Before seeing the film adaptation of Timothy Conigrave’s memoir Holding the Man, I admit I had no concept of how much it actually meant to the gay community.

The story of Conigrave’s 15-year relationship with partner John Caleo during the height of the AIDS pandemic in the 1980s was a book that defined a generation and is now a film that may come to define another.

One friend told me how a perceptive English teacher gave them the book in high school to help them come to terms with their sexuality, another said he hid it in a textbook to read it in front of family, while another told me he made a pilgrimage to Xavier – the Melbourne private school Conigrave and Caleo attended – after reading the book.

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All agreed that Neil Armfield’s big-screen version did the iconic book justice.

Already being hailed as Australia’s Brokeback Mountain, the film doesn’t shy away from its difficult subject matter.

‘Difficult’ doesn’t quite cover it. There were audible sobs in the theatre as people watched the story of two young gay men ostracised by their school, families, friends and broader community after their decision to come out at a young age.

This is eclipsed, however, by their mutual AIDS diagnosis in their mid-20s and the ensuing battle to salvage their health and sanity.

The film features explicit sex, disturbing abuse and discrimination, difficult hospital scenes and a lot of deeply emotional moments, all made manageable by the sense of humour and lightness that punctuates the entire film.

A lot of this comes courtesy of young actor Ryan Corr (The Water Diviner, Packed to the Rafters), whose performance is nothing short of career-defining. As Conigrave, he is hilarious, captivating and entirely authentic.

An eerie sound bite from the real Conigrave at the end of the film confirms the 26-year-old’s nuanced performance is spot-on.

Corr could easily be hailed as the next Heath Ledger. A quick Google search reveals he possesses a similarly troubled past to the late Dark Knight star, and his star quality is undeniable. If anyone was going to bring it out in him, it would be director Armfield, who worked with Ledger in Candy, the deeply disturbing tale of drug addicts in love.

Craig Stott as Caleo is the quiet force at Corr’s side, his gentle stoicism perfectly complementing the energy and spirit of Conigrave and the anger and confusion of the people trying to tear them apart.

Throw in a cameo from Oscar winner Geoffrey Rush and moving performances from celebrated local actors Anthony LaPaglia and Guy Pearce (who play Caleo and Congrave’s fathers respectively) and it’s a recipe for success.

Holding the Man also has some powerful people on its side. British singer Sam Smith called on his 4.5 million social media followers to see the film and read the book that “pretty much changed my life”.

“This project and piece of work is the most breathtaking thing I have ever seen. As a gay man, it’s very difficult sometimes to find films that I can properly and truly relate to,” Smith wrote in an Instagram post.

“Although I can’t relate to the awfully sad ending to Tim and Johns [sic] story. The most powerful thing for me was how this book captured what it’s like to grow up gay and all those confusing scary and amazing moments I had coming out and realising who I was.”

His is a sentiment likely to resonate with many who have struggled with their sexuality and even those who haven’t.

While Holding the Man centres on a homosexual love story, many of its themes are universal. We can all recognise the awkward phone calls, the teenage fights and the heartbreak, the pain of loss and the joy of love, regardless of our sexual preferences.

Historically, Best Picture winners at ceremonies like the Golden Globes or Academy Awards are American movies.

But Holding the Man does possess one of the key criteria for nomination. Like past winners Argo, 12 Years a Slave and The King’s Speech, the movie has an important story to tell and the way it tells it – with finesse, heart and attention to detail – is sure to be celebrated on an international level.

Watch this space.

Holding the Man premiered at the Melbourne International Film Festival and will be in cinemas nationally from August 27.