I managed to find time this afternoon to squeeze in Philadelphia, a film I really can't remember seeing all the way through but had always heard how great Tom Hanks' performance was that nabbed him his first oscar. The subject of AIDS in movies is always controversial and touchy but I think this movie really made you sympathize and understand the battle Tom Hanks has to go through in the movie by showing his slow deterioration and the effect it has on the people who help him bring a lawsuit against the firm who fired him for just that reason. Having the powerhouse of Denzel Washington opposite Hanks really made me respect this film for their chemistry and the way they played off eachother as almost opposite ends of the spectrum, Denzel hating homosexual's and not even wanting to touch him and Hanks trying to just seem like a normal person. What makes this movie so timeless I believe is the underlying moral issues of accepting all people as equals and allowing the law to protect those who might be stereotyped or hated the same as everyone else. With Philadelphia, Tom Hanks suceeds in a realistic portrayal of a man with AIDS with an astounding performance that really opened up my understanding of the bigotry and struggle people with this disease have. This issue is even more important today I believe as I hope we always support cures for AIDS so that as few people have to experience this as possible.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Philadelphia (1993) - 7/10
I managed to find time this afternoon to squeeze in Philadelphia, a film I really can't remember seeing all the way through but had always heard how great Tom Hanks' performance was that nabbed him his first oscar. The subject of AIDS in movies is always controversial and touchy but I think this movie really made you sympathize and understand the battle Tom Hanks has to go through in the movie by showing his slow deterioration and the effect it has on the people who help him bring a lawsuit against the firm who fired him for just that reason. Having the powerhouse of Denzel Washington opposite Hanks really made me respect this film for their chemistry and the way they played off eachother as almost opposite ends of the spectrum, Denzel hating homosexual's and not even wanting to touch him and Hanks trying to just seem like a normal person. What makes this movie so timeless I believe is the underlying moral issues of accepting all people as equals and allowing the law to protect those who might be stereotyped or hated the same as everyone else. With Philadelphia, Tom Hanks suceeds in a realistic portrayal of a man with AIDS with an astounding performance that really opened up my understanding of the bigotry and struggle people with this disease have. This issue is even more important today I believe as I hope we always support cures for AIDS so that as few people have to experience this as possible.
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hanks deserved the oscar but Denzel should have gotten some recognition. Didn't they hug at the end? Great classic. I will only watch this once though, I hate sad movies...
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