Longtime Companion is a 1990 film with Bruce Davison, Campbell Scott, Patrick Cassidy, and Mary-Louise Parker. The first wide-release theatrical film to deal with the subject of AIDS, the film takes its title from the words The New York Times used to describe the surviving same-sex partner of someone who had died of AIDS.c.f. Auctions, published July 14, 1989: "...Sam Wagstaff Jr., Mr. Mapplethorpe's longtime companion, who died of AIDS in 1987. Mr. Mapplethorpe died of AIDS in March."

Plot

Longtime Companion chronicles the first years of the AIDS epidemic as seen through its impact on several gay men and the straight female best friend of one of them. The film is split into several sections identified by dates.

July 3, 1981

Willy (Scott) a personal trainer, and his friend John (Mulroney) are spending time with affluent gay couple David (Davison) and Sean (Mark Lamos) at their beach house on Fire Island for the 4th of July . Sean is a screenwriter for the popular daytime soap opera "Other People" and David comes from a blue blood background and has a large trust fund. Back in the city, Howard (Patrick Cassidy) is preparing to audition for Sean's soap. His boyfriend is Paul (John Dossett) and their next-door neighbor is Lisa (Parker), who is also friends with Fuzzy (Stephen Caffrey), a lawyer who represents Howard.