The Lost Language of Cranes

I read the book way back in the 80s and I had heard it had been made into a movie. But it was only recently that I decided to look for it on the internet -- and voilà -- it was still there, just about alive. Yes, the film seems a little jaded after all these years, but I think it's a classic. Set in London in the 90s, it's about an intellectual middle class family (mother is a book editor, father a university teacher, son is (I think) a writer). The story was novel enough when the book came out. It was about a son coming out to his parents, thereby creating turmoil in the life of his father, who has been a closet gay all his life, furtively setting it off in porno theaters. The son's openly gay lifestyle is contrasted with the furtive lifestyle of the father. The best part of the movie and book, is the time the author and director gives to exploring the feelings of outrage of the mother. This is not a feel-good kind of movie but it will stay with you for a long time after you've seen it.