Exuberant, eye-opening movie that serves up a dazzling hundred-year history of the role of gay men and lesbians have had on the silver screen. Film contains fabulous footage from 120 films showing the changing face of cinema sexuality, from cruel stereotypes to covert love to the activist triumphs of the 1990s.
The Celluloid Closet (1996) is a documentary and history film directed by Rob Epstein, released on March 15, 1996 with a runtime of 1h 42m. It stars Lily Tomlin, Tony Curtis, Susan Sarandon and Gore Vidal. Viewers rate it 7.2 out of 10 across 120 ratings.
Watch the official trailer for The Celluloid Closet before you stream it.
Lily Tomlin
as Narrator (voice)
Tony Curtis
as Self
Susan Sarandon
as Self
Gore Vidal
as Self
Whoopi Goldberg
as Self
Antonio Fargas
as Self
Shirley MacLaine
as Self
John Schlesinger
as Self
Armistead Maupin
as Self
Arthur Laurents
as Self
Tom Hanks
as Self
Farley Granger
as Self
Directed by Rob Epstein, written by Vito Russo, Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, produced by Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman and Caroline Spry.
Average viewer score of 7.2/10 from 120 ratings.
Ok, so perhaps some of the claims made in the narration about some of the stars featured here are a bit optimistically speculative, but it still manages to use some very well researched archive and the benefit of hindsight to portray a sort of “Hollywood Babylon” approach to a century of gay Hollywood film-making. Starting way back, pre-code, with films from the likes of Cecil B. DeMille, it presents and engaging…
Reviewed on November 17, 2025
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The Celluloid Closet (1996) is currently available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube and Fandango At Home. No subscription streaming option is listed right now, so availability may change.
The main cast of The Celluloid Closet (1996) includes Lily Tomlin, Tony Curtis, Susan Sarandon, Gore Vidal and Whoopi Goldberg. The film was directed by Rob Epstein. You can see the full cast and crew list, with character names, further up this page.
The Celluloid Closet was released on March 15, 1996 and runs for 1h 42m.
The Celluloid Closet (1996) holds an average rating of 7.2 out of 10 from 120 viewer votes, and is a good pick if you enjoy documentary and history films. Read the viewer reviews on this page to decide for yourself.
Yes. The official The Celluloid Closet trailer is embedded in the trailer section of this page and plays instantly, no download or sign-up required.
