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DVD Angels in America
Tony Kushner's prize-winning play Angels in America became the defining theatrical event of the 1990s, an astonishing mix of philosophy, politics, and vibrant gay soap opera that summed up the Reagan era for an entire generation of theater-goers. Post-9/11 would seem to be too late for a film version--philosophy and politics don't always age well--but this 2003 HBO adaptation, ably directed by Mike Nichols (The Graduate), provides a time capsule of the '80s and reveals the deep emotional subcurrents that will give the play lasting power.
The story centers around Prior Walter (Justin Kirk) and Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman), a gay couple that falls apart when Prior grows ill as a result of AIDS. But cancer is not the only thing invading Prior's life: He begins to have religious visions of an angel (Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility) announcing that he is a prophet. Louis, who doesn't cope well with disease and suggestions of mortality, leaves and starts a relationship with Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson), a closeted Mormon who works for Roy Cohn (Al Pacino, Dog Day Afternoon)--the real-life right-wing lawyer, notorious for his ruthless behind-the-scenes machinations. Add in Joe's depressed and hallucinating wife Harper (Mary Louise Parker, Fried Green Tomatoes), his determined but open-minded mother Hannah (Meryl Streep, Adaptation), a fierce drag queen/nurse named Belize (Jeffrey Wright, Basquiat, reprising his celebrated performance from the Broadway production), and you've still only begun to discover the wealth of characters and storylines in Kushner's ambitious work.
The powerhouse cast (also featuring James Cromwell, Michael Gambon, and Simon Callow) is uniformly superb. The script has its weaknesses--some of the fantastic elements, including Prior's journey to Heaven towards the end, fall flat--but even what doesn't work is bristling with ideas and a ferocious desire to capture human existence in this time and place. --Bret Fetzer
I did not see the play, but had heard it was good, though I stayed away because generally I am not a theater-goer. When it came on HBO, I recorded it, just to see what the whole hullabaloo was about....the Pullitzers, Tony's, et.al. I sat down to watch it, expecting the usual stagey-ness of most filmed plays, fully expecting to be unimpressed despite its reputation (I'd been fooled by fawning "theater people" one too many times). Six, raptured hours later, I emerged from Tony Kushner's (book and screenplay), Mike Nichol's (director), and Thomas Newman's (music) masterpiece changed forever as a human being.
An extraordinarily moving, complex piece of modern art...
There are so many things to say about ANGELS IN AMERICA, but each of them is as difficult to put into words as the last. To all of those who found this 6-hour adaptation of the play boring, consider looking beyond the superficial oddness and confusing nature of the story to its core. When you dig down deep, ANGELS is a story about coping with life, with heartbreak, with disease, and learning what it means to be human.
With this said, ANGELS is anything but easy to understand. Its references are as complex as they are hard-hitting, and it is as unforgivingly brutal in its honesty as it is right on the money. The AIDS epidemic of the mid-1980s is the focus of the work -- but on a broader level, it's a study of how individuals live and function in modern day America. The constant political references are apt to confuse all except the most politically-minded -- myself included -- so you may have to do a little reading and research to best understand the myriad references found herein. Still, ANGELS is a full-force criticism of political neglect and ignorance -- things which still abound today.
The storyline being as complex as it is, it's astounding to see such superb performances from the cast. Pacino, Streep, Thompson, Kirk, Shenkman, Parker, and Wright give brilliant performances that should not be missed. The anguish and strife of the time, combined with the difficulties of relationships and dealing with situations we simply have no control over, make this film a masterpiece of modern cinema.
Make no mistake -- this film is not something you should watch with the assumption that you'll leave it with a smile on your face and a warm feeling in your heart. It's honesty is piercing, and its sadness nearly heartbreaking. Still, there is always hope -- we have an incredible resistance to change, and yet we're amazingly resilient creatures. For better and for worse, we fight for what we believe -- as Prior says, we refuse to lay down anymore, to suffer and die in secrecy.
With unsurpassed poignancy, Kushner produces a tale that is sometimes funny and often heartwrenching. Thomas Newman's delicate compositions ring true in the background, as well -- his soundtrack is compelling and truly breathtaking. Prepare yourself for a brilliant work that won't leave your mind anytime soon -- if ever.
Mike Nichols Tries to Be Ken Russell
I remember sitting in a Barnes & Noble and reading each part of ANGELS IN AMERICA in the '90s and wondering how it would play onstage. The dialogue was wonderful and, even without seeing an actor as Roy Cohn, some scenes just jumped right off the page.
When I heard that HBO was sinking tens of millions of dollars into a mini-series of it, I was afraid that their worst tendencies would overwhelm the production.
And it did, for the most part.
If they wanted to rip it up with the surreal angel scenes, they should've got the deranged English director Ken Russell (ALTERED STATES, TOMMY) instead of the socially-conscious Mike Nichols. But I'm sure Russell would've also monkeyed with the rest of the play's carefully crafted messages. (To be honest, I don't wish Russell on anybody: read the bio of legendary screenwriter Paddy Chayefsky to see that).
And what did the angel scenes really lead up to? The "prophet" she announces climbs the ladder into Heaven...and tells God what he can do with it. All the hours of weaving a complex story of personal human interaction are capped off with the sullen petulance of a child-like reproach.
It is revealing as a mentality ("Nothing Is My Fault"), but as drama it doesn't work as well.
But a lot of scenes really work and the cast is great, but the ending is a let-down. And some of the hallucinations are just indulgent messes.
I've watched shows like ANGELS IN AMERICA and AND THE BAND PLAYED ON (the book was infinitely better), and I've noticed a lot of historical revisionism going on: Ronald Reagan was NOT responsible for the AIDS epidemic in the 1980's. I was there and saw it: at the news of a new "gay disease" striking down gays in San Francisco and New York, the Reagan Administration ordered the bathhouses in Frisco shut down until the situation could be evaluated...and the gays just about burned City Hall to the ground to keep them open. And for the virus to spread even more.
In 1987 or '88, the USA spent $700 million dollars on AIDS research and $77 million on breast cancer research, the leading cause of death for women. That was in USA Today.
When I see desperate characters in movies like ANGELS IN AMERICA berating the government for "not caring" about what's happening, I remember the truth: the people most at risk didn't allow anyone to care.
They screamed for help while pushing it away.
Despite a slow weird beginning I enjoyed this movie more than words can say. It was funny weird, thought pervoking and it left me feeling really good despite some real life situations that were not always happy. I could identify with the mormon dude since I know well his pain having come from a strict hardcore Bible Thumping BAPTIST family myself. Trust me "Baptist's" are no more accepting or tolerant of gays or gay friendly folk than the religious neanderthals seen in this movie.
Despite the religious homophobic downers this was my kind of movie it had a happy ending I could honestly beleive. This movie left me happy and filled with hope. The unrated version has the steamier sex scene but what you see is pretty tame by todays standards. I would not recommend this... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Steve Sandvoss - Wes Ramsey - Amber Benson - Jacqueline Bisset - Mary Kay Place Director(s): C. Jay Cox DVD Release Date: Released the 07 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Colin Farrell takes a break from action flicks (S.W.A.T., Alexander) to make A Home at the End of the World, an intimate film based on a novel by Michael Cunningham (author of The Hours). As a boy, Bobby (played as an adult by Farrell) loses both parents and his beloved older brother, ending up more-or-less adopted by the family of his best friend, Jonathan (played as an adult by Dallas Roberts). Jonathan's feelings for Bobby go beyond friendship; Bobby is open to the possibilities. Bobby follows Jonathan to New York and falls into a relationship with Clare (Robin Wright Penn, The Princess Bride). The three form an alternative family, move out to the country, and discover that even alternative families have their dysfunctions. Bobby is so innocent and... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Sissy Spacek - Colin Farrell - Dallas Roberts - Robin Wright Penn Director(s): Michael Mayer (VI) DVD Release Date: Released the 02 November 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Screenwriters rarely develop a distinctive voice that can be recognized from movie to movie, but the ornate imagination of Charlie Kaufman (Being John Malkovich, Adaptation) has made him a unique and much-needed cinematic presence. In Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a guy decides to have the memories of his ex-girlfriend erased after she's had him erased from her own memory--but midway through the procedure, he changes his mind and struggles to hang on to their experiences together. In other hands, the premise of memory-erasing would become a trashy science-fiction thriller; Kaufman, along with director Michel Gondry, spins this idea into a funny, sad, structurally complex, and simply enthralling love story that juggles morality, identity, and heartbreak with... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Michel Gondry DVD Release Date: Released the 28 September 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Sweetness that doesn't turn saccharine is hard to find these days; Finding Neverland hits the mark. Much credit is due to the actors: Johnny Depp applies his genius for sly whimsy in his portrayal of playwright J. M. Barrie, who finds inspiration for his greatest creation from four lively boys, the sons of widow Sylvia Llewelyn Davies (Kate Winslet, who miraculously fuses romantic yearning with common sense). Though the friendship threatens his already dwindling marriage, Barrie spends endless hours with the boys, pretending to be pirates or Indians--and gradually the elements of Peter Pan take shape in his mind. The relationship between Barrie and the Llewelyn Davies family sparks both an imagined world and a quiet rebellion against the stuffy forces of respectability,... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 22 March 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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I have been reading on the internet and heard what season 5 is about. I dont get showtime and have only started watching QAF a couple weeks ago. I have all FOUR seasons though. And with what happens in season 5...i dont know if i want it when it comes out. The stories are depressing. Brian gets SICK! that sucks. I heard one rumor it was AIDS but i also heard it was just HIV. And Brian and Justin dont end up together even though they should. and i also heard that they kill off Hunter. I know it is only a show but still....I know this has nothing to do with season four but i had to vent somewhere. Thanks for listnening and now you can say i wasnt helpful. More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Hal Sparks DVD Release Date: Released the 05 April 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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