No. 27 - Philadelphia (1993)

No One Would Take On His Case, Until One Man Was Willing To Take On The System.

Rated: Rated: PG-13 

Director: Jonathan Demme; Writer: Ron Nyswaner

Starring: Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks, Jason Robarbs, Mary Steenburgen, Antonio Banderas, Joanne Woodward

Movie Introduction: Fearing it would compromise his career, lawyer Andrew Beckett (Hanks) hides his homosexuality and HIV status to his employer, a powerful Philadelphia law firm. But his secret is exposed when a colleague spots the illness's telltale lesions. Unjustly fired shortly afterwards, Beckett resolves to sue for discrimination, hiring a reluctant attorney, Joe Miller (Washington), the only lawyer willing to help him. In court, they face one of his ex-employer's top litigators, Belinda Conine (Steenburgen).   

Defining Moment: "Your future here is no longer secure..."

Many films start out with a vision of how our world seems; how it appears to the casual eye. Life appears through rose-colored glasses – loving friends, a happy family, a successful company. To the film viewer, it can actually appear boring. Then, a catalyst occurs and the attractive veneer is painfully scraped away and reality is revealed. That revelation is often ugly.

This film's catalyst is the firing of Andrew Beckett. He is a senior associate in a prominent law firm. There was a small mishap regarding some missing paperwork. With Andrew's help, the issue was corrected at the last minute. The next day Andrew is brought into a board room. There he is summarily dismissed, fired for the missing paperwork. That's it. End of story. Of course, there is more at play and hidden ulterior motives. (Watch the full scene on YouTube)

Something subtle you might have missed:  the plague of our time (just don't talk about it)

The global HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) epidemic began in 1981. I was a senior in high school. To date, approximately 40 million people have died, averaging about 600,000 a year. The good news is that globally, the disease is more under control now, thanks to successful treatments. In the US, AIDS has impacted homosexual men primarily, however other impacted groups include intravenous drug users, sex workers, African Americans, and transgender women.

Almost immediately, worldwide stigma and discrimination reared its ugly head towards infected patients. They are subjected to judgment, harassment, and even acts of violence. The fear of the disease in America has been stoked since day one by certain "news" outlets and religious institutions. HIV/AIDS has been called "God’s work" in some circles. The religious sure love to have a visibly sick man or a pregnant teen girl to pass their judgment upon. 

This film addresses the topic of HIV/AIDS discrimination. This takes place in 1981, and still happens today.  

Memorable Quotes:

"We're standing here in Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love, the birthplace of freedom, where the founding fathers authored the Declaration of Independence, and I don't recall that glorious document saying anything about all straight men are created equal. I believe it says all men are created equal." - Joe Miller

"Every now and again - not often, but occasionally - you get to be a part of justice being done. That really is quite a thrill when that happens." - Andrew Beckett

Dad's Review:

I get that this film may be difficult for some of you to watch. For Many, it's a double whammy - Homosexuality and AIDS. Philadelphia deals with both topics in a realistic, honest way. But there is a third theme present here. I am referring to bigotry. Where you find the first two topics, the third will be there in abundance.   

Hanks, in his Oscar-winning performance, portrays, Andrew Beckett, an executive who gets the deadly disease and is fired from his job. Joe Miller, a successful black personal injury lawyer reluctantly takes the case. For as much as the film is about the sickness and trial of Mr. Beckett, it is also about Miller's journey from ignorance to understanding, an easier journey thanks to his own experiences with discrimination because of his race.

This courtroom drama will make you uncomfortable, but it will also make you think, and hopefully question some of your own prejudices. For centuries on this continent there have been the haves and the others. Those in control and everybody else. Those who receive justice, and those denied it. Thankfully, this motion picture tackles one such injustice.

Similar to Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, we, the audience already know the "company" is in the wrong. It's fabricating a scapegoat to protect its image at all costs. It will destroy any challengers thanks to a stockpile of money and lawyers. Yet like Jefferson Smith, Andrew Beckett and Joe Miller stand against the dark monolith, determined to expose the corruption, and attain justice.

The law firm contends that Beckett was incompetent. He hid his illness from them, and besides, he brought AIDS upon himself because of his lifestyle, so he therefore is not a victim. This is a sound case considering the political climate of the day and its disregard, and blatant disgust, for anyone openly gay.

This is the mountain that Miller must climb. He and Beckett work together to uncover the facts, many of which have been fabricated and covered up by members of the company that hired the young, very competent lawyer. Over the days and late nights of research and preparation, Beckett's health declines rapidly. Still, he fights on. Miller’s own prejudice starts to fade as he gets to know Andrew, and witness his determination. He starts to respect his client, and becomes his friend. It's truly wonderful to watch.

I won't spoil the details of the intense trial depicted in this film. You'll have to watch that for yourself.

On a final note, as the father of a gay child (well, he's a man now) I definitely see this film with a different perspective. To be honest, I once held the "other" perspective, similar to the film's Joe Miller. I thought of myself as a nice guy. I thought I knew it all; had it all figured out. I didn't. Call it ignorance. Call it tribalism. Call it privilege.

Still, fate, or the gods, or God, or whatever you believe in, blessed me with a wonderful son, who happens to be gay.

The second he came out to me, I had a decision to make. I could no longer hide behind my previous hubris. I could no longer say, "Love the sinner, hate the sin." or "Homosexuality is caused by trauma" or "Gay is a mental disease that can be cured." Here I was, looking into the honest eyes of a wonderful 12-year-old teen, who had the exact same, normal life as his two older siblings, and he is fundamentally, naturally, honestly and completely gay... to his core. As powerful and unwavering as my attraction is to females, his attraction is to males. This is how God created him. And God doesn't make mistakes, right?

It took me one second to make my decision: I will continue to love my son, and support him in everyway I can, exactly as I do the other two. That means accepting the fact that he is gay. End of decision.

I know that this will upset many of my religious friends and relatives. They may even become angry or sad or disgusted. I don't want them to feel that way. Because I know if they met my son, they'd be fine with him. They might even start to question their own prejudices. I can only hope.

Honestly, I wish that everyone could experience a LGBTQIA+ child of their own. If this were to occur, we wouldn't be having this political discussion about their rights. 

You see, knowing him has fundamentally changed how I feel about that whole question. I am a better, more loving, more tolerant, person now. It has changed what I believe. Sometimes we question dogma that we are indoctrinated into - because sometimes things just don't add up. It takes life experience to open eyes to truth. For me, you might say, my wisdom was evolved.

Think about that. Evolved. Isn't that why we are here on Earth... to grow more intelligent, become more kind, be more loving, express more empathy? It has opened a brighter, more loving world for me.

I leave you with this: Surrender the hate. "All we need is love." Evolve into better humans - the world needs that... Now more than ever.

Onto No. 28... The Vine Fruit of Rage