Milk (2008)
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The film portrays the life and political activism of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man elected to public office in California.
The story
Based on the life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk, the film follows his journey from a businessman in New York to a prominent figure in San Francisco. After moving to the city in 1972, Milk establishes a shop in the Castro district and becomes a mentor to others in the community. The narrative follows his rise as a political activist and his eventual election to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. The film explores his efforts to advocate for gay rights, including his fight against the discriminatory Proposition 6, while navigating the complexities of his personal life and the growing political landscape of the late 1970s.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
The film begins on November 27, 1978, with the announcement of the assassinations of Harvey Milk and Mayor George Moscone. It then flashes back to 1970, showing Milk's 40th birthday and his meeting with lover Scott Smith. In 1972, they move to San Francisco and open Castro Camera. Milk becomes a prominent activist and mentor, while Smith eventually leaves him. Milk later meets Jack Lira, who tragically takes his own life. In 1977, Milk wins a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man elected to major public office in California. He forms a complex relationship with fellow Supervisor Dan White. Milk campaigns against Proposition 6, a measure to ban gay and lesbian people from public schools. After the measure is defeated on November 7, 1978, a tense atmosphere develops. On November 27, 1978, Dan White enters City Hall and murders Mayor Moscone, then finds Milk and kills him. The film concludes by revealing that 30,000 people attended Milk's funeral and his ashes were scattered over the Golden Gate Bridge.
- First release year
- 2008
- Runtime (minutes)
- 128
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Gus Van Sant
- Writers
- Dustin Lance Black · writer
- Cast and characters
- Sean Penn · Milk; Emile Hirsch; Josh Brolin; Diego Luna; James Franco
- Genres
- biographical drama; historical drama; political drama
- Themes
- LGBTQ rights; political activism; identity; sacrifice
- Premise and plot tags
- biographical; political; historical
- Source material / true-story basis
- Based on the life of Harvey Milk and the 1982 biography 'The Mayor of Castro Street' by Randy Shilts.
- Reception
- The film was released to critical acclaim, earning numerous accolades for its performances, direction, and screenplay. It was praised for its human portrayal of its characters and its ability to evoke a sense of intimacy and hope.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 8 · scale: 10 · review count: 245; Metacritic · score: 83 · scale: 100 · review count: 39
- Awards and nominations
- Independent Spirit Award · Best Supporting Male · win; Independent Spirit Award · Best First Screenplay · win; Screen Actors Guild Award · Best Actor · win; Writers Guild of America Award · Best Original Screenplay · win; Academy Award · Best Actor · win; Academy Award · Best Original Screenplay · win
- Production trivia
- The film was banned in Samoa for depicting homosexual themes.; The production team used the actual location of Milk's camera shop on Castro Street.; The film was based on a 1984 documentary titled The Times of Harvey Milk.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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