Behind the Candelabra is a 2013 American biographical comedy drama television film directed by Steven Soderbergh and written by Richard LaGravenese, based on the 1988 book by Scott Thorson and Alex Thorleifson. It dramatizes the last ten years in the life of pianist Liberace and the relationship that he had with Thorson.
It premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival on May 21, 2013, and competed for the Palme d'Or. It aired on HBO on May 26, 2013, and was given a cinematic release in the United Kingdom on June 7, 2013. The film received critical acclaim from television critics, including praise for the performances of Michael Douglas and Matt Damon. It marked the final onscreen acting role for Debbie Reynolds before her death in 2016.
Plot In 1977, 18-year-old Scott Thorson, who works as an animal trainer for films, meets Bob Black, a Hollywood producer, in a gay bar in Los Angeles. At Black's urging, he leaves his adopted home in search of better-paying work. Black introduces Thorson to Liberace, who takes an immediate liking to the handsome younger man. Liberace invites the two backstage and then to his luxurious home in Las Vegas.
Thorson observes that one of Liberace's beloved dogs has a temporary form of blindness, and with his veterinary assistant background, informs the famous pianist that he knows how to cure the condition. After treating the dog, Thorson becomes Liberace's "assistant" at the performer's request. Thorson also becomes employed as Liberace's stage chauffeur, driving a Rolls-Royce limousine onto the stage for Liberace's grand entrances.
Thorson moves in with Liberace and becomes his lover. At this point, Thorson says that he is bisexual because he is also attracted to women. Liberace is sympathetic, informing him that he wanted and tried to love women, but was exclusively attracted to men. A devout Catholic, he relates a story of a "divine healing" in which an angelic "messenger" dressed as a nun informed him that God still loved him.
It gradually becomes clear that Liberace is trying to mold Thorson into a younger version of himself. He asks his plastic surgeon, Dr. Jack Startz, to transform Scott's face to more closely resemble his own, and he even tries unsuccessfully to adopt him. Startz prescribes drugs for Thorson to help him lose weight, and Thorson soon turns to other drugs as he becomes angrier and more frustrated with Liberace's attempts to control him as well as Liberace's obsession with hiding their romance and homosexuality from the public.
By 1982, Thorson's increasing drug abuse and Liberace's interest in younger men, including dancer Cary James, creates a rift that ultimately destroys their relationship. Liberace begins visiting pornographic peep shows and suggests that they each see other people. Later, Thorson starts flying into jealous rages, whereupon Liberace kicks him out and ends their partnership.
Scott Thorson retains an attorney to seek his financial share by suing Liberace for over $100 million in palimony. In 1984, Thorson's palimony lawsuit starts in which he gives details about his romance for five years with the entertainer, while Liberace flatly denies any sexual relationship. Thorson settles for $75,000, three cars, and three pet dogs.
In December 1986, Thorson receives a telephone call from Liberace telling him that he is very ill with what is later revealed to be AIDS and that he would like Thorson to visit him again. Thorson agrees and drives to Liberace's retreat house in Palm Springs, where he and Liberace have one last, emotional conversation. Liberace dies a few months later in February 1987. Thorson attends Liberace's funeral, in which he imagines seeing Liberace performing one last time with his traditional flamboyance, before being lifted to Heaven with a stage harness.
Cast
Production
Development on a Liberace biopic first began in 1999 when it was reported producer Cary Woods had acquired a spec script by Jason Friedberg and Aaron Seltzer.
Director Steven Soderbergh first spoke with Michael Douglas about the idea of doing a Liberace film during the production of Traffic (2000), but had trouble figuring out an angle for it that would differentiate it from a traditional biopic. In the summer of 2008, Soderbergh contacted screenwriter Richard LaGravenese with the idea of adapting Scott Thorson's memoir Behind the Candelabra: My Life with Liberace. In September 2008, the project was officially announced with Matt Damon close to signing on to play Thorson and Douglas in talks to portray Liberace.
The following year, Douglas officially signed on to play Liberace alongside Damon. The film spent several years in development while Soderbergh had difficulty securing funding, with Hollywood studios saying it was "too gay". During this time, Douglas and Damon remained adamant that they would appear in the film despite its lengthy development. Ultimately, the film was picked up by HBO Films and shot on a budget of $23 million over thirty days in 2012.
While promoting the film, Soderbergh went on to explain that this would be his last directorial effort for the time being. It is also the last film to feature a musical score by composer Marvin Hamlisch, who died on August 6, 2012.
Scenes set in Las Vegas were filmed at Zsa Zsa Gabor's mansion in Bel Air (interior and some exterior shots) and Siegfried & Roy's mansion in Las Vegas (driveway); Liberace's West Hollywood penthouse had been converted into an office space after his death, but the building's owner convinced the current occupants to temporarily relocate during filming, and the space was returned to Liberace's original design. Performances were filmed at the Las Vegas Hilton, where Liberace once had a residency. Production designer was Howard Cummings, while set decorator was Barbara Munch Cameron.
The pianos used in the film were also once owned by Liberace; one of the pianos used in the opening scenes had been purchased by Debbie Gibson at the 1988 estate sale. Michael Douglas' head was digitally composited onto the body of Philip Fortenberry for the piano playing performances. Fortenberry, who had entertained audiences at the Liberace Museum, stated the rings needed to be glued to his fingers: "These rings kept flopping around and clicking on the keys."
Reception Critical response
The film received critical acclaim. Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film an approval rating of 94%, based on reviews from 108 film critics with an average score of 8.1 out of 10. The website's critical consensus reads: "Affectionate without sacrificing honesty, Behind the Candelabra couples award-worthy performances from Michael Douglas and Matt Damon with some typically sharp direction from Steven Soderbergh." Metacritic, which assigns a weighted average score out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, gives the film a score of 83 based on 30 reviews.
Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, saying "As a black comedy, and as a portrait of celebrity loneliness, Behind the Candelabra is very stylish and effective, and Damon and Douglas give supremely entertaining performances."
Ratings
The film, shown for the first time on American television on May 26, 2013, was watched by 2.4 million US viewers. A further 1.1 million tuned in to watch the repeat immediately after, bringing viewership to 3.5 million in total. When the film debuted on HBO, it achieved the highest ratings for a television film since 2004.
Box office The film grossed $13.3 million in the territories it was released theatrically.
Accolades
Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref. Artios Awards Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Movie/Mini Series California on Location Awards Independent Feature Film Caleb Duffy Cannes Film Festival Palme d'Or Steven Soderbergh Queer Palm Palm Dog Award Baby Boy Critics' Choice Television Awards Best Movie/Miniseries Best Actor in a Movie/Miniseries Matt Damon Michael Douglas Dublin Film Critics' Circle Awards Best Film Best Director Steven Soderbergh Best Actor Michael Douglas Best Screenplay Richard LaGravenese Hollywood Post Alliance Awards Outstanding Color Grading – Television John Daro Primetime Emmy Awards Outstanding Miniseries or Movie Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Matt Damon Michael Douglas Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie Scott Bakula Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special Steven Soderbergh Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special Richard LaGravenese Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie, or a Special Carmen Cuba Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie Steven Soderbergh Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or Special Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or Movie Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) Outstanding Prosthetic Makeup for a Series, Miniseries, Movie or a Special Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie Steven Soderbergh Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie Television Critics Association Awards Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials American Cinema Editors Awards Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television Steven Soderbergh Art Directors Guild Awards Excellence in Production Design Award – Television Movie or Mini-Series British Academy Film Awards Best Actor in a Supporting Role Matt Damon Best Adapted Screenplay Richard LaGravenese Best Costume Design Ellen Mirojnick Best Makeup and Hair Best Production Design Cinema Audio Society Awards Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing for Television Movies and Mini-Series Costume Designers Guild Awards Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries Ellen Mirojnick Directors Guild of America Awards Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries Steven Soderbergh Dorian Awards TV Drama of the Year TV Performance of the Year – Actor Michael Douglas LGBT TV Show of the Year Campy TV Show of the Year GLAAD Media Awards Outstanding TV Movie or Mini-Series Golden Globe Awards Best Miniseries or Television Film Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film Matt Damon Michael Douglas Best Supporting Actor – Series, Miniseries or Television Film Rob Lowe Guild of Music Supervisors Awards Best Music Supervision in Television Long Form and Movies Evyen Klean Irish Film & Television Awards International Actor Michael Douglas Jupiter Awards Best International Actor Location Managers Guild Awards Outstanding Achievement by a Location Professional – TV Program Caleb Duffy London Film Critics Circle Awards Actor of the Year Michael Douglas Technical Achievement Howard Cummings Make-Up Artists and Hair Stylists Guild Awards Best Period and/or Character Hair Styling – Television Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television Best Period and/or Character Makeup – Television Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television People's Choice Awards Favorite TV Movie/Miniseries Producers Guild of America Awards David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television Satellite Awards Best Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television Matt Damon Michael Douglas Screen Actors Guild Awards Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries Matt Damon Michael Douglas
See also List of films set in Las Vegas
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