Philadelphia (1993)

Philadelphia (1993) was directed by Jonathan Demme. The AIDS epidemic started in the early 1980's, and movies about AIDS started to appear in the mid-1980s. However, to my knowledge, Philadelphia was the first high-budget, mainstream film about AIDS to appear on the screen.TriStar certainly provided the funds to attract an all-star cast. Tom Hanks portrays brilliant lawyer Andrew Beckett. When Beckett is fired from his high-prestige law firm, no lawyer wants to touch his case for wrongful dismissal. Denzel Washington plays Joe Miller, who agrees to represent Beckett. (Joe is himself uncomfortable with AIDS. However, he knows injustice when he sees it.) Antonio Banderas plays Beckett's loving partner, Miguel Alvarez. Jason Robards is perfectly cast as Charles Wheeler, Beckett's mentor until he becomes Beckett's enemy. All four men are superstars, and it's easy to see why.The film doesn't just have star power in the leading roles. Great actors like Roberta Maxwell and Joanne Woodward have small supporting roles.The movie is courageous in facing AIDS directly. In the 1980's and 1990's, people distinguished between "good AIDS" and "bad AIDS." Good AIDS was AIDS that people contracted from blood transfusions. So, the thought was that these people were innocent victims.Bad AIDS came from (mostly) men having sex with men. In retrospect, we can see the moral error in this good vs. evil judgment. But, at the time, gay sex was considered evil, and many people thought that gay men with AIDS deserved the disease. How this prejudice played out inside and outside the courtroom represents the plot of the movie. It's very strong and truly heart-wrenching.We saw this film at the excellent Dryden Theatre at George Eastman Museum in Rochester, NY. It was shown at Rochester's wonderful ImageOut, the LGBT Film Festival. Almost all of the movies shown at ImageOut are new, cutting-edge films. Philadelphia was shown under the heading, "ImageOut of the Archives." The movie was made almost 25 years ago, and it's being shown again to mark that anniversary.Philadelphia is an important film, and shouldn't be missed. It will work very well on the small screen. Find it and watch it. (Or, as I did, watch it again.)P.S. Mary Steenburgen has a supporting role as Belinda Conine, the attorney representing Beckett's former law firm. I can't remember when an actor has made so strong an impression in a relatively small role. She's just what you'd expect in this context--brilliant, eloquent, with a heart that has no room for conscience or remorse. She knows that the law firm had dismissed Beckett because he had AIDS. However, that's not going to stop her in the least. It's not even going to slow her down.

I know it's already been said, but I need to repeat that this is a story about the courage of a person who needs to put closure to his life. Of course, he is gay and a victim of AIDS. He has been let go from his job because the higher ups in his firm think he will transmit his disease to others. It is filled with misinformation and prejudice. But it was really common when this was made. It is played to the hilt by Tom Hanks who puts an incredible signature to the role. He obviously studied the disease and its manifestations. I'm aware that some have said that this movie leads to judgment of the gay community, defining by the AIDS epidemic. But, it is my belief, that it took on the issues that were used to persecute these people. Hanks' character is strong and unyielding, willing to use what is left of his life to fight the forces that are working to crush him. An excellent film.

Glorifies homosexuality and AIDS.What else can I say? That's all the film does. Apparently we should embrace AIDS because homosexuals would feel bad if we didn't. Well, I don't agree with that idea.I think society should stop pandering to all these protected groups, that get to be treated like royalty, even as they walk around with all kinds of diseases that are the result of their life styles.No red carpet for AIDS 'victims', as far as I'm concerned. Also, if you have unprotected sex in a manner that is likely to cause an infection, you are not a victim. You are a menace for society. The fact is that even with all the protection available on the market, homosexuals are many times more prone to be infected with HIV, and frankly, I think they should be held accountable.

This movie displays array of multiple emotions, it made me feel passionate, sorry, angry and sad at the same time. There are not many movies on this subject lurking around. it's one of those that when one makes it, it is hard to make another one about the same subject, and it really targets crucial issues of mid-late 20th century. Great act by Tom Hanks which, honestly, i was kind of expecting, followed by the dramatic scenes in "The Green mile" or in "Forrest Gump". All and all, Judging the entire effect of the movie, it was amazing. "Philadelphia is a good movie and it is especially outstanding for its time 1993, what is the most important that this movie actually provided information of how people who are infected with HIV feel like until it turns into AIDS.