Philadelphia

Rating:
Summary: Movie 5 Stars DVD NO Stars
Review: Save your money and buy the VHS (9.99). There are no extras here not even the Bruce Sspringsteen music video. How Come? Let's hope they do a reissue and add some extras and the Springsteen music video. This movie truly deserves so much better.

Rating:
Summary: Truly Stunning
Review: A brillant drama that is both moving and thought provoking. This movie raises more questions than it answers, but deserves applause for showing all sides. From Denzel Washington's hysterical comic mocking of the homosexual culture to Tom Hank's brilliant acting, this is a movie that dares to show that there are good people that believe in homosexuality and good people that don't.

This is a good movie to watch regardless of your views on homosexuality. It didn't change my mind and I doubt it will change yours, but it did renew in my mind the idea that more compassion toward the other fellow is never a bad idea.

Even the "villians" of the film, the lawyers of Hank's firm, are hardly one dimensional. For example, a lawyer that runs homosexuality down using Scripture is still concerned with Hank's health.

Bruce Springsteen's award winning song is eclipsed by the opera music in the scene after Hank's party. One of the most moving scenes in any movie anywhere.

Highly recommended for amyone mature enough to see your beliefs challenged.

Rating:
Summary: Hanks-Washington Shine
Review: Philadelphia was Jonathan Demme's follow up to Silence Of The Lambs. Doing a 180 degree turn in stories, Philadelphia is basically a courtroom drama with Andrew Beckett, who is a gay man with the AIDS virus, suing his former employer, Wexler, Wheeler, a large, powerful and influential Philadelphia law firm, for wrongful termination based on discrimination due to his medical condition. Andy is an up and coming lawyer who is given a big and important case. At a meeting with the partners, one of them notices a lesion on his head, but Andy makes a story up about it. Andy works on the case while having some complications from his sickness. He completes the work, but at the eleventh hour, the case is mysteriously lost and all records are lost. The files are found, but Andy is terminated supposedly for incompetence and a bad attitude. Andy decides to sue, but is turned down by many law firms, including Joe Miller who is an ambulance chaser with over the top TV ads, as they are afraid of the case. Andy decides to represent himself, but when Joe, who is black, sees the treatment Andy receives at a law library, he agrees to represent him. Joe has prejudices of his own as he hates homosexuals, but he believes Andy's rights have been violated. Tom Hanks is absolutely stunning as Andy. We see him slowly succumb to his disease and his transformation is startling. He depicts Andy with grace and avoids any stereotypical characterizations. Denzel Washington is equally amazing as Joe Miller. He plays the role with the right amount of force, but peels back the layers to show an understanding side. Joe is a blowhard and hardheaded, but in the end shows compassion. Jason Robards is commanding as Mr. Wheeler, the bigwig at the law firm and Joanne Woodward plays Andy's mother with class. Mr. Demme gives a real feel for the city of Philadelphia. The movie was the first mainstream Hollywood film to make the subject of AIDS its main plotline. The film walks a fineline and avoids becoming too preachy. Mr. Hanks deservedly won his first of his two consecutive Best Actor Oscars, but Mr. Washington was every bit his equal. Bruce Springsteen also won an Oscar for his haunting song "Streets Of Philadelphia".

Rating:
Summary: Love "The Streets of Philadelphia" song
Review: The movie is o.k., but the song is as many have commented, is really haunting. The humming sounds and the view from a fast moving vehicle of the city and life that goes by are so melancholy. I have experienced this feeling before whilst on a bus trip leaving my rural hometown to the college in the big city. Since it was my first long distance trip anywhere ever, it was leaving the life I have known for so long. Anything that I am familiar with is going to end; the surroundings, the people, and the ways of life. The future, you're not sure of. Except, in this movie, the director is sharing with you the feeling that you're leaving this life altogether. You're dying and you're saying goodbye. It is so sad.

Rating:
Summary: Very powerful and moving! 4 1/2 stars!
Review: Philadelphia is an extremly powerful and moving film. Tom Hanks(in his oscar winning role) plays Philadelphia attorney Andrew Beckett. Andrew is a homosexual and has AIDS, both of these thing he is concealing from his bosses. After a mishap Beckett is fired, but he believes he was fired for AIDS discrimnation. He goes to many lawyers finally ending up at Joe Miller, a homophobic personal injury lawyer played by Denzel Washington. Miller is hestitant to take his case, but finally does. Philadelphia is not a court drama, although some of it takes place in court. It explores the subjects of AIDS and its discrimnation, and homosexuality and its discrimnation, as well as prejudices against these subjects. Tom Hanks won best actor, and Bruce Springstein won best orignal song at the Oscars. The songs Streets of Philadelphia by Springstein and Philadelphia by Neil Young are great. This is an excellent film. Don't miss it! Rated PG-13 for adult content and situations, and profanity.

Rating:
Summary: NICE SHOTS OF THE CITY,FINE SONG
Review: There is nothing worse for a movie buff to watch a movie that's trying too hard to make its point.Such is the case here, even if DENZEL and TOM make it tolerable to watch because they are fine actors.I enjoyed the shots of the city at the beginning and at the end because having spend a week there i am very fond of the city.BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN who was born in NEW JERSEY was a good choice to write the title song.Wait for a late night screening on tv.

Rating:
Summary: I'd give it 10 stars if it was possible!
Review: Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington deliver the most sublime, superlative, stupendous performances of their acting careers in this emotional powderkeg story about the prejudice and injustice which not only contaminate a million dollar Philadelphia law firm, but which also permeate society in general.

Hanks and Washington received many deserved kudos and plaudits for their portrayals of the 2 lawyers in this film. Hanks plays Andrew Beckett, a gay, AIDS infected corporate attorney who is fired from his position at a prestigious law office for supposed incompetence. Washington portrays Joe Miller, a small time ambulance chaser who, when he reluctantly consents to represent Beckett in a rafter rattling wrongful dismissal lawsuit, is compelled to confront his own feelings and misconceptions, not only towards homosexuality and AIDS, but toward everything and everyone in this world which is perceived to be different.

Prior to this offering, Tom Hanks had a large stable of fans who admired and appreciated his comic efforts in movies such as "Splash," "Big," and "A League Of Their Own." But in this film, a film that was literally crying out to be created, he proved that as an actor, he has great versatility and can be cast in a wide variety of roles. There can be no argument that this is his finest performance, and for those that love this movie, his Oscar is merely the icing on the cake.

Undoubtedly controversial, "Philadelphia" is a haunting picture which will make the viewer think. And cry. And think again.

Rating:
Summary: A powerful, sympathetic film.
Review: Philadelphia's profound portrayal of a homosexual lawyer afflicted with the AIDS virus, Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks), is perhaps the driving force behind the film's impact and overall importance. Hanks, after being wrongfully dismissed from his law offices, enlists the help of fellow lawyer Denzel Washington to sue the firm. Washington, after forcing himself to dismiss prejudice, fear and overall disgust, grudgingly accepts Hank's case. Thus, the drama begins. The idea of fear leading to hate is prevalent throughout the courtroom scenes, but it shadows in the light of the overall underlying message. Andrew Beckett has AIDS, and he is going to die.

We, the viewers, witness Beckett's downfall to the virus throughout the film. His past is never fully revealed, but we gain insight to how his infection took place and how his family, as well as Beckett himself copes with death. All of these circumstances lead to a sympathetic, provoking performance by Hanks, which lead to an Oscar. His portrayal of a man dealing with death, loss and injustice invokes feelings of grief, sorrow and sympathy. Beckett is doomed, that much we know from the start, but the aspect of this film that makes it so significant is how Beckett, through Hanks, deals with the subject of his own eventual demise. He must learn to accept his fate if he is ever to survive the courtroom battle that ensues.

Perhaps the scene where his acceptance of fate truly occurs is after a party in his apartment. Washington is there to go over some questions with Beckett, but Beckett seems elsewhere, almost lost. He isn't lost however, in all reality, he is found. A powerful, heartfelt scene involving opera follows, in which Beckett understands, accepts and perhaps seals his fate. The scene, in my opinion, is one of the most powerful in recent memory.

Three things sell Philadelphia: Hanks' character of Andrew Beckett, well-written script, and Jonathan Demme's humanistic approach to the film. These aspects make Philadelphia a worthy film indeed.

Rating:
Summary: A Propaganda Flick Posing As Art
Review: You really can't make a movie about "being gay," or, more pointedly, "being-gay-and-discriminated-against" and not have the movie judged primarily as an agenda-flick, especially when the characters are as two-dimensional as they are in this story. Tom Hanks plays a gay man who for a brief, sad time in his life was sexually promiscuous. He caught AIDS.

His character doesn't work--he is a stereotype, or, rather, what the filmmakers would *like* to be a stereotype, I think: the sensitive, intelligent, put-upon Gay Man. His employers, who fire him immediately upon finding out he is gay and has AIDS, are stereotypical Villains. They seem to have very little to talk about (particularly around poor Tom Hanks!) other than gays, which of course they do in a coarse and insensitive manner. They are the Cold-Hearted Homophobes.

Denzel Washington is Hanks' lawyer, the Homophone-Who-Becomes-More-Human by knowing the Gay Man.

Sound puerile? It is. What the filmmakers have failed to realize is that if you REALLY want to present a human drama, you can't keep the characters as two-dimensional as they are in Philadelphia. Hanks needs to be more than a Sensitive Gay Man. Jason Robards needs to be more than the Cruel Homophobe. And so on. In real life, people aren't that simple. This kind of b&w morality works in Hollywood adventure movies, but it doesn't work in art.

In addition to ignoring the complexities of human character, this movie totally ignores the complexites of the AIDS issue, and gay rights, simplifying them into a thin gruel of unthinking, maudlin, propaganda. This movie is a tearjerker if all you want is to have your position on the AIDS/Gay issue confirmed, but sorry mistake if you expect something with aesthetic merit, or thought-provoking content.

Rating:
Summary: Touching, Emotional Portrayal of AIDS Discrimination
Review: The first feature film to bring the horrible AIDS crisis to light. Tom Hanks ("That Thing You Do", "You've Got Mail") is exceptional as the AIDS stricken Attorney who files a wrongful dismissal suit against his prestigious law firm. Brings to light the horrible consequences of how society was dealing with AIDS (and more importantly, gay people with AIDS) in the early 90's. We've come quite a ways since, but still have far to go. Features Denzel Washington & Antonio Banderas ("Evita"). Ironically, a short time after the movie was released, a real-life case similar to the one in the movie occurred in Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly Love. The movie is a well-written, well-acted emotional roller-coaster ride through issues of love, hate, family-relations and pride. The most moving piece for my father (my parents saw this in the theatre before I did) was the scene featuring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington with the striking classical music. The soundtrack for the film alone is touching and poignant.