Reel Affirmations: The Nation's LGBT Film Festival 2009

Quentin Crisp, witty English writer and Britain’s first "out" man, rose to iconic stardom after the publication of his 1968 memoir, The Naked Civil Servant. An unflinching account of queer sexuality, the book was a celebration of alternative lifestyles and led to fame and fortune for Crisp. Made into an award-winning 1975 film starring John Hurt, Naked chronicled Crisp’s transformation from quiet English boy to outspoken author and raconteur. Now more than 30 years later, An Englishman in New York reprises Hurt’s role as Crisp, giving a heartfelt and deeply embodied performance of a gay men struggling to come to terms with a changing world – a post-Stonewall world of AIDS, Village clones and the struggles of a community learning how to assert its rights. Feted by celebrities, adored by even mainstream audiences, Crisp is a fixture on the champagne circuit, but soon finds himself on the outs with the gay community after asserting that AIDS "is a fad." True to form, Crisp refuses to recant, even as friends began to die around him. His circle of friends dwindles, but he soon finds himself the unlikely muse of Penny Arcade (deliciously played by Sex and the City’s Cynthia Nixon), a provocative performance artist. At 90, he embarks on his last stint in the theater, bringing his insight and wit to new audiences. This delightfully engaging film examines the unexpected third act of Crisp’s life – delving into his close personal friendships and the vulnerability hiding beneath the bravado.