PHILADELPHIA is such an important film 

In 1989, a dear friend from college who wasn't out to his conservative religious family called me and told me he had been diagnosed with Aids. When he finally told his family, they disowned him. I called my mother in tears and told her he had nowhere to go. She quickly said she would care for him. She didn't know much about Aids but she said that every person needed to die with love. She was so courageous. She lost numerous friends over her decision. She passed 4 years ago, and whenever someone asks me about her, this is the story I tell them. It was a different time......❤❤❤

I am a retired nurse, I remember my first AIDS patient like I just walked out of room after caring for him. His name was “Tom” I was one of two nurses his family requested to care for him, his mom would spend hours at his bedside wet eyes holding his hand through the multiple layers of protective gear required to enter his room. ‘Tom’s “father would sit as far away as possible,his head buried in a newspaper. Taking care of ‘Tom” taught me more about nursing and more about myself than any other experience I can remember. I was blessed to have known him and making his passing easier for him and his family was an honor I will never forget.

Please don't feel bad for not knowing about HIV and Aids. Knowing what it was like in the 80s and 90s, it's actually a relief that people don't have to experience that kind of fear, hate and paranoia now. You're a sweetheart, I don't think there's a viewer here who would ever assume otherwise or take offense at something.

"Sorry if I sound ignorant..." There is no shame in ignorance. Ignorance is important because it means you're still growing as a person. It is the refusal to acknowledge and learn that brings harm to oneself and others

Princess Diana actually did a lot to de-stigmatize aids by going to hospices and holding hands with patients.

This came out a few months after I was diagnosed with HIV. I was 21. I was told that I'd be dead within eight years.. and that a majority of those years would be a horror. I've been positive for over 31 years now. This movie illustrates the ignorance, at the time, it was filmed. There was a fear that they didn't **really** know, for sure, how it was transmitted. There were fears about it being airborne (especially in backwoods Texas, where I lived at the time). There were fears that it could be transmitted through mosquito bites, like malaria... It's *not* a "fun" Pride movie.. but Ashleigh is absolutely correct in saying it's an important film to see. Love your channel.. love your reactions.. love you, hubbin, and all of your fur-babies. Keep it up, sweetheart. 🫂

I think there are three main things that helped to change the public's perception of AIDS in the early 90s: celebrities admitting their illness, such as Freddie Merctury and Magic Johnson, Princess Diana hugging AIDS patients and this movie. Tom Hanks was already one of America's favourite actors, which I think helped people a lot to sympathise with the character. It really was an important movie.

From a guy who lost his boyfriend from Aids in 1990, I thank you very much for your heartfelt message at the end. ❤ Ashleigh

One aspect of the story NOT to overlooked...The way the family members were written and played...it's almost like the viewer is being tutored on how to be a supportive dad, mom, brother to a family member in such a dire situation. As heart-wrenching as the movie is anyway, imagine how absolutely soul-ripping it would have been if his family had been anything less than incredibly supportive and steadfast....such a united pillar of strength for him.

Pride isn’t about rainbows and flags… it’s about overcoming struggles that have been perpetrated by others due to their ignorance of facts and lack of education/empathy about the challenges of others. You presented this perfectly.

Ashleigh, I’m an elder millennial and I grew up with gay uncles in corporate life. They saw many of their friends die, the read their names at the AIDS quilt, my grandmother welcomed many a lonely young man to Thanksgivings and Christmas because their family disowned them. I wanna thank you for your sweet spirit, tender heart and the willingness to show your vulnerability. Please don’t let comments stop you from being you ❤

A friend of mine was in a car accident in the 80's & his leg was crushed. While he was in his hospital room a team of people wearing hazmat suits came in & started cleaning the entire room with bleach. That's when he realized he was HIV positive. His doctor told him that the damage to his leg was too severe, he'd never walk again. My friend wouldn't accept that & asked for a second opinion. The doctor left in a huff, but did hand his case over to another doctor. The next doctor my friend saw came in smiling & told him that with intensive therapy he would be able to walk. Not for long treks, but enough to get around. And so he did. He is also one of the most compassionate people I've ever met. Unable to work any longer due to his leg injury, he spent much of his time volunteering at the hospitals & hospices sitting bedside with AIDS patients. Often, too often, comforting them in their last moments. Thankfully, HIV/AIDS isn't the death sentence it used to be. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜

Tom Hanks won for Best Actor and Bruce Springsteen won for Best Original Song

"I'll see you tomorrow" is the last thing I said to my mother before she passed away. I didn't expect her to go so soon and must of said in unconsciously...

This movie hits me so hard because my dad, Dr. Charles Craig MD, was at the forefront when HIV/AIDS came out to the public perception. He was an infectious disease specialist so he was one of the doctors studying and treating this goddamn disease. To the day he died he would always accept and help treat patients who had it whether they had insurance or not and I like to think in another universe he was there to help Andy, especially since he lived in Philadelphia for a long time. This movie just reinforces how important my father's work was and still is. Thank you. RIP Dad, you were the greatest man I ever knew.

Ashely, thank you for your posting of your reaction to this, yes as you stated. very important film. I am 74 years old; I was 31 when AIDS first appeared as a "Gay Cancer" in San Francisco. over the next three decades I witnessed the deaths of 80% of my friends, some as young as 25 when they passed. You might say that my generation's boys were devastated by two wars, Vietnam and the War On AIDS. I survived the pandemic that was and still is with us and I am one of the lucky ones. So, to this day I contribute to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation for research and treatment in the ongoing battle against AIDS. I urge anyone who is moved by this film to do the same. The War isn't over. Thank you, Ashley, thank you from the center of my heart and in memory of Kevin, Preston, Stephen, Chris, Mark, Rick, Jimmy (who died just last year from AIDS) and so many more of my friends who died too young.

I remember my mom telling me about the early days of the AIDS epidemic and doing an X-ray on a patient in the ICU. She had to wear a ton of personal protective equipment just to go into the room. The doctors and nurses only ever went in to take blood, and the family wasn’t allowed in, so this poor guy-who was no doubt terrified, because all they knew then was that it was always fatal-was alone in that room 95% of the time. She said that when she touched him to help him sit up and to guide him into the right position for the portable machine, he started crying. No one had touched him for more than a few seconds for weeks, and they treated him like a pariah and ran away as fast as possible, and so my mom just stood there and held his hand until she had to go do her next patient. That story makes me simultaneously so angry and so proud-angry that that poor man went through it, and proud that my mother’s kindness was so profound that she stayed, even though she was scared. She worried that she was being irresponsible because she was a single mom and was scared what would happen if she got sick. RIP Mom, I miss you every day.

I'm surprised Ashleigh didn't notice baby Antonio Bandaras as Andrew's boyfriend. Yes, that is Puss n Boots is the flesh. Also I believe this is the first time we have seen the great actor Jason Robbards on the channel. He's the awful boss man. A great Halloween watch with him is Something Wicked This Way Comes.

My uncle passed from aids in the 90s, I was about 10. We visited him when he was full blown. It was not pretty. Idk if that's a good thing for a kid to see but it did give perspective on life and the disease. RIP Uncle Carl

Antonio Banderas's performance often goes underappreciated in this masterpiece... (Hanks and Washington obviously were in top form as the leads)... but I think his role here is important as well.

Ron Vawter, the actor who played Bob had AIDS at the time of this movie. He was an extremely brave and talented performer who sadly passed a year later.

17:47 Andrew's mom is played by Joanne Woodward. She and her husband Paul Newman (both legendary actors. He passed away in 2008) have done a lot of work for civil rights.

At the time people were still unsure that AIDS could not be spread from a handshake or contact in general. There was a lot of fear, ignorance and horrible treatment towards sufferers.

Ashleigh, I want you to know that you honor every single soul we lost to the AIDS epidemic. Including my cousin, Patrick. He was only 25 years old when he passed in 1997. This movie always made my sister and I worry for our cousin, and our worst fears were realized. It is the hardest thing in the world to watch someone you love soo much waste away and there is nothing you can do about it. I named my first child after him, and my second son was actually born on my cousins birthday. I would like to think that was Patricks way of telling me he is still here and watching over my sons. Every human, regardless of how they identify or whom they love, are worthy of love and acceptance and DIGNITY. Thank you for reacting to this movie. Love is Love. Thank you for honoring my Patrick.

The guy in the library looked at Denzel like that because he's black. Denzel then realized Tom Hanks was facing the same prejudice. That's when he started to look and listen.

One of my childhood friends died from Aids. His family told everyone he died of cancer because they didn't want to admit that he was gay. Attitudes have come a long way, but still have a ways to go. My friend would be very proud to see that so many places and channels like yours are celebrating Pride Month, Ashleigh!

It is kind of nice that young people like Ashleigh don't know anything about AIDS and are surprised at such In-your-face prejudice against gays and Black people. It was such a huge thing when I was a young adult, in the early 80s and homosexuality was deeply closeted because the stigma was so great against it. Up until my senior year of college (79-80) I did not know ANYBODY who was an out gay or lesbian. Around that time, a handful of friends of mine started coming out. Most of them said they told their friends, filled with fear that that knowledge would end our friendship. Then AIDS appeared on the scene and it was quickly associated with gay men. It makes me tear up to recall how the first time I knew that many people I knew were gay was when I found out they had died of this mysterious new disease. I know that many of them felt they could not have open, stable relationships with other men, and so they sought out sex with strangers in clubs or in parks - they were afraid that if they were found out by the straight community, they would lose their friends and their family. AIDS destroys the immune system. This results in a very enhanced susceptibility to many kinds of infections and to cancer. Those dark skin lesions were pretty common, and are called Carposi's sarcoma, a type of skin cancer that is normally controlled by our immune systems. With AIDS, this skin disease would often emerge like you saw with Andy.

If you didn't live the period, you cannot have any idea of how shockingly intrusive the AIDS scare was to the whole world. You lived through he pandemic, like all of us, and if you project the fear of contact with other people that people had for something that might possibly be hazardous to their health, with something like AIDS which had no treatment, no cure, was absolutely going to be terminal and proliferated mostly, in the early stages, amongst a particularly despised minority of the population, you can maybe imagine how people viewed this disease. Having it made you a leper, an outcast, untouchable, almost instantly. The ignorance and fear were mountainous, and the infected were pariahs. This film highlighted that attitude, so beautifully, and reversed that thinking in a lot of people's minds. It was almost a PSA on how loving people shouldn't be a death sentence and a crime.

And The Band Played On is another good one that covers how fearful AIDS was in the 80's.

Bruce Springsteen wrote the theme song for this. He had never done that before but director Jonathan Demme called him and said, "I'm going to make a very important movie about AIDS and people's rights and I want you to write a song for it. " The Boss didn't hesitate.

I don't want to say thank you for reacting this movie but I do want to say thank you for watching it and responding to it like the caring human person that you are.

People forget that very few people back in the 80's understood how AIDS was transmitted. There was no internet for them to educate themselves. Everything was conjecture. We had friends showing up, with pneumonia, and lesions and none of us understood what was happening. Most people I knew, thought that it was something that came from the bathhouses. People were not really fearful until the late 80s into the early 90's. Then, people started dying. My best friend, James Edward Locklear, died of AIDS in 1992. It was my honor to help care for him. The progress of AIDS was horrifying and something I will never forget. While this movie makes an attempt to address the myriad issues, for me, it falls far short of the reality for many friends and families at the time. Longtime Companion is also a movie you may want to watch for more viewpoints on the early AIDS crisis. When I look back, at how far society has come, I am pleased. But it came at a such great cost.

Dallas Buyers Club 2013. Covers the early days covering the struggle to aquire afordable HIV drugs.

Please don’t listen to comments saying you shouldn’t watch a movie like this during Pride Month. Yes, you should get a spectrum of LGBT movies, happy and sad and tragic and about coming out and love and all that But HIV/AIDS is such an integral part of our history and it cannot be forgotten. This is a good movie and you’ve clearly taken it to heart. Take care of yourself ❤

The most perfect ending to a movie about AIDS….at the end of the day it’s someone’s baby. Andy is your neighbor, your teacher, your friend, your cousin,…..AIDS kills a person and wounds a community.

As a GenX gay this movie is pivotal to my soul, changed my life and cemented my love for Tom Hanks, I've only been able to see it once. Ashleigh is a safe space and i can watch it again thru her eyes.

"Is this movie gonna make me cry?" A little bit, right before it makes you bawl uncontrollably. 😉😭

The fact that you know so little about AIDS reflects how medicine has removed it from big time discussion. During the time of this film there was a series of deaths because of blood transfusion. People who unknowingly had HIV had donated blood & thus passed on the illness. There was a Ryan White who was a teen hemophiliac who became infected & he was banned from school. He became a National celebrity as a face of the AIDS epidemic

Andy's mom was played by the great Joanne Woodward. Someday, you will want to see her in "The Three Faces of Eve."

One of the most powerful and important motion pictures ever made.

Neil Young is the artist at the end of the movie with his song "Philadelphia". He was supposed to write the opening anthem song, but after watching the movie wrote a more fitting song instead. Bruce Springsteen was then asked to create a song for the movie as well. Both "Streets of Philadelphia" and "Philadelphia" are great songs and both were nominated for awards with both competing for an Oscar for best original song won by Bruce.

It is an appropriate day to be watching this movie as it is the birthday of a young man named Randy Ray. He and his two brothers were hemophiliacs and contacted aids through transfusions. They weren’t allowed to go to school and it took a federal court order to make the schools accept the then 8 year old Randy back in the class room. Their family house was burned down a week after the court decision, that was in 1986. People with aids were discriminated against at all levels then. It was disgraceful and cruel.

The final home movie clips with the gorgeous voice of Neil Young……has me in bits…..every time 😢😢

This is probably Mary Steenburgen's best work -- cause I HATE her character so much, and that means as an actress she is doing the JOB!

As someone who lived through the time, and lost a cousin to AIDS, this is a movie youngbloods need to see. The 'safe and open' world they live in has not existed for very long and can easily be lost.

My mom worked in the pathology department of the local hospital when the AIDS crisis was just beginning in the late '70s/early'80s (she typed up the dictated doctor's notes, she didn't handle any actual material or patients), and she's told me about how scary it was because they just _didn't know anything about it._ Staff wore hazmat suits and would refuse to perform autopsies on people who had died of AIDS because they didn't know how exactly it was transmitted yet, and I just can't imagine what that must have been like.

"Mary Burgerstein"...OMG you had me in stitches 😂😂😂

Seeing the younger brother lose it in the hospital room always hits me hard. I've been in that position, having to say goodbye to my older brother lying in a hospital bed.

As a kid, my nextdoor neighbor was a Chaplain who started a charity to help families and children with AIDS. She was incredible. I worked for years with families and children who were infected via Mother to Child Transmission during pregnancy, blood transfusions and any number of simple everyday things that were suddenly incredibly dangerous. There was so much fear surrounding the disease in the early years, think early Covid 19, where no one knew how it spread and people were dying. The charity made a point to treat people with love and dignity, no matter their circumstances. We tried to make sure they didn't have to worry about Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas gifts, having someone to help with food, clothing and living expenses. Many of the people we worked with were treated very similarly to Andy and many hadn't done anything wrong to get infected. We just tried to make sure that they were treated like human beings and let them know people cared while much of the world acted like the Law Firm bosses. No matter what, always look to help people. Spread love and kindness without judgement or fear. Humankind is best when we are helping each other. Always look to help.

On the legal question: Jury verdicts must be unanimous in CRIMINAL trials. This is a civil lawsuit, which in many states does not require unanimity. In Pennsylvania, 5/6ths of the jurors must agree.

I'm so glad you watched this! I cried along with you and agree, this movie is so important ❤️

Ashleigh, as a trans woman who watches your channel when I need a smile, or a laugh, or a cry, I am so thankful for your support of my community. Don't let the anons on Patreon get you. We love you, we're here for you AND we are so grateful you are here for us too. Happy Pride month sweetheart. ~Sarah

This movie is a time capsule that reflects the beliefs, fears, stigma, and how little was understood about AIDS at this time. I am glad that you have a chance to see this. Those difficult early days need to be remembered.

31:00 "do sex movie theaters exist?" They're probably nonexistent these days, but before the internet, they were common. It was also a place to fool around in the dark that wasn't a park and probably not get beaten up.

It was the stoic support of his mum that really got me. To watch her child wither before her eyes but to remain steadfast in her love and support for him was amazing. To all the mums out there - we salute you.

That Neil Young song at the end always makes me tear up.

I randomly watched this on cable one day during my childhood because I like Tom Hanks. I was just getting to the age (and was living in the era) where the biggest playground insult was to call someone gay. And not even really understanding what it meant to be gay, that kind of insult created the impression that you didn't want to be gay and you didn't want to be friends with the person everyone was calling gay. It was like the perfect timing in my development to see this movie and understand that whether someone is gay or has AIDS or whatever the case may be, they're still a person just like me and deserve the same kindness and respect I want to be treated with. I mean, I like to think I would have learned that anyway but I still feel fortunate to have seen this when I did.

Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington were AMAZING in this film. As others have stated, you have to remember that this was at a time when little was known about AIDS. People thought it was contageous. If you were gay, (and especially if you worked in a corporate environment) you kept it hidden. If you got AIDS (at the time this story takes place) it was like leprosy or the plague - people were afraid to go near you or even touch something that you touched. It was really out of fear. This film is so heartbreaking. The story is beautifully told and gorgeously filmed. As a born and raised Philadelphian, I’m proud to have my city’s name on this film.

Thank you Ashleigh. I'm sorry you've been getting some comments about what you're watching for Pride Month. I'm a part of the LGBTQIA+ community, and I appreciate you and your compassion and empathy. There's just been a lot of anger in the world right now, and I wish we could all just open up our hearts to each other--I think we'd all realize we're not all that far apart. I know I've seen a bigger push back against Pride this year than I have in previous years, and it makes me sad. And I agree with you--I think this movie is so important. Thank you for being you.

I graduated from Emory university with a BSN-bachelor degree of nursing-in 1990. The CDC sits on Emory’s campus. The team that did the initial investigation on AIDS at the CDC taught us and it was amazing. I took care of children who had AIDS-hemophiliacs as well as those who got it from their mothers. It was such a devastating diagnosis. Another movie is And The Band Played On if you want to know more about AIDS-it’s also a book. This movie is a favorite of mine and brings back such memories. Thank you for watching it and Happy Pride.

It’s hard to overstate how influential this movie was on sentiment about AIDS at the turn of the 90s. I think that much of the acceptance of gay people is because of this movie. Tom Hanks really stuck his neck out for this one, and it really shifted culture at the time. Glad that you liked it.

My brother died from AIDS in 1992, so this movie was very important in helping me understand what dealing with AIDS was like and how frustrating and devastating it was. Other movies that helped me understand were the HBO movie AND THE BAND PLAYED ON (1993), and to some degree the earlier film TORCH SONG TRILOGY (1988) helped me understand a little bit what gay life was like for some people.

My parents come from a small town where everyone knows everybody. My uncle is gay and growing up in that small town must have been hard in the 70s and 80s. My dad always treated my uncle(his younger brother) with nothing but love and my grandparents were amazingly proud of my uncle. I was raised to love people and to understand that people love who they love. My Uncle is one of the most kindhearted, funny, and genuine people I've known and to see how close my dad and he are makes me so happy and proud of my family. I remember one day in my 20s walking through my uncles home and his husband Marc was showing me around the place. We got to this one beautiful painting on the wall in the front foyer. I made a comment about how great it was and Marc told me it was painted by one of their friends a couple years before. I asked if he would ever be willing to paint something for me. Marc looked away and you could see he was getting emotional I put my hand on his back and just before I could ask if he was okay Marc said "He can't. He died of AIDS just over a year ago". That was the first time I saw the torment AIDS has on loved ones.

Thank you Ashleigh for being you and reacting to this film. I volunteered for a local Aids project in the midwest in the 80s, we had to move the office frequently because once people figured out who we were the harassment began. We could never have an office on the ground floor with windows facing the street because of the risk of bricks flying through the glass. I remember Meryl Streep and other big name stars doing public service announcements assuring people you could not get Aids through mosquito bites. It was a scary time that began to improve a little when Rock Hudson came out with Aids. and wonderful Doris Day came out and stood by his side. Thanks again, love you!!..

Believe it or not, I like the judge. There is the point where Andy's former boss is asked by Denzel's character if he is gay and the judge thinks about it for a second and after the boss says "How dare you." The judge makes his decision and says "You will answer the question." Its one of my favorite bits where its like "Okay, you think its a joke, answer it."

There are 53 actors who were HIV Positive who appeared in this film. 43 of them died before the movie was released. 16:30 Ron Vawter was one of them. 27:09 Michael Callen, the fellow in the middle was diagnosed with AIDS in 1982 and lived for almost 11 years with the virus until he died at the age of 32.

Ashleigh! Thank you for the sensitive, adult reaction. I lived through that period. I have had AIDS for 35 years, and there are others out there. You shed the tears of a lost population. ❤

My boyfriend and I watched this together many years ago. He never cried at any movie unless it involved animals...but he cried at this one quite a bit. I met him in a gay men's chorus that I was singing in, and I remember coming to rehearsals and Bill, or Jim, or Mike would be missing. I would hear they were ill, or went to hospice, or even had died that week. That is one of my most vivid memories of the late 80s and early 90s: a series of increasingly numerous empty chairs at choir rehearsal, and singing at endless funerals. I had a view of death when I was in my twenties that no one should have at that age. Thank you for watching this, Ashleigh, and for your sensitive comments.❤

Such a powerful movie. Brilliantly acted. I cry every time

I really appreciate how authentic you are. When you don't know something (like the AIDs crisis) it's good to be honest and open about it. And you come from a place of learning, which this channel has been about. Keep up the good work

This movie hits me hard today. My high school (80s) friend who is gay fell and hit his head two days ago, and is in a coma. They’re pulling the plug on him today. He’s always had health issues and was really thin to begin with. He practically destroyed his body and brain over the last 35 years from alcoholism, in large part due to the discrimination he experienced in life, and his inability to cope with it, or find acceptance. RIP Bob Hartman. My bisexual, drug addicted cousin died of AIDS about 20 years ago. His lifestyle caused a lot of division in my conservative, evangelical family. Lots of drama, crying and fights, at holidays. This movie was so controversial when it came out. It was really the first mainstream movie that I recall that addressed these issues openly and directly, just a decade after the AIDS crisis initially hit. Now, 30 years later, though I know it has, it doesn’t seem like too much has changed. With our current SCOTUS, things are actually likely to get worse. What a messed up world we live in.

I was a kid in the 90s and remember watching the Ryan White Story in health class about a boy with AIDS. It is a tear-jerker based on a true story starring Judith Light as the mom. Well worth a watch.

"And the band played on" is great and a great learrning film

Here are just some of the celebrities who died from AIDS Rock Hudson (1925-1985) ... Freddie Mercury (1946-1991) ... Anthony Perkins (1932-1992) ... Arthur Ashe (1943-1993) ... Liberace (1919-1987) ... Gia Carangi (1960-1986) ... Elizabeth Glaser (1947-1994) ... Perry Ellis (1940-1986)

Another movie worth watching is "And the Band Played On," based on Randy Shilts' book of the same name. It tells the story of the beginnings of the AIDS crisis and the people fighting to save lives in the early 80s. A stellar cast.

If you’re interested in movies about AIDS, I highly recommend the film “And the Band Played on”, starring Matthew Modine, about the discover of HIV and AIDS, and the development of early treatments.

I'm glad she did watch this for Pride. I understand wanting to focus more on queer joy rather than tragedy, but Pride is also about remembering where we came from and learning about our collective past. And the AIDS crisis was a major moment in time globally. And I'm glad to see my RU-vid friend starting to learn about that period, because I know she cares.

I work as a nurse. The pain I’ve seen in the eyes of people that were recalling this particular time when they’ve had siblings/relatives/coworkers/loved ones that died of AIDS is truly haunting. Some had AIDS themselves and managed to make it to this day. Bigotry, hatred, and above all fear are terrible things. God we need to treat each other better

I've had 2 people that I loved very much die of AIDS. It's absolutely devastating. This movie came along at an important time in our history. Thank you for watching this beautiful movie.

I remember it starting. Seeing people half dead riding the train. Terrible scary times. Glad to see a new generation seeing movies like this. Another great film on this topic. And the band played on

I was a nurse when AIDS hit. I worked before it even had a name, before they knew what caused it, or how it was spread. It was awful. The guys came into the hospital and died so quickly, we had no good treatments then. So many died. I was working in California at the time.

Ashley as a someone from TN, I remember being a nurse at Vanderbilt in the 80’s thank you for showing what went on and why we should simply care for others.

"And the Band Played On". A book about the beginnings of AIDS by Randy Shilts. It was made into a film starring Matthew Modine, Lily Tomlin, Ian McKellen and Alan Alda.

I would say that if you do not want to cry as much as you did here, then do not watch And The Band Played On or The Normal Heart until you are emotionally ready. Both really depicts the battles and struggles within the community and government about the disease and getting help for it and both are heartbreaking and brilliant.

Paul Michael Glaser, best known for the 70s cop show “Starsky & Hutch” but went on to a career as a diector/producer (directed “The Running Man” with Arnold Schwarzenegger), lost his wife, Elizabeth, to AIDS in 1998. She got it via an emergency blood transfusion after the birth of her daughter, Ariel, in 1981. Unfortunately, she wasn’t diagnosed until after the birth of her son Jake. Ariel got it from her mother’s breast milk & passed away from the disease at age 7, while Jake got it from his mother’s womb, but is still alive. Elizabeth founded the Pediactric AIDS Foundation.

Ashleigh, this is why you are one of my favourite reactors. You listen to the message of the movie, and even as you are falling apart, you still spend time to remind us to take care of our selves. You do the same friend. Here's hoping the next movie is more fun

I can’t emphasize enough the paranoia and hate in the 80’s and 90’s regarding AIDS. I recommend looking into it.

If one film was going to make you cry it was this one. Such an amazing film for when it came out and dealt with the subject in such a heartfelt way. Ive loved this ever since seeing it at the cinema. This came out at a time when HIV/AIDS was still not well understood and prejudices against the disease were high as well as homophobia was still a massive issue. It just tried to tell a story really well and get the issues to a wider audience.

When Aids first came out it was like Covid, no one would come close to you or touch anything behind you out of fear. After more was learned about Aids and how it works the fears subsided, but it was awful at the time.

Neil Young’s song at the end combined with Andy’s childhood/family videos gets me every time without fail. Beautiful film

Around the time of this movie, I volunteered my time and skills to the Vortex Theater in Austin, Tex. Many of the people performing and directing plays were gay. In the 3 years I helped out, every gay male died from an AIDS related illness. It was sad and tragic. I wouldn’t wish that death on my worst enemy and certainly not the sweet, gentle, creative people who populated the Vortex.

For as many amazing films that Tom Hanks has made over his career, this is arguably his most important and absolutely one of his best performances. If you have anyone comment against this film, block the f**k out of them. This IS an important film to watch during Pride month because of how much AIDS was a part of the story for (mostly) gay men worldwide, and how it's important to celebrate how much progress has been made treating it since then. From this old straight white man, Happy Pride Month.

My father had HIV (not full AIDS) and died not long before I saw this movie. It's very heavy, but it has a special place in my heart.

IMO, a lot of the brilliance in this movie is watching Denzels character (who represents the audience) slowly transform his assumptions and ignorant thought processes over time. He is a very flawed character who goes through a lot of self reflection and is constantly confronted with his own inherent fear and ignorance. Impeccable character development.

before i even start watching this i want to thank you for doing this reaction. i know i'm going to cry. happy pride and may we never forget why we are proud.

Philadelphia is one of the most beautifully painful movies I've ever seen. To this day, the soundtrack never fails to make me bawl. I always wonder if I'm the only person who truly breaks down and sobs at movies, and I feel such a sense of relief watching you react the same way. Don't ever change.

This one is from the director of The Silence of the Lambs, Married to the Mob, Something Wild and Beloved - the great, late Jonathan Demme.

Watching you watch this - whoo boy it brings back memories. I was a teenager in the 80s. I remember the fear, the hate, the terror because it was a death sentence back then. None of us really knew how it was transmitted. We just knew our friends were dying, hidden from the public. It was not that long ago, that this happened. I'm really happy that today there are treatments, and that people are living longer and longer with it. I'm happy that we're come far from how things were then. Not far enough, but steps in the right direction. Also, seeing Antonio Banderas SO GODDAMNED YOUNG, holy cow.

I recently rewatched this, Silverlake Life, And The Band Played On as an ongoing study of cinema on AIDS. Silverlake Life is absolutely devastating as they film an AIDS victim moments after death and the reaction of his partner and family is haunting.

One half of “that old couple” is Oscar winner Joanne Woodward.