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Attempting to condense the complex life of Rock Hudson into a 105-minute documentary is a daunting task. Hudson’s journey from a supporting actor to a Hollywood heartthrob and ultimately to a symbol of the AIDS crisis upon his death in 1985 was as monumental as his towering presence. Stephen Kijak’s recent documentary, which premiered at the 2023 Tribeca Film Festival, provides a glimpse into Hudson’s life, albeit with some rushed moments. While his early years and military service are briefly touched upon, the film acknowledges that audiences are more interested in his Hollywood career.
Rock Hudson’s Transformation into a Hollywood Heartthrob
From the onset, Kijak’s documentary aims for honesty by portraying a young Roy Fitzgerald, soon to be Rock Hudson, navigating the cutthroat world of Hollywood. Despite initial struggles with acting and stereotypes, Hudson’s partnership with agent Henry Willson marked a turning point in his career. With Willson’s guidance, Hudson underwent various transformations to fit the image of a leading man, eventually becoming a sought-after Hollywood star.
The Stardom and Struggles of Rock Hudson
Hudson’s rise to fame, particularly through his role in Douglas Sirk’s “Magnificent Obsession,” solidified his status as a romantic idol. Despite the glamour of Hollywood, Hudson’s personal life was fraught with hidden complexities, including his closeted sexuality and carefully orchestrated public image. However, the documentary sheds light on the support and admiration Hudson received from his close circle of friends and partners, highlighting moments of joy and resilience amid societal pressures.
Analysis of the Documentary “Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed”
Rock Hudson was no different. Not even his becoming “the face of AIDS” (to paraphrase frontline AIDS activist Morgan Fairchild) in the last year of his life is all-consuming of his legacy – not in this documentary’s assured hands, at least. The last act is sad, yes, as was the last act of far too many gay men in the 1980s. (Especially when Hudson’s old friends, the Reagans, refuse a phone call from his deathbed.) But Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed makes it abundantly clear that Hudson giving that disease a recognizable face at that moment in time was one of the most important flashpoints at the worst moment of the pandemic. He put AIDS on the cover of every newspaper and every magazine, after years of it going devastatingly underreported. The charity organizations and the donations coming into them shot off like a rocket after his death.
Exploration of Rock Hudson’s Legacy
That sense of generosity spills across all of Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed. Even if pieces of Rock’s life do seem slightly abbreviated, you still end up with a genuine sense that you have seen who he was and the life that he lived, at long last. It’s not just Rock Hudson movie star, not just Rock Hudson gay man, and not just Roy Fitzgerald underneath all of that. The heightened masculine iconography of what he stood for at the height of his stardom, and the surprise that so many people felt when his personal life seemed to them to undermine that image – all the facets of the diamond get their chance to shine in this moving and indispensable documentary.
Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed is now streaming on Max.
