A landmark HBO miniseries that should have been the movie event of the year (had it played in theaters), Mike Nichols’s staggering adaptation of Tony Kushner’s Pulitzer-winning epic play articulates the limited, nightmarish options for gay people in Reagan’s America—while never losing sight of a flickering sense of hope. These characters don’t have rights, but witnessing their struggle leaves you feeling armed.
Some of the best and most controversial documentaries and dramas of the last 30 years have emerged from the evolving issue of gay rights. This fall, Roland Emmerich’s Stonewall casts back to the explosive origins of gay pride, spilling onto the streets of a recreated 1969 Greenwich Village. But for viewers who want the facts (and a little more depth), we can think of 10 worthier films.