A Single Man 2009

On November 30, 1962, just a month after the Cuban Missile Crisis, George Falconer is a middle-aged English college professor residing in Los Angeles. Haunted by memories, George finds himself dreaming about his late partner, Jim, envisioning the tragic scene of the car accident that claimed Jim’s life eight months prior. He leans down to kiss his deceased lover, a moment that blurs the line between past and present. Upon waking, George is enveloped in a voiceover that reveals his deep-seated pain and depression since Jim’s passing, culminating in his decision to end his life that very evening.

As George navigates through his day, he receives a call from his closest friend, Charley, who, despite her own suffering, attempts to inject some lightness into their grim reality. Determined to tie up loose ends, George focuses on the fleeting beauty of everyday moments, fully aware that he perceives everything with a sense of finality. His mind drifts back to the sixteen years he shared with Jim, recalling the depths of their bond.

During his classroom hours, George encounters a student named Kenny Potter, who exhibits a keen interest in him and crosses the line of typical student-professor interactions. George also unexpectedly connects with Carlos, a Spanish male prostitute. That evening, George meets Charley for dinner. As they share laughter and reminisce while dancing, tension arises from Charley’s yearning for a more profound connection and her inability to grasp the significance of George’s relationship with Jim, fueling George’s anger.

Later, George heads to a bar where he discovers that Kenny has followed him. They indulge in drinks, go skinny dipping, and eventually return to George’s home. After a night of revelry, George passes out, only to wake and find Kenny peacefully asleep in another room, clutching George’s gun—an unconscious gesture of protection against George’s suicidal thoughts. In a moment of clarity, George locks the gun away, burns his suicide notes, and reflects on how he has rediscovered the capacity to “feel, rather than think.” As he embraces his grief with newfound peace, the unexpected occurs: George suffers a heart attack and dies, but not before envisioning Jim appearing to him, sealing their love with a kiss.