Finely wrought film conveys the humanity of the main character while never devolving into hagiography.
Milk (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:215
Fresh:201
Rotten:14
Average Rating:8/10
Consensus: Anchored by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America's first openly gay man elected to public office.
Australian Rating: MA15+ [See Full Rating] Mature themes, coarse language and sexual references
Runtime: 2 hrs 9 mins
Genre: Dramas
Australian Theatrical Release:
Jan 29, 2009 Wide
US Box Office: $31,716,847
Synopsis: In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay... In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into public office in America. His victory was not just a victory for gay rights; he forged coalitions across the political spectrum. From senior citizens to union workers, Harvey Milk changed the very nature of what it means to be a fighter for human rights and became, before his untimely death in 1978, a hero for all Americans. Sean Penn stars as Harvey Milk under the direction of Gus Van Sant in Milk, filmed on location in San Francisco from an original screenplay by Dustin Lance Black, and produced by Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen. Milk charts the last eight years of Harvey Milk’s life. While living in New York City, he turns 40. Looking for more purpose, Milk and his lover Scott Smith (James Franco) relocate to San Francisco, where they found a small business, Castro Camera, in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. With his beloved Castro neighborhood and beautiful city empowering him, Milk surprises Scott and himself by becoming an outspoken agent for change. With vitalizing support from Scott and from new friends like young activist Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), Milk plunges headfirst into the choppy waters of politics. Bolstering his public profile with humor, Milk’s actions speak even louder than his gift-of-gab words. When Milk is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, he tries to coordinate his efforts with those of another newly elected supervisor, Dan White (Josh Brolin). But as White and Milk’s political agendas increasingly diverge, their personal destinies tragically converge. Milk’s platform was and is one of hope – a hero’s legacy that resonates in the here and now. --© Focus Features [More]
Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna
Starring: Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Diego Luna, James Franco
Director: Gus Van Sant
Director: Gus Van Sant
Screenwriter: Dustin Lance Black
Producer: Dan Jinks, Bruce Cohen
Composer: Danny Elfman
Studio: Focus Features
Reviews for Milk
Penn and director Gus Van Sant play Milk's sexual orientation with candor that never dips into cartoonishness -- it's refreshing and true and manly
Just as Tom Hanks put a face to AIDS in 1993's Philadelphia, Sean Penn has now put a face to gay rights as Harvey Milk in the new Gus Van Sant true-story film Milk.
It puts Harvey Milk back on his soap box, where his unyielding commitment to his issue cost him his life.
Penn completely disappears to make Harvey Milk into one of the most charismatic figures you have ever seen on a movie screen
Intellectually compelling and emotionally heartrending, Milk is one of the most profound and inspiring presentations of an American political leader I have ever seen.
This film wants us to understand both how far we've come as a society and that it is still not far enough.
Once in a while, a movie arrives at such a perfect moment, its message and meaning so finely tuned to the current zeitgeist, that it seems less a cinematic event than a cosmic convergence, willed into being by a once-in-a-lifetime alignment of the stars.
Milk is so immediate that it's impossible to separate the movie's moment from this one.
Milk has one of the finest ensemble casts this year and a magnificent, career-topping performance by Sean Penn, who disappears into the title role.
Van Sant has made something very rare in Hollywood -- a genuinely powerful political film that works equally well as a story of personal triumph.
The film understandably and movingly centres itself on Penn's portrayal of a hedonist-turned-activist who discovered that in order to change his world, he had to find his voice.
What the film lacks in daring narrative it makes up for with its electric portrayal of its radical subject.
Van Sant's film (and why did it take 24 years after the documentary to make this stirring, heartbreaking story a feature film?) finally gives Milk his due -- and becomes an immediate classic of gay cinema.
It's a measure of the film's breadth and intelligence that it is almost as interested in White as Milk. White is not depicted as a cartoonish villain but as a frustrated, emotionally underdeveloped man who lashed out at a low point in his life.
It's nice to see Penn play a character of Spicoli-like sweetness and openness, rather than the glowering lugs that have become his specialty.
I don't know that this is Penn's best performance, overall -- let's have that debate some other time -- but as far as the mannered, immersive impersonations of his later career go, Harvey Milk takes the cake.
Milk represents a thought provoking, cathartic, and mostly true tale of politics and courage.
Latest News for Milk
March 09, 2009:
RT on DVD: Rachel Getting Married, Milk Lead Super Fresh New Releases
Home video enthusiasts, prepare yourself for what may be the best week ever! This week you'll have to choose between Academy Award flicks Rachel Getting Married (Best Actress... More...
February 24, 2009:
Backstage at the Oscars: My First Time
In the movie world there is no event greater, no red carpet glitzier, no awards show more meaningful, than that of the Academy Awards. While millions watch the biggest night... More...
February 01, 2009:
Slumdog's Danny Boyle Wins DGA Award
Danny Boyle takes home another win for Best Director from the Director's Guild of America -- could Oscar gold be just around the corner? See who else was nominated this year in... More...
January 27, 2009:
Milk Among GLAAD Nominees ![]()
"Milk" has been a favorite on the awards circuit this year, and its hot streak has been extended courtesy of the GLAAD Media Awards, where it will compete in the Outstanding... More...
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