“Brokeback Mountain” promises to deliver a holiday treat for gay film fans, but it’s not the first mainstream movie to address gay themes. Below is a look back at gay-related films since 1970 that met with varying degrees of critical and box office success.

Boys in the Band (1970): The first mainstream movie about gay men depicted a group of bitchy gay men eviscerating each other at a birthday party. Based on an off-Broadway play, most of the characters here reveled in their self-loathing.

Cruising (1980): A questionably straight cop played by Al Pacino goes undercover in New York’s gay leather scene to catch a serial killer who is offing other leather aficionados. Gay groups protested the release of the movie due to its negative depiction of gay men.

Making Love (1982): The first mainstream movie to feature a gay kiss and a happy ending stars Michael Ontkean as a doctor leaving his wife (Kate Jackson) for a male patient (Harry Hamlin). The movie bombed at the box office and some think hurt the careers of all three leads.

Personal Best (1982): Muriel Hemmingway plays a young pentathlete who falls in love with an older female competitor (Patrice Donnelly) only to leave her female lover for “real” love with a man.

My Beautiful Laundrette (1985): This independent film about a gay Pakistani and his English lover (a young Daniel Day-Lewis) won a large audience when its screenplay was nominated for an Oscar.

Torch Song Trilogy (1988): Harvey Fierstein’s Tony-winning play about a gay man, his three love affairs and his mother became a critical hit on screen but only a minor success financially.

Longtime Companion (1989): The start of a string of movies about gay men and AIDS, this one depicted a group of gay male friends succumbing to the disease over a decade. Bruce Davison was nominated for an Oscar for his supporting role.

Philadelphia (1993): The first gay blockbuster, this story of a gay lawyer (Tom Hanks) fired for being HIV-positive was No. 1 at the box office for two consecutive weeks, earned $77 million in its initial release and won an Oscar for Hanks, even though his character didn’t kiss his lover onscreen.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994): An Australian import, the tale of three drag queens and their wild journey in the Outback connected with American audiences.

To Wong Foo Thanks for Everything, Julie Newmar (1995): This Americanization of “Priscilla” featured big Hollywood stars Patrick Swayze and Wesley Snipes but was a critical and financial failure.

The Birdcage (1996): A translation of a French Film, audiences adored this slapstick comedy about a gay male couple playing it straight for their son’s conservative prospective in-laws.

In & Out (1997): A modest box office hit about a Midwestern teacher (Kevin Kline) outed by a famous former student, this comedy also ironically starred Tom Selleck as a gay tabloid reporter years after he won a lawsuit against tabloids for labeling him gay.

Boys Don’t Cry (1999): Hillary Swank’s career and the movie’s receipts soared after she won her first Oscar for playing slain transgender man Brandon Teena.

The Broken Hearts Club (2000): This gay romantic comedy managed to break out of the ghetto of gay and lesbian film festivals, but its tepid mainstream performance failed to impress the studios.

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