Haynes maintained he was influenced by three major melodramas of the 1950s in his making of this film, including ôAll That Heaven Allows,ö ôImitation of Life,ö and ôThe Reckless Moment,ö films that cover similar topics from forbidden love to racism. Cathy and RaymondÆs deep affection for each other creates a maelstrom of gossip and one reporter jots down Cathy is a ôfriend to Negroesö when she touches Raymond (Haynes 2002). Before we see the taking off of the characterÆs masks in the film, Cathy and Frank appear as the successful perfect couple ôMr. and Mrs. Magnatechö in their social circle (Haynes 2002). This is before FrankÆs homosexuality is known and before Cathy finds Raymond the most beautiful man sheÆs ever seen. By not judging the values of this culture but merely mirroring them before us, Haynes reproduces old social norms as a means of reflecting on and the re-imagining of identity development and homosexuality. ôAversion therapyö is no longer considered appropriate for a condition that is no longer viewed as an ôillnessö (Haynes 2002).
Some filmmakers have re-imagined classical Hollywood images of homosexuals and homosexuality in more direct ways. Gus Van SantÆs ôMy Own Private Idahoö exposes a number of seedier elements of the homosexual lifestyle, including tricking for sex, drug and alcohol use, and the inability to find love through lasting commitments. However, though it is a contemporary film some of the values expressed by its characters show the hangover of past prejudices and homophobia on modern homosexuals. We see this in an exchange between Scott Favor and Mike Walters. MikeÆs character exhibits the drifting need for love characteristic of the modern homosexual community that often results in self-destructive behaviors. He searchers for love and is hurt from an abusive childhood but ScottÆs reaction demonstrates old social conventions of attitudes toward male love that ...