PHILADELPHIA
US, 1993, 126 minutes, Colour.
Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas, Mary Steenburghen, Joanne Woodward
Directed by Jonathan Demme
Andy Beckett (Tom Hanks) works in a prestigious law firm in Philadelphia. He has not revealed to his superiors that he is HIV positive and is attending a clinic for AIDS. He is always able to brush off comments about lesions and his health.
After a collapse, he shaves his head and refuses to use any cosmetic make-up to conceal his condition. He is dismissed by the firm. He asks his colleague, Joe Miller (Denzel Washington), to represent him in a plea for unfair dismissal. Joe, an African American, is reluctant and discovers, through some incidents involving gay men and the criticism of his wife that he is homophobic. He takes the case.
The case becomes a civil rights event with protests and appeal to the Constitution in its founding city, the city of brotherly love, Philadelphia.
Joe calls Andy's boss who denies any prejudice on the part of the firm. As Andy gets weaker, he begins to plan his funeral, helped by his partner, Miguel. His family also supports him. He throws a party after which he explains something of himself to Joe by asking him to listen to a recording of Maria Callas singing.
Issues of sexuality, discrimination and illness emerge during the trial. Andy dies and Joe attends the funeral party.
Philadelphia became something of a landmark movie in the early 1990s, the first studio movie to deal directly with AIDS (though there had been a number of independent movies like Parting Glances, Longtime Companion and telemovies like Early Frost.)
Jonathan Demme's is a heartfelt movie which moves its audience. It is also a social justice case history like so many Hollywood movies over the decades.
It became more significant through the choice of the two leads, one black, one white. It is the lawyer played by Denzel Washington who represents the viewpoint of the mainstream public and audience with its wariness about AIDS and its conscious or unconscious homophobia. With a popular actor like Tom Hanks playing the man with AIDS, Philadelphia was able to break through audience suspicion and offer a broader view. Hanks won an Oscar for his performance (and won for Forrest Gump the next year). The Frank Oz comedy, In and Out, with Kevin Kline, takes as its starting point Hanks' Oscar-acceptance speech acknowledging the influence of a gay teacher.
There are many telling scenes like that with the uncomfortable librarian, Joe's encounter in the video store, Andy's illness and the famous scene where he and Joe listen to the opera.
Jonathan Demme had made Silence of the Lambs and went on to make Beloved.
1.A significant film of the 1990s? Its influence? (The serious influence – and the comic touch in Matt Dillon’s character accepting the Oscar in In And Out and its consequences? The impact of the film in its time? Awards and nominations?
2.The early 90s and the experience of the AIDS epidemic, the impact of the 80s, into the 90s? A 90s perspective? The effect on AIDS sufferers, those who had received blood transfusions)? The consequences, public concern? Health issues? Justice issues?
3.Themes of homosexuality in cinema, the tradition up to the 1990s, becoming more explicit? The issues of homophobia and tolerance? The pleading for respect? This film as a kind of treatise movie on the issues? The perspective on homosexual orientation, lifestyle, sexual behaviour? Public opinion and presuppositions about homosexuals – and especially about promiscuity, as indicated by the testimony against Andrew in the court case?
4.The significance of Tom Hanks in the central role, as a film icon, the influence on audiences watching, helping them to understand the issues and the persons? The intellectual response? The emotional response?
5.Tom Hanks as Andrew Beckett, his age, experience, his skill in his legal work, working with Joe Miller? In the company, the possibility of promotion? The various cases? Yet his private life, overhearing comments about faggots, keeping his relationship and orientation secret? His going to the doctor, the prognosis? The effect, his going to the office, Charles Wheeler and his dismissing Andrew? Andrew becoming sicker, the treatment? The lesions and his trying to cover them up? The makeup? His finally accepting his condition, his baldness, his getting weaker? The background of the dismissal – and the company using the accusation of a mislaid brief and incompetence?
6.The build-up the courtroom drama and courtroom drama interest? Through the character of Joe Miller, as played by Denzel Washington? The African American and the minority – significantly in this treatise film? The audience seeing his legal skills, his collaboration with Andrew Beckett? Andrew coming to him, asking him to take the case, his refusal? The challenge by his wife, about his prejudices, tolerance? His own fastidiousness, caution eg shaking hands etc? His final decision to take the case? His support? The audience seeing the case through the character of Joe Miller? His lack of understanding, his being tested? His research? His own beliefs? Issues of law, issues of morality? The pressure from his wife? The meeting with Andrew in the library, the librarian and the comment about being more comfortable in another room? The impact of his acceptance? The subpoena for Charles Wheeler?
7.The picture of Andrew’s parents, forty years of marriage, the celebration? The atmosphere of the party, Andrew and his telling his parents about his situation? Their support of him? Their going to the court? Joanne Woodward as his mother? The other members of the family? Their attitude towards Miguel?
8.Miguel, Antonio Banderas in one of his earliest American films? His background, his relationship with Andrew? The partnership, love and dependence? Miguel and his caring for Andrew? The medication? His finally being unable to administer the doses? The need for further care?
9.The background of demonstrations outside the courtroom?
10.The range of witnesses, the fellow workers, Andrew’s secrecy? The woman with the infected blood from the transfusion? The lawyer’s denial that Andrew was being discriminated against?
11.The effect on Andrew, his presence in the court, the doses of the medication, his thinking about his death, the decision to have the memorial party? The atmosphere of celebration? Yet the imminent death? The significance of the opera sequence, Andrew and his listening to Maria Callas, swaying, rapt in the music – and Joe observing? Trying to understand? A moving moment in emotional understanding for the audience?
12.Joe and the conduct of the court case, Andrew and the preparation for the questions and answers? The history of discrimination against him, people’s insults? His being accused of a promiscuous lifestyle? The pornographic cinema? The effect of this kind of exposure, at this time of his life, within this case?
13.Jason Robards as Charles Wheeler, a strong presence and character, the management of the firm? In himself, the previous relationship with Andrew, supporting and promoting? His taking the stand, the testimony?
14.Andrew’s collapse? At home? Joe going to tell the family about the verdict?
15.Andrew and his preparation for dying, the farewell – “I’m ready”? The funeral, Joe and his wife going? The movie glimpses of Andrew as a child – and the pathos for what had happened in his life? His death?
16.The film in the American mainstream, for a mainstream audience, influencing this kind of audience? The film as a classic on issues of homosexuality? The political and social implications?
