Philadelphia (1993) is on TCM right now

Why wouldn't it hold up?

I didn't think it held up then. It was like AIDS 101 for straight people. (and the opera scene makes my skin crawl)

I'm glad I'm not there to see this travesty!

You don't like the truth of the plague? Most of us hate that truth.

Joanne Woodward got a raw deal.

An Early Frost did it better and nearly 10 years before.

Mary Steenburgen's character is so cunty.

This is an IMPORTANT thread

R6, An Early Frost was so beautiful and devastating. One of the only times I saw my dad cry was watching the movie. I’m not sure how you could watch it and not feel empathy and sympathy for all of the (mainly young) gay men losing their lives during this time.

Had no idea that was Ann Dowd playing the sister with blond hair. I know this was 25 years ago, but she looked so different.

It didn't hold up for me the first time I saw it in '93.

Maudlin claptrap Hollywood style, but all those straight people did have their hearts in the right place, I guess.

Jonathan Demme felt guilty that some gay people were offended by Silence of the Lambs' killer so he made this film. I guess his heart was in the right place. (and I never agreed with the protests on Silence of the Lambs, the killer wasn't gay or even Trans. As Demme said that info is in the film but people missed it.)

Hank's Callas opera queen scene had me in stitches.

and they showed that clip in the montage when the presented his Best Actor award. (come to think of it is speech was just as over the top as the opera scene.)

(unfortunately the academy cuts the clips out of their youtube videos but I remember the opera scene being the one they chose.)

It was really Denzel's best performance, or at least top 3 - the entirely believable homophobic guy who kinda knows he shouldn't be, but still is. Yet, he believes that his client was legally discriminated against and therefore will fight for him.

It bothered you that the guys weren't gay? That didn't bother me, I was interested in the story.

Nobody has said that r16. Please do try to follow along.

Watching it tonight, r15, Denzel is very good. I found his performance actually a bit more believable. Too bad he's such a homophobe and around the same time, told Will Smith not to kiss a man in Six Degrees of Separation.

Agree with those saying it didn’t hold up well even then. It seemed stale, preachy, formulaic. I have no issue with Tom’s performance and, yes, Denzel was excellent in this. But Antonio Banderas as the lover was almost nowhere to be found on screen. His lover is dying and fighting in court, but he barely exists?

TCM was tweeting during the movie and tweeted there was a deleted scene where Tom and Antonio are getting ready for bed. I mean, even that scene could have helped. The relationship is so poorly developed and presented.

Joanne Woodward was good in her few scenes.

For some reason Antonio and Tom had no sexual chemistry. I don't think they even tried for that.

The Oscar and how self-congratulatory Hollywood was about recognizing the film when they had been so late to the party (plague) was sort of irritating. (and Hanks thanks Rita Wilson like a second into the speech so we know he is not really gay. ) The nineties were an irritating time.

I always found it Oscar bait rubbish. Plus I cannot enjoy most films starring Ton Hanks.

[quote]Oscar bait rubbish

Yes.

Other much better films about AIDS are *Parting Glances* and *Longtime Companion*.

R11 is a real idiot. Apparently she thinks she can have 10 young friends drop dead and never feel a thing.