You could write a book about the films of Robert De Niro (and there are several), but the most memorable for gay fans must include:
1. Bang the Drum Slowly (1973): buddy-bonding between two baseball players, one dying an incurable disease.
2. Mean Streets (1973): buddy-bonding between two Italian-American hoods, De Niro and Harvey Keitel.
3. 1900 (1976): buddy-bonding between two Italian boys, one rich, one poor (De Niro, Gerard Depardieu). Their three-way encounter with a woman features frontal nudity.
4. Taxi Driver (1976): Travis Bickle becomes a vigilante, and rescues lesbian Jody Foster. Mega beefcake.
5. New York, New York (1977): "Lullaby of Broadway" romance between De Niro and gay fave Liza with a Z.
6. Raging Bull (1980): De Niro as a self-destructive boxer. Beefcake.
7. The Mission (1986): buddy-bonding in 18th century South America, between a Jesuit priest and a reformed slave trader (Jeremy Irons, De Niro).
8. Midnight Run (1988): Bounty hunter De Niro and prisoner Charles Grodin become the hunted.
9. We're No Angels (1989): Escaped cons De Niro and Sean Penn hide out as priests.
10. A Bronx Tale (1993): Father (De Niro) disapproves of his son's friendship with a gangster (Chazz Palminteri).
11. Flawless (1999): Homophobic cop (De Niro) moves in next door to a drag queen.
Sorry, I ran out of room in 1999. There's another 14 years to go.
De Niro really shows off his comic chops in the great Midnight Run. Charles Grodin (may he Rest In Power) is also hilariously marvelous — especially in the bar scene where they pose as FBI agents on the lookout for counterfeiters. One of the funniest scenes ever!
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