“Monday evening at the newly-opened Vidiots/Eagle Theatre in the Eagle Rock district of Los Angeles was a special screening hosted by Outfest of the new documentary Rock Hudson: All That Heaven Allowed (HBO & Max, 2023). Stephen Kijak’s archive-rich documentary finds double-meanings in deftly chosen Hudson movie clips and repositions the star’s legacy as an unwitting AIDS activist.
This tale has been told at least once before, in Mark Rappaport’s 1992 documentary Rock Hudson’s Home Movies, but with the benefit of additional archival film footage and greater remove from the events recounted, Kijak offers a different perspective. The archival collection from which he draws is rich and varied, though Hudson was so careful with his public persona that there aren’t as many behind-the-scenes visual revelations of his true self. Kijak’s documentary airs on HBO Max beginning June 28…”
