Philadelphia (1993)
Philadelphia (1993)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Philadelphia indulges in some unfortunate clichés in its quest to impart a meaningful message, but its stellar cast and sensitive direction are more than enough to compensate.
Philadelphia Photos
Movie Info
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Cast
as Andrew Beckett
as Joe Miller
as Miguel Alvarez
as Charles Wheeler
as Belinda Conine
as Seidman
as Sarah Beckett
as Walter Kenton
as Dr Klenstein
as Jamey Collins
as Librarian
as Matt Beckett
as Young Man in Pharmacy
as Bud
as Bud Beckett
as Clinic Storyteller
as Molly Beckett
as Randy Beckett
as Jill Beckett
as Elizabeth Beckett
as Bruno
as Jerome Green
as Judge Garnett
as Mr. Laird
as Kenneth Killcoyne
as Judge Tate
as `Crutches'
as Dr. Gillman
as Anthea Burton
as Mr. Finley
as Rachel Smilow
as Himself
as Jury Member
as Filko
as Jury Member
as Iris
as Dexter Smith
as Ralph Peterson
as `Not Adam and Steve'
as Jury Foreman
as Melissa Benedict
as Lydia Glines
as Jill's Husband
as The Jury
as The Jury
as The Jury
as The Jury
as Angela Medina
as Bartender
as Andrew's Friend
as Bailiff
as Robert
as "Punchline"
as E.R. Doctor
as Lisa Miller
as Hospital Patient
as Guido Paonessa
News & Interviews for Philadelphia
Critic Reviews for Philadelphia
All Critics (50) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (11) | DVD (5)
Philadelphia may not be the film Demme's fans expect--its emotionalism is unfiltered by cool. But it has the power to open more than a few blinkered hearts.
[An] extremely well-made message picture about tolerance, justice and discrimination is pitched at mainstream audiences, befitting its position as the first major Hollywood film to directly tackle the disease.
Safe and apolitical it may be, but Philadelphia succeeds as a deeply affecting humanist drama.
"Philadelphia" mostly succeeds in being forceful, impassioned and moving, sometimes even rising to the full range of emotion that its subject warrants. But too often, even at its most assertive, it works in safely predictable ways.
This AIDS courtroom drama is so pumped full of nitrous oxide, you could get your teeth drilled on it.
Philadelphia breaks no new dramatic ground ... And yet Philadelphia is quite a good film, on its own terms.
Audience Reviews for Philadelphia
One of the first movies to deal with delicate matters like AIDS, homosexuality and intolerance at the time of its release. Although not altogether memorable, this is a praise-worthy effort that relies on some great performances and proves to be a deeply touching experience.
Super Reviewer
Philadelphia is heartfelt and well-performed despite the simple plot. Tom Hanks & Denzel Washington provide remarkable charisma and chemistry in this film along with a creative direction from Jonathan Demme, making this piece an underrated film of the 90s. 4/5
Super Reviewer
Upon its release, this was a very important and groundbreaking film since it was the first major Hollywood effort to deal with the medical, social, and political issues of AIDS. The story revolves around lawyer Andrew Beckett who is fired (he is told) for incompetence. He thinks the real reasons he is fired is because he is gay, but more importantly, because he is dying of AIDS. He feels an injustice has been done, so he teams up with an ACLU lawyer to take his former employers to court. Tom Hanks won his first of two consecutive Oscars with this role as Andy Beckett, and yeah, he is wonderful. He gives a moving and sensitive performance- really highlighting what it is like to experience the stigmas surrounding the AIDS virus, especially at that time. As his lawyer, Denzel Washington is also top notch. I like how Washington's Joe Miller openly admits his dislike of homosexuals, but comes around when he realizes that Beckett really was unjustly let go. The film's primarily a courtroom drama, but it's not nearly as gripping as something like A Few Good Men. I appreciate the way the film handles the subject matter, but I can't help but feel it gets a bit too heavy handed, preachy, and pretentious at times, though thankfully it's largely nuanced for a lot of it. If going solely by the acting, this would get at least 4.5 stars, but as an overall experience I think 4 is pretty fair. It is an important work, but I think it's a bit rough around the edges, being groundbreaking and whatnot. All in all though, I do recommend it, because it is very affecting and touching.
Super Reviewer
Philadelphia Quotes
| Sarah Beckett: | I didn't raise my children to sit at the back of the bus |
| Sarah Beckett: | I didn't raise my children to sit at the back of the bus. |
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