Customer Reviews
cried like a baby 
2007-08-25
Total Tear Jerker!! I cry everytime I watch this movie cause it brings me closer to reality. I deal with people everyday with HIV/AIDS, and everyday I see people get treated like crap simply because they are sick. I would recommend this movie to anyone that has not watched the movie and knows someone with HIV/AIDS.
Love this movie 2007-07-27
I have all of tom hanks movies on dvd and i have to say that this one is one of my top 3 favorites.
Excellent portrayal of Philadelphia 2007-07-25
This is the only movie that I have watched this summer and has impacted me in such a positive way. Being away from Philadelphia has made me realize that I do have some love for the city and I wanted to see a movie that dealt with individuals living ...(read more)in the city of brotherly love. I saw it at blockbuster and rented it. The movie is awesome right from the beginning, where there is a display of different snapshots from the different communities in Philadelphia and Bruce Springsteen's song "Streets of Philadelphia". The movie not only depicts a very accurate picture of the city's atmosphere but also informs its viewers about the gay community in the city, something that I feel is not as present in Philadelphia compared to larger cities like Chicago or New York. The best part of the movie is that the film is based on a true story. The only reason why I did not give the film five stars is due to the fact that most of the movie takes place inside of a courtroom and after a while I became frustrated when the problem would not get resolved. I was also a little confused by the special features. I was not sure if the special features on the individuals protesting outside of the courtroom were real protestors or not. The extra feature made it seem like they were, but I was just confused. I recommend this film to everyone, but I also believe that it will be even more appreciated by those who have lived in the city itself. Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington also give great performances.
Philadelphia 2007-07-13
The first mainstream film to deal squarely with the issue of AIDS, Demme's groundbreaking "Philadelphia" is a profoundly moving drama that digs into the ethics of how society views gay men. Strong performances by Best Actor winner Hanks as the ailing Beckett and Washington as a city lawyer who comes to see his client's disease not as a scourge to fear, but as an opportunity for compassion, will not leave a dry eye in your den. This is an eye-opening film, and still tremendously relevant today, with a memorable title song by Bruce Springsteen.
awesome 2007-07-02
love this movie. it was awesome, it moved me. great acting, just awesome. it def. shows how awful AIDS is.
must see movie
An important educational film. 2008-06-24
Right when the world needed a film about HIV we got Philly.
Actually we could have used this movie ten or fifteen years earlier.
This movie puts a very human face on HIV and the discrimination that goes along with it.
Brilliant performances by Hanks and Washington.
A brilliant script, direction, and paced very well.
And now I'm going to rant just like I did with Brokeback Mountain.
Philly and Brokeback share the same issue.
Why can't gay people have one movie made about us without the movie stereotyping us as HIV pos. (Philadelphia)
Totally dysfunctional, (Brokeback) Or just plain psychotic, (Basic Instinct)?????
Don't get me wrong I love and admire Broke and Philly.
They were and are two of the best and most important films to come out of Hollywood.
I however think it would be nice to see a movie like............Forever Young (Mel Gibson) with two leading men.
Just one ordinary film without the usual "gay" drama and stereotypes.
Please??????
Do I recommend Philly?
Yes, its pretty much mandatory viewing for everyone.
An `important' film that is highly `over-hyped'... 
2008-05-20
`Philadelphia' tells the heroic tale of Andrew Beckett, a one time hot young lawyer who was unjustly fired from his job when his superiors discovered he was suffering from the AIDS virus. At times this film is extremely touching and ultimately it is inspiring, but it suffers from clichés and an air of simplicity that robs it of any real emotional impact. I won't say that this is a bad film; it is just not a great one.
Andrew Beckett is young and smart and steadily climbing the corporate ladder in his law firm. He has a caring young boyfriend and very caring and understanding parents; yet something is terribly wrong. Andrew has contracted the deadly virus known as AIDS and as time progresses this virus begins to ware away at his health. He conceals this disease from his workmates, but when his illness becomes visible he is unable to hide it any longer and he finds himself being fired. Of course the law firm will not admit their reasons are based on his physical condition, but the reason given is so shaky that it leads Beckett to conclude the obvious. This is when Beckett approaches lawyer Joe Miller to represent him on trial. Joe turns down the case claiming that he doesn't think Beckett's lawsuit would hold up in court but it is more than obvious that Beckett's condition as well as his `alternative' lifestyle sit crossly with Miller and are the real reasons for his refusal to help. Joe does have a change of heart though and takes on Beckett as a client.
The initial concept for the film (loosely based on a true account) is intriguing and stock full of potential, but I feel as though it missed the boat somewhere. Many parts of the film seem clichéd to me, as if they were just presenting us with what we think we are supposed to see. I can't help but feel too that the film was a tad too simple, one-dimensional even. There really seemed to be no true character development (aside from Miller) and this just didn't sit right with me.
This leads me to Hanks.
I have a feeling I am in the minority here but I just didn't appreciate Tom Hanks' performance. I felt that it was clichéd and gimmicky and in the end it never really felt `real'. I never felt like I really knew `who' Andrew Beckett was. I knew his circumstance and I knew his plight, but I didn't know him. Hanks tries to explain Beckett to us during an excruciating opera scene where Hanks reaches levels of ridiculousness I just couldn't believe would be omitted in this film. The scene itself should have been stirring and emotionally reaching but Hanks just didn't get it and it comes off mediocre at best. As a whole I felt that his performance was weak when compared to his co-stars, especially Denzel, who completely owed his performance.
Denzel Washington really surprised me here. His performance is by far the best in the film, for he actually tells the audience a story. We know where this man came from, why he feels the way he does; we know what upsets him and what makes him uncomfortable and ultimately we see a progression of character, real growth that delivers to us the man he is when the credits begin to role. This is much more than can be said for Hanks' portrayal of Andrew Beckett. In my humble opinion Oscar got this all wrong, awarding Hanks for a playing a gimmick yet snubbing Washington for creating an honest character.
The supporting players are decent here, some better than others. Antonio Banderas has a tendency to over-act, sometimes it works (his Zorro is flawless) and other times it is too much, which is the case here.
Director Jonathan Demme had a lot to live up to with all the attention and praise he garnered for `The Silence of the Lambs', but he just couldn't really pull this one together. The film plays out well, it looks good, and there are moments that touch the audience, but there is not the intended impact; at least not for me. I know that a lot of people really enjoy this film, laud it even and I know that the critics sang its praises (or at least Hanks' praises) but I can't do either. The film is important in that it takes its serious subject very seriously and it proved to open the eyes of many to a growing problem, but in the end I'm just not `that' impressed. Washington is award worthy, that is for sure, but the film as a whole is lacking.
Fighting for what's right. 2008-02-09
Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks is a powerful movie from beginning to end. I have seen this film many times and I am still moved by the plot and incredible acting especially by Hanks. His performance was a turning point in his career, this film brought him back from his short hiatus. Denzel Washington also stars as Hank's lawyer and even though Washington's character can be superficial at times, he is able to show the many different aspects of a person not familiar with AIDS or homosexuality. If you want a deep and profound film about love, forgiveness, and the strength to stand up for injustice then Philadelphia is the film for you. Enjoy!
MIND GAME 2008-01-24
If you'd told me 15 years ago that Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington were about to become major forces in Hollywood, I'd have told you that it was well past closing time. To me, Hanks was a great guy who'd be forever saddled with class B material, while Washington was just the new handsome face on the block. This film changed everything for both of them. In the first place, for the umpteenth time, this is a story of prejudice. The relative paucity of reviews for an Academy Award winner such as this may still indicate some confusion amongst the voters. Secondly, the script material and the acting skill of our protagonists matured both of them exponentially amongst the viewing public. Can one really believe that "Forrest Gump" would have produced such fabulous results for Hanks were it not for this film? Or that Washington seems to be everywhere garnering quality roles? Finally,and less obviously, we again relearn that prejudice is not an inborn instinct; it is learned behavior that has been proven time and again in a child's sandbox. Lest we forget, visit one from time to time and take a moment to reflect.
One of the first films to take aids seriously 2007-09-05
I love Tom Hanks in anything of course, but this was a very good movie about how America was back in the 80's when the Hiv virus first appeared.
