>Date: 22 Dec 93 23:06:35 EST
>Subject: My Review of the film "Philedelphia"
>From: anon@queernet.org (Anonymous Sender)

        Saw the long awaited film "Philedelphia" this morning on the
first 10:30 a.m. showing in Santa Monica.  The theater was about 40%
full with predominantly straight audience.
        Since having read so much about the film, I had high expectation
and hope for the film.  My impression?  A little disappointed but
nevertheless satisfied.
        I won't go into the plot points as every knows the basic story
of the film.  The biggest problem with the film is that it is very
hetrosexualized for the straight audience.  The film is supposedly to
be mainly about Tom Hank's gay character, yet the audience is constantly
shown Denzel Washington's straight character showing off his
hetrosexuality with the scenes involving his baby and wife.  All of
Hank's relatives are happily married with kids though all seem to be
members of P-FLAG.
        The scenes involving Hank's lovers are very limited, though
far more tender and convincing than Washington's wife.  My favorite
scene is the Halloween Party in which Hank dances with his lover in
Navy costumes (ironically, the Pentagon announces its new gays-in-the
military policy TODAY).  President Clinton reportedly walked out
the screening room during the scene at the White House screening
last month, according to Hanks' interview with the LA Times.  The only
kiss between the two lovers occured at the end when Hank's lover kiss
him good-bye - on the hand on the death bed.  I agree totally with
Newsweek's reviewer that our hero's personal life deserves better than
the trucated form in the movie.
        Even though the film producers claimed to have hired a record
number of openly gay actors, none of them seem to have any meaningful
speaking roles.  In effect, the audience gets the feeling that the
only two gay characters in the movies are Hank and his lover.
        Gay actor David Drake does get plenty of close-ups of his
handsome face but he's never allowed to say anything significant.
        The LA Times reviewer points out today that the courtroom
conflicts sometimes are so focused on the public's view on homosexuality
that the movie never goes into details whether Hanks' character was
framed by his boss for misplacing an important Complaint.  There is
a scene from the movie's trailer in which Hanks goes through his
floppy discs trying to find a copy of the missing Complaint.  That
is NOT in the actual movie.
        I was also disturbed by the scenes showing Hanks character
having sex in a gay porno theater (though no sex is shown) and
the black law student trying to pick up Denzel Washington in the
drug store.  Aren't these two scenes totally unacceptable in
other movies as far as GLAAD is concerned?
        The movie does have a powerful ending.  I could hear people
crying from all corners.  I saw an elderly straight couple wiping
away their tears.  THAT was powerful enough for me to label the film
a milestone in the gay film history.
        P.S.  Did the director take some hints from Elton John's music
video "Last Song" by including home movie footages of the AIDS patients'
young lives?