• Starring: Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn
  • Summary: In 1977, Harvey Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay man to be voted into major 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. (Focus Features) Expand
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 38 out of 39
  2. Negative: 0 out of 39
  1. 100
    It's a total triumph, brimming with humor, heart, sexual heat, political provocation and a crying need to stir things up, just like Harvey did. If there's a better movie around this year, with more bristling purpose, I sure as hell haven't seen it.
  2. 100
    Sean Penn never tries to show Harvey Milk as a hero, and never needs to. He shows him as an ordinary man, kind, funny, flawed, shrewd, idealistic, yearning for a better world.
  3. The final result somehow undersells a man whose life and death were watershed moments in the gay rights movement.

See all 39 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 69 out of 93
  2. Negative: 16 out of 93
  1. 10
    I love this movie. Sean Penn is an amazing lead and he was perfect for this role. I think the entire film is a real eye opener on how it really was during that time. I would highly recommend it. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. DanS.
    5
    I'll say it. I didn't like Milk, that being said it was not because I am homophobic but I felt that it was not a good biopic. Milk was a two dimensional film that relied solely on the fact that it came out amidst the controversy of proposition 8 in California. But as a film Milk cannot stand on it's own two feet. Sean Penn did a great job acting but Gus Van Sant, one of my favorite directors did not deliever. The movie did not explore Milk as a person and instead focused on the image that the public already knew about. I did not feel attatched to the characters and more over it just felt lazy. Expand
    • 1 of 1 users said yes
  3. JoeD
    3
    Ignoring the agenda for a moment, this film is just a long - sometimes dull - documentary. I suspect the people who gave it high marks (and an Oscar for Penn) are those who love the agenda. I gave it a 3 because it had some compelling and interesting moments. Most of it, however, was just boring. Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

See all 93 User Reviews

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