Aha Moment: Maurice

Studio 360
The World

Growing up in the 1970s and ’80s, Brian Sloan remembers two types of gay characters in TV and movies: flamboyant decorators, and victims of AIDS. “There was no in-between. And there was no romance involved for gay characters either.”
Sloan was in college when he saw Maurice, the Merchant Ivory adaptation of E. M. Forster’s novel,  Maurice, about a gay relationship in early 20th century England. Maurice falls in love with a fellow student, Clive; bowing to social reality, Clive rejects their relationship, settling into an unhappy marriage with a woman. But Maurice’s story ends happily, with him in the arms of another man. The film struck a chord for Sloan. “It awakened within me what I wanted to say as an artist,” he says, “and that was essentially that there need to be more gay love stories.”
As a filmmaker, Sloan has written screenplays about gay characters in a range of situations, from screwball comedies to moody dramas. “The gayness of the character [is] a secondary consideration,” he says. “It’s trying to tell real stories about real people.”
â?? Is there a movie, song, book, or another work of art that has changed your life? Tell us in a comment below, or by e-mail.

Do you support journalism that strengthens our democracy?

At The World, we believe strongly that human-centered journalism is at the heart of an informed public and a strong democracy. We see democracy and journalism as two sides of the same coin. If you care about one, it is imperative to care about the other.

Every day, our nonprofit newsroom seeks to inform and empower listeners and hold the powerful accountable. Neither would be possible without the support of listeners like you. If you believe in our work, will you give today? We need your help now more than ever!