Word is Out - Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977)

100% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
72% of users liked it
(43 ratings)

Twenty-six homosexual men and lesbian women give in-depth interviews to the filmmakers, revealing aspects about gay life which shatter widespread stereotypes. This 1977 documentary also examines the issues of racial minorities within the gay community. Among those interviewed are several factory… More Twenty-six homosexual men and lesbian women give in-depth interviews to the filmmakers, revealing aspects about gay life which shatter widespread stereotypes. This 1977 documentary also examines the issues of racial minorities within the gay community. Among those interviewed are several factory workers, a truck driver, and a veterinarian. Many of the interviewees had previously been married with children, often losing visiting rights when their homosexuality was revealed. Several had been in the military. One highlight of the film is the interview with a New-Mexican lesbian couple who live cheerfully in extremely primitive conditions. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 2 hr. 10 min.
Directed By: Peter Adair, Nancy Adair
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

On DVD: May 13, 1992

Critic Reviews

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice
[An] extraordinary, groundbreaking documentary.
Philip Martin, Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
...may be the most important movie you've never heard of, much less seen. It was the first feature length documentary about gay people, made by gay people, and one of the first to treat homosexuality as a naturally occurring phenomenon.
Kent Turner, Film-Forward.com
Word's bound to have something to share with the viewer, gay or straight.
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Sometimes it's moving.
Phil Hall, IdentityTheory
A landmark, but not a classic.
Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York
This landmark American documentary is bracing in light of the foggy discourse, both pro and con, that accompanies a good many films with queer subject matter.
Eric Henderson, Slant Magazine
The gift of time and perspective has added a few kinks to what seems a mostly pedestrian experience.
Emanuel Levy, Screendaily
A landmark docu, not just for being the first on its subject, but also because of the collective way it was financed, directed and edited. Locations and clothes were chosen in consultation with the 26 gays and lesbians to make them feel at ease

Read all 8 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

_kelly .

This is a beautiful little time capsule shot in 1975 of interviews with 26 queer people, selected from 200 pre-interviews and edited from 50 hours of footage. More than anything, it taught me that I underestimated how advanced queer studies was in '75 and how commonplace that… More
This is a beautiful little time capsule shot in 1975 of interviews with 26 queer people, selected from 200 pre-interviews and edited from 50 hours of footage. More than anything, it taught me that I underestimated how advanced queer studies was in '75 and how commonplace that knowledge was among queer people of that era. Of course, it has the effect of showing the eternal struggles of queer life, and the struggles that have remained static because of our political climate. Also, the restoration looks beautiful.

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Word is Out - Stories of Some of Our Lives (1977)

Critic Reviews

Featured Audience Ratings

_kelly .

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