One of Hollywood's most iconic leading men of the 1950's and 60's, Rock Hudson was the embodiment of romantic masculinity and virile heterosexuality until his diagnosis and death from AIDS in 1985 shattered the hall-of-mirrors of his life. This intimate portrait tells the story of a manufactured star living a double-life, revealing the man behind the myth - his lovers and friends, sex and secrets - through interviews with some of the gay men who were closest to him. The film examines his staggering body of work (over 60 feature films and TV shows), and enduring legacy that changed the course of the AIDS crisis, covering an arc of history from the pre-Stonewall era through to the present day.
"'Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed' is out, proud, and unapologetic... The most refreshing characteristic of director Stephen Kijak's documentary is its frankness... Some of the stories get pretty spicy... such openness makes the film even more moving and effective... a celebration of its subject told with more than a little humor and honesty." — THE BOSTON GLOBE
"a terrific portrait" — THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE
"pulsating, entertaining and moving" — THE CINEMA DAILY
"excellent... There's joy and humor in Kijak's film, and it radiates as brilliantly as Hudson's attractivenes" — THE DAILY BEAST
"An illuminating account of a beloved Hollywood icon's dual life... Kijak and editor Claire Didier have assembled the wealth of material into a fascinating, multilayered portrait... The impeccable selection of closing clips allows us to reimagine him as a man not just idolized as a star but accepted for the entirety of who he was." — THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER
"a vital piece of Hollywood history" — THE LOS ANGELES TIMES
"This funny, sad, meticulously researched and painstakingly detailed documentary is unmistakably real and inescapably touching." — THE OBSERVER/REX REED
"Rich & thorough...it will likely inspire those who may not know Hudson's work to seek it out. Kijak's film can remind a new generation that, despite seemingly insurmountable difficulties, some of our queer forebears could find a little slice of happiness, despite living in a world that told them they were not welcome" — ROGER EBERT.COM
"...a historical corrective...a chronicle of Hollywood's system of subterfuge and suggestion" — ROLLING STONE
"...engaging ...both a guilty pleasure and meaningful slice of queer history, delivers a loving yet irony-laced tribute to a closeted movie icon whose tragic death from AIDS changed the course of the epidemic and cemented his place in LGBTQ lore. Kijak's film will stand as a lasting testament to Hudson's unlikely mark on history, a fate the towering figure could never have foreseen." — THE SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE
World Premiere: Tribeca Film Festival June 11, 2023
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