327:, Lucy Massie Phenix, and Veronica Selver. An initial investment of $ 30,000 was raised from people who believed in the idea and wanted to see the film made, and assistants were hired and production began. The original number of interviewees was only eight people, but when the trial film was screened to test audiences, the response and interest generated indicated that a much larger and more diverse cross-section of interviewees was desirable. Several more years were then spent in filming the rest of the interviews, and intercutting them with each other to create the final product.
353:"When audiences saw the film, thousands wrote to the Mariposa Film Group's post office box number listed in the end credits to express how much the film meant to them — and many of them related how viewing the film saved their lives." "People who were alone and hopeless in Idaho, Utah and Kansas for the first time saw realistic and positive images of gay people on screen," said production assistant Janet Cole.
319:, finished in 1977, was on its surface a very simple idea answering the simple question, "Who Are We?" For the film, I, and the five other principle people I worked with spent a year doing research interviews on videotape of 250 lesbians and gay men all across the country. In the end, twenty-two were chosen to tell their stories in the film.
339:
startled audiences across the country when it appeared in movie theaters and on PBS television. It was the first feature-length documentary about lesbian and gay identity made by gay filmmakers, and had a large and pioneering impact when it was released. The film became an icon of the emerging gay
310:
In the 1970s when the modern gay movement was just beginning, our biggest problem was invisibility. Who homosexuals were was largely determined by straight people. It was bad enough that the public image of gay men and lesbians was defined largely by stereotypes — after all, I want other people to
311:
have an accurate picture of who I am. But these stereotypes created by outsiders largely defined our perceptions of who we thought we were. What a state of affairs. One's reference for "What was Gay?" was a few nasty images, and, if you were lucky, your immediate circle of queer friends.
418:
was one of the first gay-focused nonfiction books sympathetic to gays published in the U.S. The book reached many people who were unable to view the film, and remained a popular gay nonfiction text for many years, helping many gays and lesbians realize that they were not alone.
260:. The interviewees range in age from 18 to 77, in locations from San Francisco to New Mexico to Boston, in types from a bee-hived housewife to student to conservative businessman to sultry drag queen, and in race from Caucasian to Hispanic, African-American, and Asian. Writer
422:
The book also helped members of the heterosexual community to relate to the normalcy of homosexual lives, and to also understand gay persons' struggles, pain, marginalization, ostracism, professional concerns, and frustrating need for secrecy when in a climate of
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In 1978, a book containing transcripts of the interviews was published, under the same title. The book also details how the film and book were created by the successful collective.
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had a remarkable impact, coming at a time when images of homosexuals as everyday people, as opposed to psychopaths or eccentrics, were rare."
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The DVD edition of the documentary, featuring the restored and remastered digital print of the original film, was released in June 2010 by
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For the 30th anniversary, a restored and remastered 133-minute version of the film, which had no viable print remaining, was produced by
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The directors of the film, collectively known as the
Mariposa Film Group, were Peter Adair, Nancy Adair, Andrew Brown,
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The interviews from the film were transcribed into a book of the same title, which was published in
October 1978.
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458:. As special features, the DVD includes exclusive updates on the cast and the filmmakers plus an homage to
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conceived and produced the film, and was one of the directors. The film premiered in
November 1977 at the
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men and women. It was directed by six people collectively known as the
Mariposa Film Group.
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rights movement of the 1970s." "The silence of gay people on the screen has been broken,"
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took five years, over 200 interviews, and six co-directors to make. Documentary filmmaker
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Both the restoration and the DVD release were funded by gay activist and philanthropist
382:, the film holds a score of 100% based on 17 reviews, with an average rating of 7.9/10.
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in San
Francisco and went into limited national release in 1978. It also aired on many
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560:"'Iron Man,' 'Super Fly' and 'Carrie' are inducted into the National Film Registry"
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481:. On the DVD's special features, Bohnett speaks briefly about the film's impact.
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intercuts interviews with 26 people, who speak about their experiences as
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In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States
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In 2022, the film was selected for preservation in the United States
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as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
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as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".
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In 2011, a book examining the film's impact was published, titled
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592:"Peter Adair, 53, Director, Dies; Made Films With Gay Themes."
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360:, David Dunlop wrote in 1996: "Understated though it was,
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came up with the idea for the film. According to Adair:
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is a 1977 documentary film featuring interviews with 26
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The AIDS Show: Artists
Involved with Death and Survival
1018:(segment "Isaiah's Rap"; 2002, with Jeffrey Friedman)
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631:Gays/Justice: A Study of Ethics, Society, and Law
287:The interviewees describe their experiences of
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635:Columbia University Press, 1988. pp. 280–283.
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660:"Word Is Out: Stories of Some Of Our Lives"
1123:United States National Film Registry films
1093:Non-fiction books about same-sex sexuality
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965:Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives
867:Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives
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692:Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives
416:Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives
337:Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives
208:Word Is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives
1128:American LGBTQ-related documentary films
451:at the Castro Theater in San Francisco.
447:, and premiered on 26 June 2008, at the
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435:Restoration of the film and DVD release
989:Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt
941:Where Are We? Our Trip Through America
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1047:Linda Ronstadt: The Sound of My Voice
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511:"Coming Out, Looking in, Summing up"
1133:English-language documentary films
752:30th Anniversary Commemorative DVD
284:are among the people interviewed.
25:
558:Ulaby, Neda (December 14, 2022).
462:, the originator and producer of
369:Word Is Out: A Queer Film Classic
783:"DVD Savant Review: Word is Out"
445:UCLA Film and Television Archive
758:. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
725:. Retrieved November 10, 2015.
1:
1083:Films directed by Rob Epstein
1058:(2019, with Jeffrey Friedman)
1050:(2019, with Jeffrey Friedman)
1042:(2018, with Jeffrey Friedman)
1034:(2013, with Jeffrey Friedman)
1026:(2010, with Jeffrey Friedman)
1012:(2000, with Jeffrey Friedman)
1004:(1995, with Jeffrey Friedman)
1113:1970s English-language films
873:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
280:, and avant-garde filmmaker
947:An Evening with Eddie Gomez
350:, a national gay magazine.
1149:
509:Kehr, Dave (28 May 2010).
491:List of LGBT-related films
44:Theatrical release poster
37:
1088:1977 LGBTQ-related films
934:The Times of Harvey Milk
528:Parker, William (1985).
479:David Bohnett Foundation
27:1977 film by Peter Adair
449:Frameline Film Festival
191:(2008 restored version)
1103:1977 documentary films
1098:1978 non-fiction books
801:store.oscilloscope.net
696:Delacorte Press, 1978.
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387:National Film Registry
272:, civil rights leader
235:National Film Registry
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1118:1970s American films
1001:The Celluloid Closet
1108:Books of interviews
883:– informational PDF
408:in book form (1978)
391:Library of Congress
239:Library of Congress
53:Mariposa Film Group
861:TCM Movie Database
829:– Official website
756:WordIsOutMovie.com
713:2013-05-21 at the
648:. 29 January 2018.
515:The New York Times
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227:stations in 1978.
162:November 1977
127:Lucy Massie Phenix
109:Lucy Massie Phenix
91:Lucy Massie Phenix
67:Lucy Massie Phenix
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628:Mohr, Richard D.
590:Dunlop, David W.
376:review aggregator
371:by Greg Youmans.
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137:Trish Nugent
123:Andrew Brown
105:Andrew Brown
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61:Andrew Brown
982:Peter Adair
970:Peter Adair
919:Rob Epstein
880:Word Is Out
834:Word Is Out
824:Word Is Out
750:Word Is Out
736:Word Is Out
723:Outfest.org
617:Word Is Out
464:Word Is Out
460:Peter Adair
406:Word Is Out
362:Word Is Out
325:Rob Epstein
317:Word Is Out
304:Peter Adair
300:Word Is Out
268:, inventor
262:Elsa Gidlow
250:Word Is Out
217:Peter Adair
188:133 minutes
182:124 minutes
125:Rob Epstein
121:Peter Adair
119:Nancy Adair
107:Rob Epstein
103:Peter Adair
101:Nancy Adair
88:Rob Epstein
82:Peter Adair
78:Peter Adair
74:Produced by
64:Rob Epstein
59:Nancy Adair
56:Peter Adair
50:Directed by
33:Word Is Out
18:Nancy Adair
1078:1977 films
1072:Categories
497:References
477:, via his
429:illegality
425:homophobia
342:Vito Russo
335:"In 1978,
295:Production
289:coming out
276:, actress
185:(original)
917:Works by
470:in 1996.
274:Harry Hay
116:Edited by
1039:End Game
1031:Lovelace
839:AllMovie
711:Archived
675:June 14,
485:See also
443:and the
378:website
278:Pat Bond
258:lesbians
197:Language
134:Music by
870:at the
859:at the
719:Outfest
441:Outfest
389:by the
356:In the
254:gay men
237:by the
200:English
166:1977-11
164: (
949:(2005)
943:(1989)
937:(1984)
646:"Book"
538:
331:Impact
1023:Howl
926:Solo
850:IMDb
677:2023
573:2022
536:ISBN
468:AIDS
427:and
397:Book
256:and
848:at
837:at
739:DVD
565:NPR
374:On
225:PBS
213:gay
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