Milk the movie
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hairyman101
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jcjb2002
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Harvey Bernard Milk (May 22, 1930 – November 27, 1978) was an American politician and the first openly gay man to be elected to public office in California, as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Milk was born and raised in New York where he acknowledged his homosexuality as an adolescent, but chose to pursue sexual relationships with secrecy and discretion well into his adult years. His experience in the counterculture of the 1960s caused him to shed many of his conservative views about individual freedom and the expression of sexuality.
Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972 and opened a camera store, Castro Camera. Although he had been restless, holding an assortment of jobs and moving houses frequently, he settled in the Castro District, a neighborhood that was experiencing a mass immigration of gay men and lesbians. He felt compelled to run for city supervisor in 1973, though he encountered resistance from the existing gay political establishment. His campaign was compared to theater; he was brash, outspoken, animated, and outrageous, earning media attention and votes, although not enough to be elected. He campaigned again in the next two supervisor elections, dubbing himself the "Mayor of Castro Street". Voters responded enough to warrant his running for the California State Assembly as well. Taking advantage of his growing popularity, he led the gay political movement in fierce battles against anti-gay initiatives. Milk was elected city supervisor in 1977 after San Francisco reorganized its election procedures to choose representatives from neighborhoods rather than through city-wide ballots.
Milk served almost eleven months as city supervisor and was responsible for passing a stringent gay rights ordinance in San Francisco. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, another city supervisor who had recently resigned and wanted his job back. Both Milk's election and the events following his assassination demonstrated the liberalization of the population and political conflicts between the city government and a conservative police force.
Milk has become an icon in San Francisco and "a martyr for gay rights", according to University of San Francisco professor Peter Novak.[1] While established political organizers in the city insisted gays work with liberal politicians and use restraint in reaching their objectives, Milk outspokenly encouraged gays to use their growing power in the city and support each other. His goal was to give hope to disenfranchised gays around the country. In 2002, he was called "the most famous and most significantly open LGBT official ever elected in the United States".[2] Writer John Cloud remarked on his influence, "After he defied the governing class of San Francisco in 1977 to become a member of its board of supervisors, many people—straight and gay—had to adjust to a new reality he embodied: that a gay person could live an honest life and succeed."[3]
Milk moved to San Francisco in 1972 and opened a camera store, Castro Camera. Although he had been restless, holding an assortment of jobs and moving houses frequently, he settled in the Castro District, a neighborhood that was experiencing a mass immigration of gay men and lesbians. He felt compelled to run for city supervisor in 1973, though he encountered resistance from the existing gay political establishment. His campaign was compared to theater; he was brash, outspoken, animated, and outrageous, earning media attention and votes, although not enough to be elected. He campaigned again in the next two supervisor elections, dubbing himself the "Mayor of Castro Street". Voters responded enough to warrant his running for the California State Assembly as well. Taking advantage of his growing popularity, he led the gay political movement in fierce battles against anti-gay initiatives. Milk was elected city supervisor in 1977 after San Francisco reorganized its election procedures to choose representatives from neighborhoods rather than through city-wide ballots.
Milk served almost eleven months as city supervisor and was responsible for passing a stringent gay rights ordinance in San Francisco. On November 27, 1978, Milk and Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by Dan White, another city supervisor who had recently resigned and wanted his job back. Both Milk's election and the events following his assassination demonstrated the liberalization of the population and political conflicts between the city government and a conservative police force.
Milk has become an icon in San Francisco and "a martyr for gay rights", according to University of San Francisco professor Peter Novak.[1] While established political organizers in the city insisted gays work with liberal politicians and use restraint in reaching their objectives, Milk outspokenly encouraged gays to use their growing power in the city and support each other. His goal was to give hope to disenfranchised gays around the country. In 2002, he was called "the most famous and most significantly open LGBT official ever elected in the United States".[2] Writer John Cloud remarked on his influence, "After he defied the governing class of San Francisco in 1977 to become a member of its board of supervisors, many people—straight and gay—had to adjust to a new reality he embodied: that a gay person could live an honest life and succeed."[3]
I was hoping for a wider release, but it's only playing at the 'art house' theatre in St Louis, the Tivoli (near to WashU). Then again, not many carried Brokeback at first, either.
I hope I can see it soon, but with Holidaze and cut hours at work, lately, I'll probably have to wait until DVD is out.
I hope I can see it soon, but with Holidaze and cut hours at work, lately, I'll probably have to wait until DVD is out.
B_Nick4444
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does James Franco take his shirt off? If so...how'd he look with it off? better than in spider-man 3?
I saw it tonight. It was really, really well done. Well written, well acted, didn't have that bio-pic feeling and wasn't manipulative either but truly captured the favor of the times and made you grateful for what Milk accomplished. However, from what I've read he was less likable and more abrasive that Penn portrayed him but I imagine it would have been counterproductive to have a less than sympathetic main character. Yep, go see it.
Oh, and James Franco is hothothot. Loved the naked swimming pool scene. :biggrin1:
Oh, and James Franco is hothothot. Loved the naked swimming pool scene. :biggrin1:
Even the (conservative-owned) New York Post gave it a GREAT review:
Video - New York Post Online Edition - New York Post
This sounds like a MUST-SEE film!
HellsKitchenmanNYC
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James Franco told a story on Leno, I think it was, about wearing a prosthesis in the nude scene and how Sean Penn, not realizing it, had been very impressed at the end of the day of shooting that Franco hung so well after having been in and out of the pool all day. But the way the movie was edited (at least for general release) there's no sign of any dick, real or latex.
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D_Ireonsyd_Colonrinse
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Saw this last night with my sister.
Sean Penn really is fucking amazing. He just transforms himself into Harvey Milk, and there is barely a trace of Sean Penn lurking underneath. He's silly, he's serious, he's a bit flamboyant, quirky, he's a consummate politician --- his mannerisms fit the character and nothing appears overdone (he's never on the verge of parody).
The whole freaking movie is beautifully cast. As others have noted, James Franco is so totally frigging fucking beautiful -- there aren't adequate words in my thesaurus, haha! (when I get inspired the words fuck & fucking tend to take over! sorry) He looks like he stepped out of the early-to-mid-1970's. I completely fell into lust and love with him. He's strong, stable, understated, insanely attractive... it seems to me it could be easy to dismiss this performance because he is so angelic looking -- but as an actor, he's the real deal. Both Penn & Franco totally committed themselves to these people. The bedroom scenes are natural and very loose. There is no hint of playing gay. They just ARE.
Van Sant employs dreamy, experimental imagery sometimes, he is a true fucking artist with a vision & camera, but the movie, on whole, is mainstream. Lots of archival footage mixed into the swirl. Tom Brokaw interviewing Anita Byrant in 1977, authentic footage of the Catro district during its heydey, Walter Cronkite. All bring the period blazingly alive.
GO GO GO! And, yeah, there's a whole Prop 6 subplot that connects with the present Prop 8 in CA that just lost. Prop 6 was ultraconservative state senator John Brigg's attempt to have all gay teachers fired in CA - and to remove anyone who "promoted" homosexuality in public schools. Another instance of the public going to the polls to vote on private lives & sexual orientation (just like the job discrimination & adoption & marriage ballot measures).
Sean Penn really is fucking amazing. He just transforms himself into Harvey Milk, and there is barely a trace of Sean Penn lurking underneath. He's silly, he's serious, he's a bit flamboyant, quirky, he's a consummate politician --- his mannerisms fit the character and nothing appears overdone (he's never on the verge of parody).
The whole freaking movie is beautifully cast. As others have noted, James Franco is so totally frigging fucking beautiful -- there aren't adequate words in my thesaurus, haha! (when I get inspired the words fuck & fucking tend to take over! sorry) He looks like he stepped out of the early-to-mid-1970's. I completely fell into lust and love with him. He's strong, stable, understated, insanely attractive... it seems to me it could be easy to dismiss this performance because he is so angelic looking -- but as an actor, he's the real deal. Both Penn & Franco totally committed themselves to these people. The bedroom scenes are natural and very loose. There is no hint of playing gay. They just ARE.
Van Sant employs dreamy, experimental imagery sometimes, he is a true fucking artist with a vision & camera, but the movie, on whole, is mainstream. Lots of archival footage mixed into the swirl. Tom Brokaw interviewing Anita Byrant in 1977, authentic footage of the Catro district during its heydey, Walter Cronkite. All bring the period blazingly alive.
GO GO GO! And, yeah, there's a whole Prop 6 subplot that connects with the present Prop 8 in CA that just lost. Prop 6 was ultraconservative state senator John Brigg's attempt to have all gay teachers fired in CA - and to remove anyone who "promoted" homosexuality in public schools. Another instance of the public going to the polls to vote on private lives & sexual orientation (just like the job discrimination & adoption & marriage ballot measures).