I fnally saw this film on the ultra-crappy DVD version. And here's my thoughts.
I like it, its the kind of film that's hard to not at least get into for two hours, but I don't really think its all that great of a film. Tom Hanks got attention because it was his breakthrough, so the film got attention. At the time it was a hot-button issue. AIDS, gays, and discrimination.
But it seems dated even 9 years later. By no means is AIDS not a problem, and we're far from a completely gay-friendly society, but the way this film presents it feel like another world. I rarely meet someone as virulently anti-gay as every non-gay character in this film. And the ignorance about AIDS is much less. So the main points of the film are kind of old.
Its got some cool courtroom stuff. And I think the real star of the film is Denzel Washington. His is the character who changes, who we see coming to grips with his fears and prejudices and the back and forth that that entails. Hanks is just the one who dies really slowly.
If I have a genuine complaint though its this, and I don't know if you can actually call it a complaint. But I think its weak that this film, which obviously wants to be the big "gay friendly" Hollywood drama of all time, can't even muster up a single gay kiss. Hanks wins the Oscar for his "bold choice" and "bravery" and yet he can't even kiss Banderas ONCE! Its a wimpy move, and frankly, it took me out of the film with how unrealistic it was.
I like it, its the kind of film that's hard to not at least get into for two hours, but I don't really think its all that great of a film. Tom Hanks got attention because it was his breakthrough, so the film got attention. At the time it was a hot-button issue. AIDS, gays, and discrimination.
But it seems dated even 9 years later. By no means is AIDS not a problem, and we're far from a completely gay-friendly society, but the way this film presents it feel like another world. I rarely meet someone as virulently anti-gay as every non-gay character in this film. And the ignorance about AIDS is much less. So the main points of the film are kind of old.
Its got some cool courtroom stuff. And I think the real star of the film is Denzel Washington. His is the character who changes, who we see coming to grips with his fears and prejudices and the back and forth that that entails. Hanks is just the one who dies really slowly.
If I have a genuine complaint though its this, and I don't know if you can actually call it a complaint. But I think its weak that this film, which obviously wants to be the big "gay friendly" Hollywood drama of all time, can't even muster up a single gay kiss. Hanks wins the Oscar for his "bold choice" and "bravery" and yet he can't even kiss Banderas ONCE! Its a wimpy move, and frankly, it took me out of the film with how unrealistic it was.
