Philadelphia

Name: Philadelphia
Genre: Drama
Released: December 23, 1993
Duration: 125 min
Rating: 66
Cast: Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks

1993

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Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 142 Ratings

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Philadelphia

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Movie Details & Credits

TriStar Pictures | Release Date: December 23, 1993 | PG-13

Starring: Denzel Washington, Tom Hanks

Summary: Hailed as a landmark film that dazzles with deep emotion and exceptional acting, Philidelphia is the story of two competing lawyers who join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination. And as their unlikely friendship develops, their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries.
(Sony Pictures)

Director: Jonathan Demme

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 125 min

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Critic Reviews

Christopher Matthews

Jonathan Demme's long-awaited Philadelphia is so expertly acted, well-meaning and gutsy that you find yourself constantly pulling for it to be the definitive AIDS movie. [14 Jan 1994, p.13]

James Berardinelli

The story is timely and powerful, and the performances of Hanks and Washington assure that the characters will not immediately vanish into obscurity. Read full review

Todd McCarthy

On a scene-by-scene basis, in terms of performance and the grave issues under consideration, the film is quite absorbing. Read full review

Rita Kempley

It's less like a film by Demme than the best of Frank Capra. It is not just canny, corny and blatantly patriotic, but compassionate, compelling and emotionally devastating. Read full review

Marjorie Baumgarten

Still, Philadelphia is comprised of enough “little moments” that provide all the richness and grace we need to get us past the film's more inelegant moments. Primary here are the transcendent lead performances by Hanks and Washington, both of whom are, at all times, exciting to watch. Read full review

Staff (Not Credited)

Demme's filmmaking makes up in sincerity what it lacks in originality, and he gets a remarkable amount of emotional mileage from simple close-ups of expressive faces. [24 Dec 1993]

Desson Howe

Directed by Jonathan Demme, and starring Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington, this AIDS courtroom drama is so pumped full of nitrous oxide, you could get your teeth drilled on it. Read full review

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User Reviews

alexandrea

Nov 26, 2021

As a bisexual man this hit me right in the gut. I couls barely hold myself when the credits rolled.

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Compi24

Nov 28, 2012

"Philadelphia" is the story of Andrew Beckett (Hanks), a promising young lawyer at an upscale law firm. When the homosexual Beckett suddenly contracts AIDS he is fired unfairly fired from his workplace. Beckett then seeks the help of a small time homophobic lawyer, Joe Miller (Washington),"Philadelphia" is the story of Andrew Beckett (Hanks), a promising young lawyer at an upscale law firm. When the homosexual Beckett suddenly contracts AIDS he is fired unfairly fired from his workplace. Beckett then seeks the help of a small time homophobic lawyer, Joe Miller (Washington), to establish a wrongful dismissal case. Now from initial premise and the fact that I had heard Tom Hanks earned a Best Actor Oscar for his performance, I was expecting a fairly memorable movie. And I got one. Tom Hanks delivers one of his best and most moving performances with his portrayal of Beckett. Probably one of the most dynamic roles I've ever seen Hanks take on. He starts out as such a vibrant young man, yet as the film progresses, Beckett's illness does as well. Consequently, the audience witnesses the decline of a seemingly healthy man to a man who's body has been ravaged by an incurable disease. It's really quite heartbreaking. Tom Hanks worked well for this Oscar. Along side Hanks is Washington, who also gives a fine performance as the conflicted lawyer Miller. Like Beckett, Miller goes through a significant change as well - only his soul changes, not his health. It's really quite interesting to see Washington and Hanks work together on screen, as I've never seen it happen in any other film. The film also features a very well written script and a very nice direction from Jonathon Demme. The ending of this film is really quite something, and. . .yeah, I'll say it - the conclusion of this film was really intense for me to watch. Pretty emotional stuff. Overall I felt that "Philadelphia" is a poignant tale that succeeds in addressing many issues that have often been neglected in our time. I felt that it was filled to the brim with fine performances and palpable pathos. It's a great movie that I won't soon forget. Awesome.… Expand

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JayH.

Sep 23, 2009

Very powerful drama, beautifully and sensitively acted by Tom Hanks. Fine supporting cast. It's a sad film, but it doesn't leave the viewer depressed. Good direction and screenplay, well photographed and an excellent score.

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akshatmahajan

Aug 22, 2021

Philadelphia is a simple, sweet and sad story. It starts too fast, then slows down and then ends fast. You may not even know when film ends. The bond between Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington is so pure, you're gonna love it. I am amazed that Denzel wasn't nominated for his role in this movie.Philadelphia is a simple, sweet and sad story. It starts too fast, then slows down and then ends fast. You may not even know when film ends. The bond between Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington is so pure, you're gonna love it. I am amazed that Denzel wasn't nominated for his role in this movie. The story was simple. There were some problems with execution but overall experience is not affected. The pacing was even; it starts too fast, then slows down and then ends fast. The acting by both the actors is what makes this movie beautiful.

Overall, I would recommend this movie to anyone. It's a such a sweet and simple story that I think everyone should give a chance.… Expand

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Voodoo123

Mar 12, 2019

+Excellent cast deliver memorable performances
+Engaging plot
+Decent cinematography +Excellent soundtrack -Missing the 'x' factor for a truly great film Philadelphia could've settled with being a decent if typical courtroom drama but the material is elevated massively by the lead actors+Excellent cast deliver memorable performances
+Engaging plot
+Decent cinematography
+Excellent soundtrack
-Missing the 'x' factor for a truly great film

Philadelphia could've settled with being a decent if typical courtroom drama but the material is elevated massively by the lead actors Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington. There is some great emotional content here but with so many great courtroom dramas I just feel it is missing that special something in the plot to elevate things to an A+ standard. What Philadelphia does show is how very serious very human issues written into a films screenplay (in this case AIDS) can be made so believable by a talented cast.… Expand

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Spangle

Nov 19, 2016

After catching flack for his portrayal of transsexuals in The Silence of the Lambs (still my favorite film), director Jonathan Demme returned two years later with Philadelphia. An urgent and deeply important film about raising awareness to individuals suffering from AIDS and pulling back theAfter catching flack for his portrayal of transsexuals in The Silence of the Lambs (still my favorite film), director Jonathan Demme returned two years later with Philadelphia. An urgent and deeply important film about raising awareness to individuals suffering from AIDS and pulling back the stigma surrounding the illness, Philadelphia is an often powerful film for this very reason. Yet, make no mistake, this film is hardly a full-throated endorsement of gay rights by Demme. Rather, it is a step. It is a step towards acceptance of the lifestyle, as the film essentially argues that it is not unnatural to be gay, nor is it something to be looked down upon. Homosexuals are people like anybody else and deserve to be treated as such, even if you do not approve of their lifestyle. As of 2016, we have obviously come much further with gay rights, but for 1993, Philadelphia was practically a revelation. In spite of its previous timeliness, however, Philadelphia is a largely predictable and typical courtroom drama that rides on great acting to really accomplish anything whatsoever.

As with all courtroom dramas, Philadelphia's conclusion is clear from the beginning. If you do not know that Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) will win the case, then you have never seen a courtroom film before. As such, reaching the conclusion is inherently tedious when rarely (if ever?) has a courtroom film ended up by reversing the cliche. The protagonists win and the antagonists lose. End story. Thus, while the film spends a lot of time in the courtroom, this only hurts the end product. The drama is outside of the court, not inside of it and, often, Demme loses sight of this in the film. After a certain point, he just settles into showing us testimony and the prejudiced beliefs of those around him in the office and that was why he was fired. While it was a wrongful termination, the film scores no dramatic points for this.

Also hindering the film is the opening. Slow and meandering, the film really never hits its emotional stride until after Andrew meets with Joe Miller (Denzel Washington). In the opening, Hanks' acting is spotty at best and the film is largely just an introduction to his illness and his life as a whole. While these moments are effectively told, they are simply never that intriguing, as it is merely the foundation of the case which, again, is never that interesting.

However, once that meeting between Andrew and Joe does happen, Philadelphia hits its stride quite solidly. Here, we find Andrew - a gay man suffering from AIDS - opening up the worldview of his lawyer, Joe Miller. Deeply anti-gay and bigoted, Joe has a violent hatred for homosexuals and finds their lifestyle deeply disgusting. Once he meets Andrew, however, his world begins to change and he sees gays completely differently. In many ways, Joe is intended to mirror the audience in 1993 who, entering the film with extreme prejudice, wind up leaving with an understanding and compassion for gays worldwide. While they may not fully accept them yet, there is no longer that hatred, which is an important hurdle to cross. To be clear, Joe does not like gays or understand them by the end of the film, but he is more accepting of their lifestyle and no longer carries the weight of hatred he once held.

Denzel Washington brings Joe to life brilliantly, from the man filled with vile hatred to the man who learns compassion from his encounters with Andrew. Meanwhile, Hanks brilliant as Andrew Beckett. Though initially spotty, once the disease begins ravishing Andrew, Hanks really begins to shine. He compassionately brings to light the suffering experienced by AIDS patients and does a terrific job capturing this pain and torment. This is where Demme's film is so truly important, as it humanizes the suffering and does not make it appear other. It shows the suffering of AIDS patients to be no different than anybody else's suffering. They may be gay, but that is okay and it is not a reason for them to suffer, which was previously a belief held by many. The film does not spare us the gory details of the toll AIDS has on the body and, for this, it makes it far more intimate and hits close to home for everybody in the audience.

Philadelphia is a slight and cliche film about an important topic, which is really unfortunate. Though Denzel Washington and Tom Hanks are terrific in the film, Philadelphia never diverts from courtroom drama cliches enough to really breathe life into the film. Yet, what does breathe some life into the film is Demme's sensitive handling of a very timely and vitally crucial issue: the AIDS epidemic. Bringing to light the suffering of those with AIDS, Philadelphia manages to play an important role in raising awareness to the issue of gay rights in America.… Expand

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Broyax

Mar 8, 2018

Un film à procès procédurier qui défend une "grande cause" et dénonce les injustices et discriminations comme on peut en voir de temps à autre dans le cinéma américain. C'est donc long, lent et avec pas mal de guimauve même si je trouve qu'ils auraient pu faire mieux en la matièreUn film à procès procédurier qui défend une "grande cause" et dénonce les injustices et discriminations comme on peut en voir de temps à autre dans le cinéma américain. C'est donc long, lent et avec pas mal de guimauve même si je trouve qu'ils auraient pu faire mieux en la matière (c'est-à-dire encore plus de guimauve, car on reste sur sa faim).

Evidemment, le film s'abîme rapidement dans la caricature à l'insu de son plein gré, puis c'est un défilé de clichés et de fausse dignité auxquels les acteurs participent plus qu'ils ne devraient, accentuant encore le côté superficiel de ces chevaliers servants de la justice sociale qui rétabliront l'ordre et les mentalités à coups de millions de dollars d'indemnités.

Pourtant, le dossier reste bancal et ambigü et le film se prend les pieds dans le tapis avec l'avocat nettement homophobe qui s'en va défendre l'homosexuel atteint du SIDA... malgré son homophobie sévèrement ancrée. Oui, on nous prend vraiment pour des jambons dans ce film et on ne s'en cache même pas.

Tom Hanks est comme de coutume excellent mais sombre dans la surenchère alors que Denzel Washington, peu convaincant comme à son habitude, est pris dans les contradictions de son personnage invraisemblable qui n'a pas même l'appât du gain et/ou de l'éclairage médiatique pour excuses.

Voilà donc un film moralisateur à la petite semaine, au mieux abrutissant et au pire tout simplement ridicule.… Expand

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