Sean Penn gives a meticulously detailed performance as the cagey and charismatic pol, but credit should also go to Dustin Lance Black, whose script squarely locates Milk at the center of his community, his city, and his cause.
Milk (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:36
Fresh:34
Rotten:2
Average Rating:8.2/10
Consensus: Anchored by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America's first openly gay man elected to public office.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language, some sexual content and brief violence.
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Nov 26, 2008 Limited
Box Office: $31,716,847
Synopsis: In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay... In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Gus Van Sant in Milk, filmed on location in San Francisco from an original screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, and produced by Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen. Milk charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life. While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change. With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics. Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin). But as White and Milk’s political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now. --© Focus Features [More]
Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna
Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco
Director: Gus Van Sant
Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenwriter: Dustin Lance Black
Producer: Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Focus Features
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Release:
Mar 10, 2009
DVD Features:
- Region [unknown]
- Snap Case
- Anamorphic Widescreen - 1.85
Audio:
- Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround - English, French
- Subtitles - English (SDH), French, Spanish
Additional Release Material:
- Deleted Scenes
Featurette:
- 1. Remembering Harvey
- 2. Hollywood Comes to San Francisco
- 3. Marching for Equality
Reviews for Milk
Penn's performance is a marvelous act of empathy in a movie that, for all its surprisingly conventional style, measures up to its stirring subject.
This film wants us to understand both how far we've come as a society and that it is still not far enough.
Once in a while, a movie arrives at such a perfect moment, its message and meaning so finely tuned to the current zeitgeist, that it seems less a cinematic event than a cosmic convergence, willed into being by a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of the stars.
Milk is so immediate that it's impossible to separate the movie's moment from this one.
Milk has one of the finest ensemble casts this year and a magnificent, career-topping performance by Sean Penn, who disappears into the title role.
The film understandably and movingly centres itself on Penn's portrayal of a hedonist-turned-activist who discovered that in order to change his world, he had to find his voice.
I don't know that this is Penn's best performance, overall -- let's have that debate some other time -- but as far as the mannered, immersive impersonations of his later career go, Harvey Milk takes the cake.
Milk represents a thought provoking, cathartic, and mostly true tale of politics and courage.
The final result somehow undersells a man whose life and death were watershed moments in the gay rights movement.
Penn is one of our great actors, and his greatness comes from small things. Close your eyes and listen to how he absolutely gets -- but doesn't caricature -- Milk's honking Long Island accent.
Penn goes way deep and soulful in a highly ingratiating performance that's the one to beat for the Best Actor Oscar.
Somehow, Milk implants hope in those who’ve lost it. Somehow, Penn plays him as a feisty charmer so winning and lifelike that you’ll regard him as a friend before it’s over.
Milk is a worthy docudrama that is solid if not sublime. But, sometimes, a merely good film can brush up against greatness, and this one does so twice.
Progress is slow, but Harvey Milk was one of the first to set the wheels in motion. He more than deserves a movie this good.
At the heart of this eloquent portrait of a cultural catalyst is Penn's profoundly human, and possibly finest, performance.
It's a reminder, in this age of virtual flash and computer-generated wonders, of the power of simple human expression.
What's surprising about Milk is how much creative fun Van Sant has under the serious circumstances.
Penn is so engaging, physically loose and just plain smart in the title role, he's bound to top everyone's shortlist come awards time.
The story of Harvey Milk is a tragedy, but not since Jeff Spicoli in Fast Times at Ridgemont High has Sean Penn played such a serenely happy individual.
Latest News for Milk
March 09, 2009:
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February 01, 2009:
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January 27, 2009:
Milk Among GLAAD Nominees ![]()
"Milk" has been a favorite on the awards circuit this year, and its hot streak has been extended courtesy of the GLAAD Media Awards, where it will compete in the Outstanding... More...
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