Critic Luke Warm About A.I.D.S. Film (Press, 27 October 1987)

The New Zealand A.I.D.S. film "A Death in the Family," directed by Stewart Main and Peter Wells, garnered mixed reviews from Walter Goodman of the "New York Times." The film, which explores the final days of A.I.D.S. victim Andrew Boyd, was described as intermittently moving but overly affected. Goodman acknowledged the film's admirable ambition and the inherently powerful subject matter, but criticised its execution, suggesting that the filmmakers' techniques transformed what should have been a deeply felt narrative into an example of arthouse pretentiousness. Goodman remarked on the strength of the film's dialogue, labelling it as "eulogy," while indicating that the ultimate loss depicted was diminished to a portrayal of homosexual bonding. He noted that the film's messages were overly forceful and that the drama primarily emerged from the intrusion of Boyd's actual family. Although he pointed out that this straight family's reactions were somewhat patronising, he found that they contributed some of the more impactful moments to the film. However, he ultimately viewed the film's conclusion, which featured floral imagery, candles, and clouds, as trivialising grief. "A Death in the Family" is currently being shown at the Film Forum in New York, accompanied by another film by Wells, titled "Jewel’s Dari." This second film covers the life of a male transvestite and his girlfriend. Goodman speculated that American audiences might struggle to understand the New Zealand dialect and slang, which he suggested could be advantageous.

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