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Philadelphia
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Philadelphia (1993) More at IMDbPro »

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Philadelphia (1993) -- When a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
Philadelphia (1993) -- text os
Philadelphia (1993) -- When a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   45,892 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 38% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jonathan Demme
Writer (WGA):
Ron Nyswaner (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Philadelphia on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 December 1993 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
No one would take on his case... until one man was willing to take on the system.
Plot:
When a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(61 articles)
134 New Names Invited to Join the Academy
 (From Rope Of Silicon. 1 July 2009, 1:08 AM, PDT)

Broadway Producer Gross Dies
 (From WENN. 25 June 2009, 9:11 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Not a better film in sight more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tom Hanks ... Andrew Beckett

Denzel Washington ... Joe Miller
Roberta Maxwell ... Judge Tate
Buzz Kilman ... Crutches
Karen Finley ... Dr. Gillman
Daniel Chapman ... Clinic Storyteller
Mark Sorensen Jr. ... Clinic Patient
Jeffrey Williamson ... Tyrone
Charles Glenn ... Kenneth Killcoyne
Ron Vawter ... Bob Seidman
Anna Deavere Smith ... Anthea Burton
Stephanie Roth Haberle ... Rachel Smilow (as Stephanie Roth)
Lisa Talerico ... Shelby

Joanne Woodward ... Sarah Beckett

Jason Robards ... Charles Wheeler
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
At Risk (USA) (working title)
People Like Us (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some graphic language and thematic material.
Runtime:
125 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
SDDS | Dolby

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Jonathan Demme initially wanted Daniel Day-Lewis to play the part later taken by Tom Hanks. more
Goofs:
Revealing mistakes: When Jamie is looking for files on Andew's computer at work, the computer, an old IBM PS/2, is switched off (the power switch is down). more
Quotes:
[his last lines]
Andrew Beckett: Miguel, I'm ready.
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in Tales of the Contaminated City (2002) (V) more
Soundtrack:
All The Way more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
57 out of 81 people found the following comment useful:-
Not a better film in sight, 11 March 2001
10/10
Author: cossallpsycho from Nottingham,England

With Hanks, who is always watchable, and Washington, who has also got a very good track record, this film was destined to be fantastic but not even I, who always has an optimistic view when it comes to movies, was ready for the impact that this film made. Tom Hanks excelled even himself with his performance as an AIDS striken homosexual who is fired from his job simply because of his condition. It is Hanks, by himself, who makes the whole scenario in the film believable. Although this is Hanks's best performance of his career, he is very closely followed by Denzel Washington who gives a perfect performance as the only lawyer who will take on the case although he is a homophobe himself. The emotional strain of the film on the audience is immense and in the later stages of the film it is almost impossible to watch because of that. The make-up which gives the impression that Hanks really does have the terrible disease is perfect and the simple yet striking direction from Jonathan Demme(The Silence Of The Lambs) make this utterly compelling viewing although at times it is very uncomfortable. All praise to everyone in the making of this beautiful film.

Anyone who hasn't seen this film must do as soon as possible.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Philadelphia (1993)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
It's Inevitable that some will have an ambiguous sexual identity. screenman
The most powerful scene... paixalice
What was the meaning of... RipperX-2
Why didnīt Miguel get Aids too? Angie0686
someone help me understand the lawyer joke please? tinkerchel
(Spoiler) Did the senior partners really know Andy had AIDS? justlev
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