PHILADELPHIA's Review

The document provides a summary of the 1993 film Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. It details the plot of the film, which is based on a real AIDS discrimination case. It also discusses some lessons about the law and social justice that are explored through the story told in the film.

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Filda Evangelista Nababan

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PHILADELPHIA's Review

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Filda Evangelista Nababan

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PHILADELPHIA (1993)

Cast

 Tom Hanks as Andrew ("Andy") Beckett

 Denzel Washington as Joe Miller
 Jason Robards as Charles Wheeler
 Mary Steenburgen as Belinda Conine
 Antonio Banderas as Miguel Álvarez
 Joanne Woodward as Sarah Beckett
 Robert W. Castle as Bud Beckett
 Ann Dowd as Jill Beckett
 Adam LeFevre as Jill's husband
 John Bedford Lloyd as Matt Beckett
 Dan Olmstead as Randy Beckett
 Lisa Summerour as Lisa Miller
 Charles Napier as Judge Lucas Garnett
 Roberta Maxwell as Judge Tate
 Roger Corman as Mr. Roger Laird
 David Drake as Bruno
 Harry Northup as The Jury
 Bill Rowe as Dr. Armbruster
 Chandra Wilson as Chandra
 Daniel von Bargen as Jury Foreman
 Karen Finley as Dr. Gillman
 Robert Ridgely as Walter Kenton
 Bradley Whitford as Jamey Collins
 Ron Vawter as Bob Seidman
 Anna Deavere Smith as Anthea Burton
 Obba Babatundé as Jerome Green
 Charles Glenn as Kenneth Killcoyne
 Tracey Walter as the Librarian
 Andre B. Blake as Young Man in Pharmacy (as André B. Blake)
 Daniel Chapman as Clinic Storyteller
 Peter Jacobs as Peter / Mona Lisa
 Paul Lazar as Dr. Klenstein
 Warren Miller as Mr. Finley
 Joey Perillo as Filko
 Lauren Roselli as Iris
 Lisa Talerico as Shelby
 Kathryn Witt as Melissa Benedict
 Julius Erving as Julius Erving
 Mayor of Philadelphia Ed Rendell as himself

Casting
Bill Murray and Robin Williams were considered for the role of Joe
Miller. John Leguizamo was offered the role of Miguel Álvarez, but
turned it down to play Luigi in Super Mario Bros.
Plot[edit]
Andrew Beckett is a senior associate at the largest corporate law firm
in Philadelphia, Wyant, Wheeler, Hellerman, Tetlow and Brown. He
hides his homosexuality and his status as an AIDS patient from the other
members of the firm. A partner in the firm notices a lesion on Beckett's
forehead. Although Beckett attributes the lesion to a racquetball injury,
it indicates Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-defining condition.
Shortly thereafter, Beckett stays home from work for several days to try
to find a way to hide his lesions. While at home, he finishes the
paperwork for a case he has been assigned and then brings it to his
office, leaving instructions for his assistants to file the paperwork the
following day, which marks the end of the statute of limitations for the
case. Later that morning, he receives a call asking for the paperwork, as
the paper copy cannot be found and there are no copies on the
computer's hard drive. The paperwork is finally discovered in an
alternate location and is filed with the court at the last possible moment.
The following day, Beckett is dismissed by the firm's partners.
Beckett believes that someone deliberately hid his paperwork to give the
firm an excuse to fire him, and that the dismissal is actually a result of
his diagnosis with AIDS as well as his sexuality. He asks ten attorneys
to take his case, including African-American personal injury lawyer Joe
Miller, whom Beckett previously opposed in an unrelated case. Miller
appears to be worried that he could contract Beckett's illness. After
declining to take the case, Miller immediately visits his doctor to find
out if he could have contracted the disease. The doctor explains that
the routes of HIV infection do not include casual contact.
Unable to find a lawyer willing to represent him, Beckett is compelled
to act as his own attorney. While researching a case at a law library,
Miller sees Beckett at a nearby table. A librarian approaches Beckett and
announces that he has found a case on AIDS discrimination for him. As
others in the library begin to first stare uneasily, the librarian suggests
Beckett go to a private room. Seeing the parallels in how he himself has
faced discrimination due to his race, Miller approaches Beckett, reviews
the material he has gathered, and takes the case.
As the case goes before the court, the partners of the firm take the stand,
each claiming that Beckett was incompetent and that he had deliberately
tried to hide his condition. The defense repeatedly suggests that Beckett
brought AIDS upon himself by having gay sex, and is therefore not a
victim. In the course of testimony, it is revealed that the partner who had
noticed Beckett's lesion, Walter Kenton, had previously worked with a
woman who had contracted AIDS after a blood transfusion and so
should have recognized the lesion as relating to AIDS. According to
Kenton, the woman was an innocent victim, unlike Beckett, and further
testified that he did not recognize Beckett's lesions. To prove that the
lesions would have been visible, Miller asks Beckett to unbutton his
shirt while on the witness stand, revealing that his lesions are indeed
visible and recognizable as such. Over the course of the trial, Miller's
homophobia slowly disappears as he and Beckett bond from working
together.
Beckett eventually collapses during the trial and is hospitalized. After
this, another partner, Bob Seidman, who had also noticed Beckett's
lesions, confesses that he suspected Beckett had AIDS but never told
anyone and never gave him the opportunity to explain himself, which he
regrets very much. During his hospitalization, the jury votes in Beckett's
favor, awarding him back pay, damages for pain and suffering
and punitive damages, totaling over $5 million. Miller visits the visibly
failing Beckett in the hospital after the verdict and overcomes his fear
enough to touch Beckett's face. After the family leaves the room,
Beckett tells his partner Miguel Alvarez that he is "ready". At the Miller
home later that night, Miller and his wife are awakened by a phone call
from Alvarez, who tells them that Beckett has died peacefully. A
memorial is held at Beckett's family home following the funeral, where
many mourners, including Miller and his family, view home movies of
Beckett as a happy child.

Philadelphia is a 1993 American legal drama film written by Ron

Nyswaner, directed by Jonathan Demme and starring Tom
Hanks and Denzel Washington. It is notable for being one of the first
mainstream Hollywood films to acknowledge HIV/AIDS.
For his role as Andrew Beckett, Hanks won the Academy Award for
Best Actor at the 66th Academy Awards, while the song "Streets of
Philadelphia" by Bruce Springsteen won the Academy Award for Best
Original Song. Nyswaner was also nominated for the Academy Award
for Best Original Screenplay, but lost to Jane Campion for The Piano.
Movie Lessons in Law
“Philadelphia” is based on the story of an attorney named Geoffrey
Bowers. In the 1980s, Geoffrey Bowers was suddenly dismissed from
his position at a prominent law firm. Bowers suspected that he had been
fired because he had been diagnosed with AIDS. He took the law firm to
court and eventually won the case in one of the first major AIDS-
discrimination lawsuits.
This film is especially fascinating because it takes a dramatic look at a
groundbreaking legal case. There are some interesting lessons about the
practice of law woven into the film’s powerful story.
1) Social Justice Issues Are Explored in Courtrooms
In the 1980s, the epidemic of HIV and AIDS was both catastrophic and
mysterious. Doctors did not fully understand these conditions and
effective treatments had not yet been developed. Additionally, the public
view of HIV/AIDS was filled with misinformation and stereotypes.
Just as civil rights issues were debated in courtrooms in the 1960s, the
social justice issue of AIDS-based discrimination came to light in
courtrooms in the 1980s. These court cases were partly responsible for
exposing the issue of discrimination.
2) Lawyers Must Find Objective Truth
One of the central concerns of “Philadelphia” is the way in which the
truth can be portrayed. The law firm insists that Andrew Beckett was
fired because of his job performance. Beckett maintains that this is
merely an excuse to fire him because of his medical condition.
It is the job of Beckett’s lawyer, Joe Miller, to find solid evidence of his
client’s claim. Without evidence, Beckett’s claim would have been
quickly tossed out of court. Miller must work to find a thread of
objective truth behind the subjective reasoning of the law firm.
3) Justice Is More Important than Personal Opinions
At first, Beckett’s lawyer doesn’t want to take the case. Miller doesn’t
agree with Beckett’s lifestyle and has several major misconceptions
about Beckett’s condition.
Eventually, Miller is able to overcome his incorrect ideas and see the
importance of finding justice for Beckett. Skilled attorneys can set aside
personal opinions so that they can focus on the needs of the client.
Thanks