Synopsis: In the mid- to late 1980s, films such as AN EARLY FROST, PARTING GLANCES, and LONGTIME COMPANION began examining the growing AIDS crisis. Thom Fitzgerald's moving THE EVENT shows that AIDS is still a major epidemic that is misunderstood by much of the public. The movie opens with the death of... In the mid- to late 1980s, films such as AN EARLY FROST, PARTING GLANCES, and LONGTIME COMPANION began examining the growing AIDS crisis. Thom Fitzgerald's moving THE EVENT shows that AIDS is still a major epidemic that is misunderstood by much of the public. The movie opens with the death of Matt Shapiro (Don McKellar), who was suffering with the disease. An assistant DA, Nick DeVivo (Parker Posey), believes that his death may have been the result of assisted suicide, which is against the law, so she questions Matt's friends and family to get to the truth--without considering the emotional impact her investigation might have on the people involved. With THE EVENT, Fitzgerald has made more than just an AIDS film; he has delved into the very nature of death and choice. Olympia Dukakis is outstanding as Lila, Matt's mother, who first has to come to terms with her son's illness and then his death. Sarah Polley and Joanna P. Adler are excellent as Matt's sisters, who have very different feelings about his demise. The film was shot on location in Chelsea in New York City and includes an emotional scene on the Staten Island Ferry, with the Statue of Liberty in the background, as Lila tosses Matt's ashes into the ocean. Although the film is set in recent years, it has a 1980s look to it, harkening back to the days of the first AIDS-related films when the disease just started to become recognized by the society at large. [More]