Product Details

• Actors: Glenn Close, Bridget Fonda, Whoopi Goldberg, Robert Sean Leonard, David Strathairn
• Directors: Christopher Reeve
• Format: Color, NTSC
• Language: Spanish
• Rated: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Number of tapes: 1
• Studio: Hbo Home Video
• VHS Release Date: March 24, 1998
• Run Time: 67 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 0783112173
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #199,559 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com essential video

Original produced for HBO, this hour-long drama marks the emotionally stressful turning point for a family nearly torn apart by the tragedy of AIDS. It also marked a turning point for actor Christopher Reeve, making an acclaimed directorial debut following the horse-riding accident that left him a quadriplegic, paralyzed from the shoulders down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe. This moving drama proved that Reeve could succeed in his second career, drawing upon his own experience to elicit fine performances from his distinguished cast. Robert Sean Leonard plays a gay man in his early 20s who returns to the home of his affluent parents in upstate New York, dying from AIDS and wishing to spend his final months with his family. While his mother (Glenn Close) responds with care and compassion with the help of a live-in nurse (Whoopi Goldberg), his father (David Strathairn) is unable to accept his son's sexual orientation, much less his inevitable death. His sister (Bridget Fonda) is equally confused and detached from the family, and this emotionally wrenching situation generates a slow and painful change in the dynamics of this dysfunctional family. Similar in theme and quality to Ordinary People, this thoughtfully written and directed film packs more honesty and emotion into 62 minutes than most dramas twice that length. It's a showcase for superior talent and a remarkable achievement for everyone involved. --Jeff Shannon

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars perspective, April 17, 2000

By 

mindy redwine niles (texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In the Gloaming [VHS] (VHS Tape)

I found this movie to be inspiring, hauntingly beautiful in thought and performance, writing and directing. A current day story that any of us might experience, and might not deal with as well as depicted here. The title song at the end is breathtaking, and I have been searching for it since seeing the film last year. Thought provoking and important. Well worth watching.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm speechless..., June 5, 2001

By 

L. Spencer (San Diego, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In the Gloaming [VHS] (VHS Tape)

This is just one of those movies where you walk away not sure what to say. I caught it by accident on cable, and was mesmerized from the second it started. It's a great story about life, and death, and all we hold dear to us.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Read the actual short story., July 22, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: In the Gloaming [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Be sure to read the short story by Alice Elliott Dark this film is based on. The writing will draw you in, grab you, then leave you knowing you've just experienced a wonderful moment. The visuals are all there and far better than the film.