day would come when you'd be in front of me and I wouldn't know who you are." Susan, who is pregnant, refuses to see Michael, saying that she "can't take that chance," and Nick explodes when Michael tries to kiss Kate. Kate remembers reading in a magazine article that HIV is not transmitted through casual contact and tries to get the rest of the family to accept Michael (Gena Rowlands also taped a public service announcement about HIV transmission). Michael eventually winds up in the hospital (after paramedics who are called to his parents' house refuse to transport him to the hospital) and meets a fellow patient named Victor ( John Glover), a flamboyant homosexual with AIDS. The film depicts Victor's death and shows a nurse throwing Victor's few possessions into a garbage bag because she fears that the items could be contaminated. Afterwards, Michael returns home and discovers Peter came to visit, and the two quickly reconcile. Peter asks Michael to go back home with him, but Michael insists that he cannot. As he continues to struggle coping with his diagnosis, Michael attempts suicide by

carbon monoxide poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning typically occurs from breathing in carbon monoxide (CO) at excessive levels. Symptoms are often described as "flu-like" and commonly include headache, dizziness, weakness, vomiting, chest pain, and confusion. Large e ...

, but is stopped by Nick. The two argue and Nick insists that Michael keep fighting. The film ends with Michael taking a taxi cab back to Chicago, telling his parents he loves them before he goes.

Cast

as Michael Pierson *

as Beatrice McKenna *

as Nick Pierson *

as Katherine Pierson *

as Susan Maracek *

Terry O'Quinn Terrance Quinn (born July 15, 1952), known professionally as Terry O'Quinn, is an American actor. He played John Locke on the TV series ''Lost'', the title role in '' The Stepfather'' and ''Stepfather II'', and Peter Watts in ''Millennium'', w ...

as Dr. Redding * John Glover as Victor Mitado *

Bill Paxton William Paxton (May 17, 1955 – February 25, 2017) was an American actor and filmmaker. He appeared in films such as '' Weird Science'' (1985), ''Aliens'' (1986), ''Near Dark'' (1987), '' Tombstone'' (1993), ''True Lies'' (1994), '' Apollo 13 ...

as Bob Maracek *

as Peter Hilton * Cheryl Anderson as Christine * Christopher Bradley as Todd * Sue Ann Gilfillan as Nurse Lincoln * Don Hood as Dr. Gilbert * Barbara Hey as Meredith *

Scott Jaeck Scott Jaeck (born October 29, 1954 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin) is an American actor. He attended New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, graduating in 1973. He attended the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. He was married to actress Mariann M ...

as Phil

Development

The teleplay for the film by Ron Cowen and Daniel Lipman spent two years in development and underwent at least thirteen rewrites before the Standards and Practices division at the network accepted it for airing.

Reviews, awards, and aftermath

Tom Shales of ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' called ''An Early Frost'' "the most important TV movie of the year." The film was number one in the Nielsen ratings during the night it aired, garnering a 23.3 share and watched by 34 million people (the film outperformed a San Francisco 49ers-Denver Broncos game broadcast on ABC and a ''

Cagney & Lacey ''Cagney & Lacey'' is an American police procedural drama television series that aired on the CBS television network for seven seasons from March 25, 1982, to May 16, 1988. The show is about two New York City police detectives who lead very dif ...

'' episode on CBS). The film was nominated for 14 Emmy Awards and won three, including Outstanding Writing For a Movie or Miniseries for Cowen and Lipman for their teleplay. Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, Aidan Quinn, Sylvia Sidney and John Glover were all nominated for their performances, as was John Erman for his direction. The film was nominated for the Golden Globe Award for Best Television movie and won

the

Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are accolades bestowed by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association beginning in January 1944, recognizing excellence in both American and international film and television. Beginning in 2022, there are 105 members of t ...

for Best Supporting Actress in a Series, Miniseries or a TV Movie. It also won the

Peabody Award The George Foster Peabody Awards (or simply Peabody Awards or the Peabodys) program, named for the American businessman and philanthropist George Peabody, honor the most powerful, enlightening, and invigorating stories in television, radio, and ...

. The network, however, lost $500,000 in revenue because advertisers were leery about sponsoring the film. The film conveyed the prejudices surrounding HIV/AIDS at the time and the then common limited understanding by the general public of the methods of transmission and likelihood of infection.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Early Frost, An 1985 television films 1985 films 1985 drama films 1985 LGBT-related films American LGBT-related television films Gay-related films HIV/AIDS in American films Films directed by John Erman Peabody Award-winning broadcasts NBC network original films NBC Productions films HIV/AIDS in television American drama television films 1980s American films