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Wow, did I ever miss a lot growing up! Who knew those masculine looks of profound friendship in Ben Hur disguised the reunion of two former gay lovers? Or that Peter Lorre's gardenia-scented calling card in The Maltese Falcon meant he liked to suck dicks?
Closet may go overboard in its enthusiasm to find any microscopic suggestion that damn near every Hollywood product since Metropolis has a gay subtext, but ya gotta give the film's producers credit for milking the cow dry, with this almost inexhaustible reservoir of gay & lesbian clips and interviews. (I suspect a cinematic retrospective of transsexuals would run as long as an Alabama Pride rally; when do WE get our turn in the sun?)
The evolution of social attitudes and slow cinematic acceptance of the gay lifestyle is well-documented, from the early days of comic relief, through the '50s portrayal of "evil" homosexuals (vampires, villains, et al.), to a more contemporary embrace of cultural diversity and individual choice.
An aside: Lily Tomlin narrates the film; she hosts gay awards events almost annually, and she lives with her "longtime companion" and co-writer Jane Wagner. Lily, is there anyone in America who's clinging to the belief you're straight? When will you pick up the clarion and sound our anthem? We have enough armchair supporters, we need a few more Malcolm Xs.