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| ANGELS IN AMERICA 2003 - USA - 360 min. - Feature, Color Studio - HBO Video Director - Mike Nichols |
| Genre/Type - Fantasy, Drama, Ensemble Film, Gay Films Artistic/ Production Styles - Magic Realism, TV Miniseries Flags - Adult Situations, Profanity, Not For Children, Sexual Situations, Nudity Keywords - AIDS, angel, Mormon, prophecy, prophet, HIV, Jewish Moods - Fantastic Reality, High on Emotion Produced by - Avenue Pictures / HBO Films Premiere - 2003 12 07 (HBO) DVD Street Date - Sep 14, 2004 Languages - English, French, Spanish Subtitles - English, Spanish Screen Formats - Letterbox for 16x9 TVs Sound - DDDD2 Features - [None specified] Cast Al Pacino -- Roy Cohn Meryl Streep -- Hannah Pitt / Ethel Rosenberg / Rabbi Isador Chemelwitz Emma Thompson -- Homeless Woman / Emily / The Angel Mary-Louise Parker -- Harper Pitt Jeffrey Wright -- Belize / Mr. Lies Justin Kirk -- Leatherman in Park / Prior Walter Patrick Wilson -- Joe Pitt Ben Shenkman -- Louis Ironson Robin Weigert -- Mormon Mother Brian Markinson -- Martin Heller Michael Gambon -- Prior 1 James Cromwell -- Roy's Doctor Simon Callow -- Prior 2 |
| Plot Synopsis The epic HBO miniseries Angels in America is directed by Mike Nichols and written by the play's author, Tony Kushner. This six-part drama is adapted from the two full-length award-winning plays (Part I: The Millennium Approaches and Part II: Perestroika) originally performed on Broadway in 1993. Set in New York City during the mid-'80s, the story follows the interconnected lives of several people affected by the AIDS crisis, intense spiritual experiences, and the Reagan Administration. Newcomer Justin Kirk plays Prior Walter, a young man dying of AIDS. Things are made worse when he's abandoned by his lover, Jewish court clerk Louis Ironson (Ben Shenkman). Then he's visited by an Angel (Emma Thompson), who keeps crashing through his roof and insisting that he's a prophet. Meanwhile, conservative power monger Roy Cohn (Al Pacino) is also dying of AIDS, but he's in serious denial about it. While in the hospital, he's continually visited by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg (Meryl Streep), a woman he had sent to the electric chair. Roy's prot�g� is Mormon lawyer Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson), who also tries to deny his own homosexuality. Joe's estranged wife Harper (Mary-Louise Parker) suffers from a Valium addiction and has an acute sensitivity to the world around her. Joe leaves her to start up a relationship with Louis, who works in his building. Jeffrey Wright reprises his stage role of the trusty friend and nurse Belize. Angels in America first aired in two parts on HBO during December of 2003. � Andrea LeVasseur, All Movie Guide Reviews Andrea LeVasseur, AMG ***** (5 stars of 5) Billing itself as a major television event, Tony Kushner's award-winning play Angels in America is an ambitious project, to say the least. Fortunately, it's directed by theatrically trained veteran filmmaker Mike Nichols (who's enjoyed much success with stage-to-screen adaptations ever since his first film, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, in 1966). As a six-hour epic aired in two long segments, Angels marked a scheduling precedent on HBO. Such a huge project is destined to become overwhelming, and this is no exception. The high language, splashy special effects, and supernatural dream logic are surely too much for the casual cable TV viewer. However, those who appreciated the Broadway smash in 1993 will most likely be delighted by the careful construction and presentation of the source material in this version. Although it's quite a task to top the original Tony-winning Broadway actors, this cast is full of well-known names who are up to the challenge. Two of the biggest stars on the roster, Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson, seem to be having the most fun in their showy multiple roles. Thompson gets to shout flowery lines while in midair, and Streep is just a doll as the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg. As Roy Cohn, Al Pacino gets to play yet another despicable creature, while Mary-Louise Parker is as good as ever playing a long-suffering wife. Relative newcomers Justin Kirk, Patrick Wilson, and Ben Shenkman are all appropriately handsome leads involved in a love triangle, while Jeffrey Wright trumps them all by reprising his stage role of down-to-earth yet flamboyant nursemaid Belize. All of the performers are top-notch at delivering Kushner's poetic prose. Admittedly, it's difficult to view the subject matter in light of the political era in which it was written � especially given that the state of the world has since worsened (considering the role that AIDS, conservative politics, and religious intolerance have played since the '80s). When seen as a period piece, however, Angels in America is a beautifully excessive drama that seems to have arrived at just the right time. Perry Seibert, AMG DVD Review Mike Nichols' award-winning adaptation of Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning play Angels in America arrives on DVD with an anamorphic transfer that preserves the original broadcast aspect ratio. English soundtracks are rendered in Dolby Digital 5.1, while English, French, and Spanish soundtracks have been recorded in Dolby Digital Stereo. English and Spanish subtitles are accessible. There are no supplemental materials of any consequence, but considering that the film is regarded as one of television's finest made-for-cable movies, this disc is a must-own for anyone who enjoys great writing and great acting. Awards Best Actor - Miniseries or TV Movie (win) Al Pacino 2003 Golden Globe Best Actress - Miniseries or TV Movie (win) Meryl Streep 2003 Golden Globe Best Miniseries or TV Movie (win) 2003 Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor (TV) (nom) Ben Shenkman 2003 Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor (TV) (nom) Patrick Wilson 2003 Golden Globe Best Supporting Actor (TV) (win) Jeffrey Wright 2003 Golden Globe Best Supporting Actress (TV) (win) Mary-Louise Parker 2003 Golden Globe Best Cable TV Movie or Miniseries (win) 2003 National Board of Review |
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