Call Me by Your Name (2017)
About This Movie
During a languid summer in 1983 northern Italy, a seventeen year old falls in love with his father's twenty-four year old research assistant, and the weeks that follow are suffused with the ache of first desire, intellectual awakening, and the knowledge that the season will end. Luca Guadagnino bathed every frame in golden light and ripe fruit, making the Italian countryside feel like an extension of the characters' longing. The final shot, a four minute unbroken take of Timothée Chalamet's face processing loss, is one of the most powerful acting moments in recent cinema.
Why It's a Classic
Guadagnino's achievement is one of atmosphere and sensory immersion: you feel the heat, hear the cicadas, and taste the apricots. Chalamet's Elio undergoes a transformation from intellectual precocity to emotional vulnerability that is rendered with such physical specificity that each gesture, each averted glance, becomes a language of its own. Armie Hammer's Oliver provides the adult confidence and casual charm that Elio finds irresistible, but also the awareness that this relationship has an expiration date built in. Michael Stuhlbarg's monologue as Elio's father, where he tells his son to feel everything rather than numb himself to the pain, is one of the great parental speeches in cinema, offering acceptance and wisdom without a trace of judgment. Sufjan Stevens' songs, particularly 'Visions of Gideon,' amplify the film's melancholy without overwhelming it.
Fun Fact
Chalamet learned to play piano and speak Italian for the role, and his performances of the Bach and Busoni pieces in the film are his own playing. Guadagnino initially wanted the film to be set in the present day, but screenwriter James Ivory insisted on the 1983 setting to situate the romance before the AIDS crisis transformed gay relationships. The peach scene, adapted directly from André Aciman's novel, became the film's most discussed moment. Ivory won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay at age eighty-nine, making him the oldest Oscar winner in a competitive category.
Parent Note
The film depicts a sexual relationship between a seventeen year old and a twenty-four year old, which is legal in Italy but may concern some viewers regardless of setting. There are several intimate scenes with partial nudity. The emotional intensity of first love and heartbreak is rendered with great honesty. No violence or strong language. Rated R for sexual content. The film is tender and respectful in its depiction of queer love, and the father's acceptance speech has become a touchstone for LGBTQ audiences.
Quick Facts
- Year
- 2017
- Type
- 🎬 Movie
- Category
- Coming of Age
- Age Group
- Adults (Ages 18+)