Common Sense Note
Parents should know there's considerable discussion about homosexuality and AIDS, as well as painful discussions of who "deserves" to get AIDS. For gay and sensitive viewers, this conversation can be especially triggering. Joe threatens to "kick your faggoty ass" when a man comes up and hits on him in a drug store. The film also shows Joe's wife giving birth and Tom Hanks' character surrounded by family as he passes away.
Families can use this film to discuss STDs and safe sex. Can you tell who has an STD and who doesn't just by looking at them? What do kids at your school think? Families can also talk about how they feel as a family about gay issues. Do you object when people use anti-gay language at school? Do you feel the way Joe does when people start accusing him of being gay because he represents Andy? Has the social climate changed for gay people and people with AIDS since this movie came out? How has it gotten better and how has it gotten worse? Which people in the public eye are "out" that you're aware of and how are they treated by the media? Do you think they have more pressure than straight famous people?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Heather Boerner
There were movies about gay people and movies about AIDS before PHILADELPHIA, but Philadelphia was the film that everyone remembers -- and for good reason. With blockbuster performances by Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington and with a timely and compelling plot, this film asks the question of how we treat people who have sexually transmitted diseases, especially AIDS and especially when they're gay.
Hanks is Andy Beckett, a wiz-kid attorney who is rising up the ranks at his prestigious law firm. He balances court hearings, depositions, meetings with the partners, and calls from his mom. But he's also keeping two very big secrets: He's gay and he has AIDS. When Andy gets fired from his job a month after a lesion appears on his forehead, Andy sues his former employers. What ensues is a legal battle that puts the way America treats gay people with AIDS on trial, and finds us guilty.
The pacing and structure of the film are designed by director Jonathan Demme to treat the viewer as the jury: As a viewer, you are asked to think about how you feel not just about AIDS -- a disease that at the time wasn't well understood -- but how you feel about gay people. The arguments are taut and compelling. And Hanks' gaunt reserve and quiet despair as he loses his battle with the disease are mesmerizing. Add to that Washington's dazzling charisma and you can't help but side with him.
And that's where the film is in for some criticism. Sure, it's emotionally manipulative, but many great movies are. More than that, Hanks' Andy isn't allowed to be anything less than the patron saint of AIDS victims. He has few dark secrets, and those we discover are brushed off with the supportive look of his family. Andy is masculine, beloved by his family, his partner is accepted by everyone, and Andy is, of course, rich. One wonders how viewers would think of a gay AIDS patient who had been ostracized by his family, who was effeminate, who was poor, and maybe wasn't quite as perfect of a human being. Would he be any less deserving of respect and justice?
People who enjoyed this film may want to check out its forefathers, including Angels in America, Longtime Companion, and And the Band Played On. People looking for other virtuosic Hanks performances may want to check out another film for which he won an Oscar, Forrest Gump.
Rate It!
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Sexual ContentAndy and Miguel kiss briefly. A lot of talk about how STDs like HIV/AIDS are spread and the implication that Andy deserves it because he's gay. A visit to a gay porn theater is discussed. |
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ViolenceJoe lunges at a man who comes on to him and threatens to attack him. |
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LanguageSome salty language, including "bulls--t," "s--t," "goddamn," and "asshole." Several characters use anti-gay slurs, such as "queers" and "faggot." |
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Social BehaviorThe law firm partners lie, cover up their behavior, and attach Andy. Several characters also make derogatory comments about gay people, calling them "disgusting." But the film also humanizes people with a dreaded and stigmatized disease and has at its heart a message of love and acceptance of all people, regardless of sexual orientation or STD status. |
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Drug/Alcohol/TobaccoThe senior law firm partners smoke cigars and drink liquor. Andy smokes a cigar at a party. Joe hands out cigars and smokes one after the birth of his daughter. At a party, everyone drinks alcohol, but not to excess. |
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