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Summer lovin’: 20 fascinating facts about queer coming-of-age classic ‘Call Me By Your Name’

By Lee Meyer June 28, 2024 at 7:00pm
‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Tennis love triangle romance Challengers is one of the best-reviewed films of the year, and director Luca Guadagnino is riding high off of the success, lining up a number of exciting new projects, including the Daniel Craig-starring drama Queer.

But it was only seven years ago that the filmmaker had his breakthrough critical and commercial success with the sumptuous coming-of-age film, Call Me By Your Name, a timeless tale of queer longing the cemented Timothée Chalamet’s rise to stardom.

We assume, if you’re a Queerty reader, you’re already familiar. But in case you need a refresher: The movie follows Elio (Chalamet), an American teen in 1983 who spends the summer at his family’s Italian villa. His professor father (Michael Stuhlbarg) takes on a new intern every summer, and Elio quickly develops a crush on the new intern, Oliver (troubled actor Armie Hammer). Elio and Oliver end up in an intense romantic relationship over the course of the summer, changing Elio’s life forever.

As Luca Guadagnino continues to become one of the hottest directors in Hollywood, take a look back at these 20 fascinating facts about Call Me By Your Name…

1. The film had been in development since 2007.

Producers Peter Spears and Howard Rosenman read a galley proof of the novel before its release and optioned it immediately.

2. The book has a sequel!

Find Me follows the characters Elio, Oliver, and Elio’s father Sami, each as they find new love later in their lives, culminating in Elio and Oliver’s reunion some 20 years after the events of the first novel. It was released in 2019 to tepid reviews.

3. The setting of the film was changed to Crema.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Guadagnino set the movie in Crema, where he lives, as opposed to Bordighera in the novel.

4. The time period was also changed from 1987 to 1983.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

The film was pushed back to 1983 when, notably, knowledge and discourse around AIDS was a little less widespread.

5. Legendary filmmaker James Ivory was originally set to direct.

James Ivory | Photo Credit: Getty Images

While the film’s screenwriter ended up bowing out of directorial duties, he and Guadagnino collaborated—but didn’t always agree—on the direction the film would go in.

6. Guadagnino considers it the final film in his “Desire” trilogy.

Luca Guadagnino | Photo Credit: Getty Images

His other two “Desire” films are I Am Love and A Bigger Splash. While they aren’t narratively connected, all three are set in Italy and concern themselves with the strong pull of desire.

7. Shia LaBeouf was originally considered for one of the lead roles.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Ivory and LaBeouf got along well, but even at the time LaBeouf’s personal problems made producers wary.

8. The infamous peach scene was nearly cut…

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

You know the one. But it almost didn’t happen, as Guadagnino originally felt it was too explicit.

9. …but both Guadagnino and Chalamet made it work.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Literally! They both (separately, we’re guessing) attempted the peach, er, trick and found it worked well. We’ll take their word for it.

10. Ivory and Guadagnino disagreed on how to film the sex scenes.

A screenshot of Armie Hammer (Oliver) kissing a shirtless Timothée Chalamet (Elio) in the LGBTQ indie movie, Call Me By Your Name.
‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Ivory told The Guardian, “When Luca says he never thought of putting nudity in, that is totally untrue.” He continued: “[Guadagnino] sat in this very room where I am sitting now, talking about how he would do it, so when he says that it was a conscious aesthetic decision not to—well, that’s just bullsh*t.”

11. Hammer initially turned down the role because of the nudity.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

Nudity was very prominent in Ivory’s script from the beginning. Some of Ivory’s previous films—especially A Room With A View—are famous for including male nude scenes, even when they weren’t sexually explicit.

12. Both Chalamet and Hammer had no-nudity clauses in their contracts.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Ivory told Variety, “Again, it’s just this American attitude. Nobody seems to care that much, or be shocked, about a totally naked woman. It’s the men.”

13. Aciman and producer Spears make a cameo in the film.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

They appear as a happy gay couple at one of Elio’s family parties.

14. Hammer and Chalamet made out for their first rehearsal.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Hammer and Chalamet recounted on just about every talk show appearance how Guadagnino asked them to make out at the first rehearsal, and that they rolled around in the grass until everyone else left.

15. The movie was filmed in chronological order.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

Most movies film according to location and other factors, but Guadagnino’s was shot in the order the story plays out on the screen.

16. It was highly acclaimed.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

After premiering at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival to great reviews, Call Me By Your Name received praise at other international festivals before finally coming to U.S. theaters in the fall of that year. It received a 96% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and went on to garner major Oscar buzz…

17. Ivory won an Academy Award for the screenplay.

Writer James Ivory | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Despite the lack of nudity and Guadagnino’s changes to his script, Ivory won top honors for it. After decades in the industry, it was the esteemed filmmaker’s first Oscar, and, at 89, he holds the distinction of being the oldest person to ever win a competitive Academy Award.

18. It won a major GLAAD award, as well.

James Ivory & Peter Spears attend the 29th Annual GLAAD Media Awards in 2018 | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Call Me By Your Name won the GLAAD Award for Outstanding Film – Wide Release. It bested tennis drama Battle Of The Sexes, Greta Gerwig’s Lady Bird , Guillermo del Toro’s Best Picture Oscar-winner The Shape Of Water, and queer throuple biopic Professor Marston And The Wonder Women.

19. A sequel was in development in 2020…

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

The movie’s enthusiastic reception and buzz, in addition the book sequel, led Guadagnino to pursue a film sequel, which he’s alluded to a number of times over the years.

20. …but has been put on pause.

‘Call Me By Your Name,’ Image Credit: Sony Pictures Classics

It might have something to do with the extremely problematic and dark accusations against Hammer, which include sexual assault and cannibalism. Hammer has since withdrawn from acting.

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2 Comments*

  • Louis

    I loved this book. And film. And I enjoyed the sequel book. It’s a shame we won’t see a sequel film. I want Hammer to return to acting (he’s done nothing illegal).

  • deann

    This movie glorifies p@3d0phelia, the movie and the book did not have to make Timothes’ character 16 yrs old, and I don’t want to hear that the age of consent in Italy is 14 yrs old, just because something is in the law does’nt mean it’s right, it’s still p@3d0phelia. Don’t forget that at some point in time it was in the law to arrest g@y men for assembling in bars, was that right? No.

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