Angels in America
starring: Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson, Patrick Wilson, Mary-Louise Parker
directed by: Mike Nichols
directed by: Mike Nichols
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Product Description:
Studio: Hbo Home VideoRelease Date: 12/05/2006Run time: 352 minutesRating: Nr
Amazon.com:
Tony Kushner's prize-winning play Angels in America became thedefining theatrical event of the 1990s, an astonishing mix of philosophy,politics, and vibrant gay soap opera that summed up the Reagan era for anentire generation of theater-goers. Post-9/11 wouldseem to be too late for a film version--philosophy and politics don'talways age well--but this 2003 HBO adaptation, ably directed by Mike Nichols(The Graduate), provides a time capsule of the '80s and reveals thedeep emotional subcurrents that will give the play lasting power.
The story centers around Prior Walter(Justin Kirk) and Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman), a gay couple that fallsapart when Prior grows ill as a result of AIDS. But cancer is not the onlything invading Prior's life: He begins to have religious visions of anangel (Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility) announcing that he isa prophet. Louis, who doesn't cope well with disease and suggestions ofmortality, leaves and starts a relationship with Joe Pitt (PatrickWilson), a closeted Mormon who works for Roy Cohn (Al Pacino, Dog DayAfternoon)--the real-life right-wing lawyer, notorious for hisruthless behind-the-scenes machinations. Add in Joe's depressed andhallucinating wife Harper (Mary Louise Parker, Fried GreenTomatoes), his determined but open-minded mother Hannah (Meryl Streep,Adaptation), a fierce drag queen/nurse named Belize (JeffreyWright, Basquiat, reprising his celebrated performance from theBroadway production), and you've still only begun to discover the wealthof characters and storylines in Kushner's ambitious work.
Thepowerhouse cast (also featuring James Cromwell, Michael Gambon, and SimonCallow) is uniformly superb. The script has its weaknesses--some of thefantastic elements, including Prior's journey to Heaven towards the end,fall flat--but even what doesn't work is bristling with ideas and aferocious desire to capture human existence in this time and place.--Bret Fetzer
Studio: Hbo Home VideoRelease Date: 12/05/2006Run time: 352 minutesRating: Nr
Amazon.com:
Tony Kushner's prize-winning play Angels in America became thedefining theatrical event of the 1990s, an astonishing mix of philosophy,politics, and vibrant gay soap opera that summed up the Reagan era for anentire generation of theater-goers. Post-9/11 wouldseem to be too late for a film version--philosophy and politics don'talways age well--but this 2003 HBO adaptation, ably directed by Mike Nichols(The Graduate), provides a time capsule of the '80s and reveals thedeep emotional subcurrents that will give the play lasting power.
The story centers around Prior Walter(Justin Kirk) and Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman), a gay couple that fallsapart when Prior grows ill as a result of AIDS. But cancer is not the onlything invading Prior's life: He begins to have religious visions of anangel (Emma Thompson, Sense and Sensibility) announcing that he isa prophet. Louis, who doesn't cope well with disease and suggestions ofmortality, leaves and starts a relationship with Joe Pitt (PatrickWilson), a closeted Mormon who works for Roy Cohn (Al Pacino, Dog DayAfternoon)--the real-life right-wing lawyer, notorious for hisruthless behind-the-scenes machinations. Add in Joe's depressed andhallucinating wife Harper (Mary Louise Parker, Fried GreenTomatoes), his determined but open-minded mother Hannah (Meryl Streep,Adaptation), a fierce drag queen/nurse named Belize (JeffreyWright, Basquiat, reprising his celebrated performance from theBroadway production), and you've still only begun to discover the wealthof characters and storylines in Kushner's ambitious work.
Thepowerhouse cast (also featuring James Cromwell, Michael Gambon, and SimonCallow) is uniformly superb. The script has its weaknesses--some of thefantastic elements, including Prior's journey to Heaven towards the end,fall flat--but even what doesn't work is bristling with ideas and aferocious desire to capture human existence in this time and place.--Bret Fetzer
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Angels ?
Both my wife and I had to watch this mini series a couple of times to make any sense of it. The acting in most cases was good and at other times just plain stupid.Meryl Streep can do anything, from the Rabi to the windowed Morman wife who turned in to the best friend of the lead actors with or without AIDS.Emma Thompson on the other hand should have stayed away from the roll of the Angel.Al Pacino is another actor that can do anything. Playing a gay person proves it.
Rating: 
- A Great Masterpiece of Film Making and Script
I feel superfluous writing a review of this wonderful film after so many eloquent people have already written perceptive & glowing tributes, so I'll make it short. I thought I could never see a film greater than the top dramatic works of genius such as "Night Of The Iguana", "A Street Car Named Desire", "On The Waterfront", "Wild Strawberries", and "To Kill a Mockingbird"to name some that come quickly to mind, but this film I have to put into a category of its own. Good plays always represent a ... Read More
Rating: - Angels in America
Movie was terrific!! We usually don't buy dvd's UNLESS we enjoyed the movie so much that we'd watch it again and again.This is one of those movies!First saw it on TV and while on Amazon for something else, thought of it and bought it.Story line, acting, special effects -- ALL were fantastic!Have already watched it again, this time with the kids (16 & 18 -- they hadn't seen it before) and they enjoyed it as well.It should have won an Oscar on a few levels, that's how good I thought it was.
Rating: - Angels in America
The mini series is worth watching. It should have shown more of the ghetto and urban side of AIDS. I enjoyed Al Pacino and Jeffery White. Jeffery White made the movie a true gem. Even with Al Pacino as Roy Cohn I still hated him. I say hate because he hated himself and that is a hateful thing.
Rating: - A realistic saga
This movie is great!Al Pacino was fantastic, as was Jeffrey Wright, who've played a Hispanic drug-lord, to Muddy Waters.This is a must see film, which is very touching.
- Angels ?Both my wife and I had to watch this mini series a couple of times to make any sense of it. The acting in most cases was good and at other times just plain stupid.Meryl Streep can do anything, from the Rabi to the windowed Morman wife who turned in to the best friend of the lead actors with or without AIDS.Emma Thompson on the other hand should have stayed away from the roll of the Angel.Al Pacino is another actor that can do anything. Playing a gay person proves it.
- A Great Masterpiece of Film Making and ScriptI feel superfluous writing a review of this wonderful film after so many eloquent people have already written perceptive & glowing tributes, so I'll make it short. I thought I could never see a film greater than the top dramatic works of genius such as "Night Of The Iguana", "A Street Car Named Desire", "On The Waterfront", "Wild Strawberries", and "To Kill a Mockingbird"to name some that come quickly to mind, but this film I have to put into a category of its own. Good plays always represent a ... Read More
- Angels in AmericaMovie was terrific!! We usually don't buy dvd's UNLESS we enjoyed the movie so much that we'd watch it again and again.This is one of those movies!First saw it on TV and while on Amazon for something else, thought of it and bought it.Story line, acting, special effects -- ALL were fantastic!Have already watched it again, this time with the kids (16 & 18 -- they hadn't seen it before) and they enjoyed it as well.It should have won an Oscar on a few levels, that's how good I thought it was.
- Angels in America The mini series is worth watching. It should have shown more of the ghetto and urban side of AIDS. I enjoyed Al Pacino and Jeffery White. Jeffery White made the movie a true gem. Even with Al Pacino as Roy Cohn I still hated him. I say hate because he hated himself and that is a hateful thing.
- A realistic sagaThis movie is great!Al Pacino was fantastic, as was Jeffrey Wright, who've played a Hispanic drug-lord, to Muddy Waters.This is a must see film, which is very touching.
