Anne Heche was a Hollywood radical - and deserved more credit for it

On Friday, August 5, actress Anne Heche crashed her Mini Cooper at a private residence in the Mar Vista neighborhood of Los Angeles. The vehicle caught fire and destroyed the occupant's rented home and lifetime possessions. Extracted from the wreckage, Heche was taken to the Grossman Burn Center at West Hills Hospital, where she initially reportedly suffered severe burns and was intubated, but was believed to be in stable condition.

The coming days were marked by rampant speculation about the events leading up to the crash and its aftermath: Was Heche drunk or under the influence of narcotics? (A blood test taken after the accident indicated the presence of cocaine.) Would she face a felony DUI? (The LAPD was indeed investigating the matter with that charge in mind.) Heche's current condition was less frequently discussed: How serious were his injuries? Would she survive? What would be the impact on his two sons, ages 13 and 20?

Late Thursday, August 11, Heche's representatives announced that a lack of oxygen to his brain during the fire had had a catastrophic impact and that they were making end-of-life preparations. On Friday August 12, she was declared legally dead in the State of California, her brain function ceasing but her body was kept on life support to preserve her organs for donation, as had been her long wish. date.

His suffering has aroused as much condemnation as empathy, which is normal for his checkered Hollywood career. Executive Editor Christian Blauvelt and Associate Editor Jude Dry discuss the mix of homophobia, misogyny and mental health mockery that has defined much of Heche's media coverage since she broke into the 90s - and celebrate the distinctive work she leaves behind.

CHRISTIAN BLAUVELT: People have dismissed and marginalized Heche throughout her career, but let's start with her inherently radical place in American film history: She started dating Ellen DeGeneres in 1997, when she had just appeared on screen opposite Al Pacino and Johnny Depp in "Donnie Brasco"; was cast as the third lead role opposite Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman in "Wag the Dog"; and was entering production on the romantic comedy adventure "Six Days, Seven Nights" as the love interest of Harrison Ford. A queer woman who always appears in a film in a straight role in a heteronormative romantic comedy? In 1998? There is nothing comparable in American cinema. Hollywood was not happy and she claims she was denied acting opportunities for 10 years.

Heche with Robert De Niro in "Wag the Dog".

©New Line Cinema/Courtesy Everett Collection

But those movies were in the works, if not already finished and released as in the case of "Donnie Brasco," when Heche's relationship with DeGeneres became public knowledge. And they were out and p...