Philadelphia
Philadelphia

Philadelphia

1993Movie126 minEnglish

Two competing lawyers join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. As their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.

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Insights

IMDb7.4/10
Rotten Tomatoes87%
Metacritic77/100
Google Users84%
Director: Jonathan DemmeGenres: Drama

Plot Summary

A closeted gay lawyer, Andrew Beckett, is fired from his prestigious Philadelphia law firm when his employers discover he has AIDS. Beckett, believing he was fired due to discrimination, hires a small-time personal injury lawyer, Joe Miller, to sue his former firm. Miller is initially hesitant, but as the case progresses, he begins to understand the profound injustice Beckett has faced.

Critical Reception

Philadelphia was met with significant critical acclaim, particularly for its performances, its sensitive handling of AIDS and homophobia, and its willingness to tackle controversial social issues. It was praised for bringing the plight of AIDS patients into mainstream cinema with a powerful and emotional narrative.

What Reviewers Say

  • Praised for its strong performances, particularly Tom Hanks' Oscar-winning role.
  • Commended for its timely and sensitive portrayal of AIDS and discrimination.
  • Recognized for its effective legal drama structure that humanizes a difficult subject.

Google audience: Audiences lauded the film for its emotional impact and the powerful performances, especially Tom Hanks. Many appreciated its role in raising awareness and fostering empathy for individuals affected by AIDS and societal prejudice.

Awards & Accolades

Tom Hanks won the Academy Award for Best Actor. Bruce Springsteen won an Academy Award for Best Original Song for 'Streets of Philadelphia'. The film received multiple Golden Globe nominations and critical awards.

Fun Fact

Tom Hanks famously gained and lost 25 pounds for his role as Andrew Beckett, a transformation that was crucial for portraying the physical toll of AIDS.

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My Review

TMDB Reviews

6 reviews
r96sk

r96sk

Very good. I did think I'd enjoy <em>'Philadelphia'</em> much more though, solely based on who appears on the poster. The performances of Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are impressive enough, though I'd say they have done greater in oth...
CinemaSerf

CinemaSerf

It's quite hard to overstate how significant this film was at a time when AIDS-driven homophobia was rife. Right from the outset with Bruce Springsteen's delicate opening ballad, this effectively counters an whole range of prejudices that p...
Filipe Manuel Neto

Filipe Manuel Ne...

**A dense, disturbing, difficult, but highly relevant film.** Well, those who has the patience and charity to read what I write may have already realized that I'm not a big fan of overly militant films, even if they are causes or ideas t...
tmdb15435519

tmdb15435519

Compelling performances by both Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. And to think I almost didn't watch this because the poster doesn't look like Hanks...
Peter McGinn

Peter McGinn

Yet another of those movies I watched close to when it came out umpteen years ago, and only recently watched again. For entertainment value, it hasn’t aged particularly well for me. I am not sure I can even describe why, except that it s...
John Chard

John Chard

What do you love about the law, Andrew? Andrew Beckett is a gay lawyer infected with AIDS, who in spite of being his law firm's rising star, is fired on a trumped up charge of negligence. Refusing to accept defeat, Andrew manages to enli...