Paul’s Case (1980) Queer Film (A)

DIRECTOR: Lamont Johnson

First shown on PBS on February 11, 1980. Adapted for the short story of the same name by Willa Cather, published in 1905.

Paul, a high‑school student in Pittsburgh, is artistic, dreamy, and painfully out of place. He works as an usher at the symphony and idolizes the world of music, elegance, and refinement. At home, he lives with his strict, unimaginative father. At school, teachers view him as insolent and “unnatural.” His mannerisms and aestheticism mark him as different—coded queer in both Cather’s text and the film’s interpretation.

Paul is fired from his usher job after being accused of inappropriate behavior and lying. Desperate to escape, he steals a large sum of money from his employer and flees to New York City, where he checks into the Waldorf-Astoria, buys fine clothes, and lives for a few days as the person he believes he was meant to be. He befriends a young Yale student and experiences a fleeting sense of belonging in a world of sophistication and possibility. When the theft is discovered, Paul realizes his fantasy life is collapsing. Rather than return to Pittsburgh and face disgrace, he walks into the snow and takes his own life—a tragic, lyrical ending that mirrors the story’s themes of beauty, alienation, and the impossibility of escape.

Beautifully realized by director Lamont Johnson, the film preserves Cather’s delicate psychological shading and queer-coded subtext. Eric Roberts’ performance is luminous—romantic, brittle, and heartbreaking. A star is born.

Highly rated by Pauline Kael.

Now streaming on DOVE (through AMAZON)