Taking its title from the euphemistic term for lover often used in newspaper obituaries, Longtime Companion follows the everyday lives of a group of gay men living in New York City during the 1980s. When the film begins, at the start of the 1980s, many gay men are dying from a nameless mystery disease. By film and decade's end, AIDS finally has a name, and it has profoundly changed the lives of every member of the group. Moving and beautifully acted, Longtime Companion was one of the first films to deal with AIDS in a compassionate and intelligent way.