De-Lovely (2004) is an American musical drama film that follows the life and career of songwriter Cole Porter (played by Kevin Kline) and his wife, the socialite Linda (Ashley Judd). A celebrated writer during the first half of the 20th century, Cole is most often seen sporting the high-end fashions of the 1920s and 1930s during the prime of his career, with a classic haircut slicked back with pomade (which was the style at the time).
While many critics in 2004 declared that Porter was actually gay, it’s clear in the depiction of this film that Porter is attracted to men but also loves and is attracted to Linda. This is bisexuality, by definition. For her part, Linda is rather open and accepting of Porter’s queerness for the time, merely asking for discretion with his same-sex trysts lest they lose their livelihood — which was a valid concern in the Hays Code era in which they lived and worked.
De-Lovely is fairly balanced in portraying its main character. Cole shows off his charm, genius, and joie de vivre, but also his callousness, selfishness, and flagrancy in his pursuit of men. The latter two attributes are, unfortunately, common bi tropes in media, but concerning Porter’s complicated marriage to Linda, this depiction appears to be mostly accurate.
For all its mainstream appeal and glamour, De-Lovely is rather daring for its time in focusing on a bi man — something Hollywood still struggles to manage even today. Although the term “bi” is never used in the film, the film still provides a winning portrayal of the too-often-overlooked bi man in cinema. For that, and its efforts to bring queerness into the conversation during the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell era of the US, it makes for interesting viewing and decent male bi representation in film.