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IMDbPro

Philadelphia

  • 19931993
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 2h 5m
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
240K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,474
901
Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington in Philadelphia (1993)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:59
5 Videos
70 Photos
Drama
When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
IMDb RATING
7.7/10
240K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
2,474
901
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Director
      • Jonathan Demme
    • Writer
      • Ron Nyswaner
    • Stars
      • Tom Hanks
      • Denzel Washington
      • Roberta Maxwell
    Top credits
    • Director
      • Jonathan Demme
    • Writer
      • Ron Nyswaner
    • Stars
      • Tom Hanks
      • Denzel Washington
      • Roberta Maxwell
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 323User reviews
    • 69Critic reviews
    • 66Metascore
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 20 wins & 23 nominations total

    Videos5

    Philadelphia
    Trailer 2:59
    Philadelphia
    Philadelphia
    Trailer 2:54
    Philadelphia
    Philadelphia
    Trailer 0:31
    Philadelphia
    How Movies and TV Shaped Our Perception of HIV/AIDS
    Clip 4:54
    How Movies and TV Shaped Our Perception of HIV/AIDS
    'Philadelphia' | Anniversary Mashup
    Video 1:37
    'Philadelphia' | Anniversary Mashup

    Photos70

    Denzel Washington and Jonathan Demme in Philadelphia (1993)
    Antonio Banderas in Philadelphia (1993)
    Tom Hanks in Philadelphia (1993)
    Antonio Banderas and Tom Hanks in Philadelphia (1993)
    Jason Robards in Philadelphia (1993)
    Robert W. Castle, Meghan Tepas, and Joanne Woodward in Philadelphia (1993)
    Tom Hanks, Jason Robards, Charles Glenn, Robert Ridgely, and Ron Vawter in Philadelphia (1993)
    Denzel Washington in Philadelphia (1993)
    Antonio Banderas in Philadelphia (1993)
    Denzel Washington in Philadelphia (1993)
    Denzel Washington in Philadelphia (1993)
    Tom Hanks in Philadelphia (1993)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Tom Hanks
    Tom Hanks
    • Andrew Beckett
    Denzel Washington
    Denzel Washington
    • Joe Miller
    Roberta Maxwell
    Roberta Maxwell
    • Judge Tate
    Buzz Kilman
    • 'Crutches'
    Karen Finley
    • Dr. Gillman
    Daniel Chapman
    Daniel Chapman
    • Clinic Storyteller
    Mark Sorensen Jr.
    • Clinic Patient
    Jeffrey Williamson
    • Tyrone
    Charles Glenn
    • Kenneth Killcoyne
    Ron Vawter
    Ron Vawter
    • Bob Seidman
    Anna Deavere Smith
    Anna Deavere Smith
    • Anthea Burton
    Stephanie Roth Haberle
    Stephanie Roth Haberle
    • Rachel Smilow
    • (as Stephanie Roth)
    Lisa Talerico
    • Shelby
    Joanne Woodward
    Joanne Woodward
    • Sarah Beckett
    Jason Robards
    Jason Robards
    • Charles Wheeler
    Robert Ridgely
    Robert Ridgely
    • Walter Kenton
    Chandra Wilson
    Chandra Wilson
    • Chandra
    Ford Wheeler
    • Alan
    • Director
      • Jonathan Demme
    • Writer
      • Ron Nyswaner
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Tom Hanks had to lose almost thirty pounds to appear appropriately gaunt for his courtroom scenes. Denzel Washington, on the other hand, was asked to gain a few pounds for his role. Washington, to the chagrin of Hanks, who practically starved himself for the role, would often eat chocolate bars in front of him.
    • Goofs
      The court stenographer doesn't seem to be actually typing, and the paper tape recording her keystrokes also doesn't ever advance.
    • Quotes

      [Andrew transcendentally describes his favorite opera,slowly walking around his apartment, closing his eyes, looking up]

      Andrew Beckett: Do you like opera?

      Joe Miller: I'm not that familiar with opera.

      Andrew Beckett: This is my favorite aria. This is Maria Callas. This is "Andrea Chenier", Umberto Giordano. This is Madeleine. She's saying how during the French Revolution, a mob set fire to her house, and her mother died... saving her. "Look, the place that cradled me is burning." Can you hear the heartache in her voice? Can you feel it, Joe? In come the strings, and it changes everything. The music fills with a hope, and that'll change again. Listen... listen..."I bring sorrow to those who love me." Oh, that single cello! "It was during this sorrow that love came to me." A voice filled with harmony. It says, "Live still, I am life. Heaven is in your eyes. Is everything around you just the blood and mud? I am divine. I am oblivion. I am the god... that comes down from the heavens, and makes of the Earth a heaven. I am love!... I am love."

    • Crazy credits
      "This motion picture was inspired in part by Geoffrey Bowers' AIDS discrimination lawsuit, the courage and love of the Angius family and the struggles of the many others who, along with their loved ones, have experienced discrimination because of AIDS."
    • Alternate versions
      The cable and network television versions of Philadelphia edit out portions of the pharmacy scene where a gay University of Pennsylvania law student attempts to pick up Joe Miller. These two versions end this scene with the law student responding "Do I?" to Joe Miller's question concerning whether Miller looked gay. In the theatrical, home video and premium channel versions, Joe Miller continues to berate the law student with bigot remarks regarding homosexuals.
    • Connections
      Edited into Die Geschichte des erotischen Films (2004)
    • Soundtracks
      Streets Of Philadelphia
      Produced by Bruce Springsteen and Chuck Plotkin

      Written and Performed by Bruce Springsteen

      Courtesy of Columbia Records

    User reviews323

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Compelling, but over the top
    To me this movie is both a relevant and compelling story, as well as a model of overcompensation. I feel as though Philadelphia was trying desperately to show a touching, human side to the AIDS epidemic, but at the same time overly conscious of the lack of compassion much of middle America has for homosexual victims of AIDS. As a result, our protagonist Andrew Beckett is made to be a virtual superman. I would have had more respect for the film if they'd made him more like you and me. If he had been a bright, successful lawyer with friends, a loving family, and a serious relationship that would have made him someone we could really relate to. Instead, Andrew was a legal phenom, THE rising star, future senior partner, the future leader of the law firm. And in his personal life, he was the most popular person at his firm, beloved by all. More than that, he was the most popular member of his whole family, he was brilliant, affable, going straight to the top, simply AMAZING!!! Doesn't it seem like they tried too hard to get us on his side? To show the human story of AIDS, show us an actual person, not superman. That is problem with Philadelphia.

    Having said that, Tom Hanks was fantastic, as usual. Denzel was also rock solid, his character basically representing all of us, the general public, the ones who don't empathize with gays because they either don't know any, or aren't conscious they know any, and fail to appreciate that they are real people and not merely stereotypes. His enlightenment with regards to this is one aspect of the movie I felt they came through on exceptionally.

    Philadelphia was an important story to be told, for just like so many other human tragedies, for us the unaffected to be able to see just one example up close and personal, it carries so much more weight than all the news reports and statistics in the world. I hope it had some positive impact in creating compassion among the general public. I just wish the film makers hadn't felt it would be necessary to go to superhuman lengths to give us a character we could feel for.
    helpful•59
    30
    • scubergmu
    • Apr 22, 2005

    FAQ4

    • What is Philadelphia about?
    • How does the movie end?
    • Is this film based on a true story?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 14, 1994 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • At Risk
    • Filming locations
      • Furness Building, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
    • Production companies
      • TriStar Pictures
      • Clinica Estetico
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $26,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $77,446,440
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $143,433
      • Dec 26, 1993
    • Gross worldwide
      • $206,678,440
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 5 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • SDDS
      • Dolby
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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