Cory Michael Smith in 1985 (NewFest)

A young gay man with HIV/AIDS comes home to Texas for Christmas with the intent of coming out to his conservative, deeply religious, working-class parents. Set in the year of the title and shot in black-and-white with a pitch-perfect replication of the various musical styles of the period (take that, licensing fees), 1985 absolutely presents itself as a period piece.

After three years living away in New York City, Adrian (Corey Michael Smith) returns to a Fort Worth suburb where no one knows he is gay, as it would likely mean he would be ostracized and his family judged. His father, Dale (Michael Chiklis), is a mechanic and war vet who drives a pick-up with a Reagan/Bush bumper sticker, and his mother, Eileen (Virginia Madsen), is practically a Stepford Wife in her commitment to the homemaking credo. Add to this the constant evangelical radio programming blasting in the background and the fact that Adrian’s brother, teenager Andrew (Aidan Langford), is a drama major obsessed with Madonna, and you’d think writer/director Yen Tan is more than willing to traffic in clichés and to toss subtlety out the window of Dale’s pick-up. And you’d be partly right.

Because about halfway through, Adrian visits his ex-girlfriend, Carly (Jamie Chung), who knows nothing about his orientation. In a brilliant, uninterrupted two-shot, we watch her come on to him, and he rebuffs her. Because he can’t say what he desperately needs to, though he’s known her since they were 10, he brushes her off and abruptly leaves. And this is a turning point as Adrian discovers his secret really isn’t a secret and that the people around him will react to his coming out in surprising ways. Suddenly the forced clichés that dominate the first half become deeper and more complex, no thanks to the stellar work by Madsen and especially Chiklis.

Adrian, understandably, is incredibly reluctant to tell his family the truth, because in 1985, in this Texas town, it could mean excommunication. In fact, Adrian’s now-deceased lover’s family wouldn’t take his body. He is buried in New York, though his last wish was to be buried in his Ohio hometown. But what Adrian learns on this trip, perhaps his last, is never to underestimate people, particularly those who love you.

Tan works slyly within an apparent low budget by keeping the shots tight and close and limiting the amount of retro production design needed, though a 2XL smart toy makes an appearance. It also gives the film a feeling of claustrophobia mirroring Adrian’s state of mind. Smith, as Adrian, nicely grounds the film with a quiet, intense performance. Kudos also go to Langford as his younger brother, who is already beginning to feel the alienation from his friends and his family that Adrian felt, but Andrew is clearly more optimistic.

1985 is a smart, clever, and moving piece of retro cinema with a timeless theme. Families can overcome their differences and prejudices and love each other unconditionally, even if that journey comes through slow, tortuous steps.