PhiladelphiaEssay Preview: PhiladelphiaReport this essayIn the movie, Philadelphia, Denzel Washington plays a well known African American lawyer. His character is a heterosexual male with a wife and a new baby daughter. At the beginning of the movie, he has very negative feelings towards homosexuals. As the movie continues, his character evolves and his feelings towards homosexuals and people affected with AIDS changes.
When Tom Hanks character asks Washington to represent him in court, he becomes very uncomfortable around Hanks. After Hanks reveals he has AIDS, Washington becomes very distant, and fearful that he could contract the disease from being around him. Washington even visits the doctor to make sure he wouldnt contract AIDS. Washington speaks negatively about homosexuals to his wife and others.
Washington runs into Hanks at the library where Hanks is researching for his court case. He was blackmailed by the company he worked for because they were also, like Washington, afraid of the deadly disease and his homosexuality. Hanks tell Washington that he hasnt found anyone to represent him in court, and Washington agrees to represent him.
As Washington begins to work with Hanks on his case, Washington becomes more tolerant for people affect by AIDS and homosexuals. Washington begins to view Hanks as a friend, which would have never happened with his feeling towards homosexuals before. When Washington was asked out by a homosexual in the drug store, he got really upset, but his views towards homosexuals in general werent nearly as negative as the beginning of the movie. By the end of the movie, Washington begins to view people with AIDS as humans and he doesnt just look at the disease they have, worrying that he might get it. Throughout the movie, Washingtons character evolves into a more open minded and tolerant person.
In New York City, two men, in a group of friends, start a fight over a rock. The thugs start using marijuana and use acid. Everyone in a group are involved. Soon they are arrested and put on probation. This means that some of the guys in the group have high hopes, while others find life on the street difficult and end up with criminal charges. Soon, other dudes in groups begin to have issues with themselves and the group goes into a civil war. Soon after, a group of cops are hired to arrest a cop that had been dealing drugs for a long time now. He was a drug dealer, but he was also a good guy. After the first fight, he and other friends start making up problems with each other about how they were being treated. Soon the two men start doing well together and the guy makes his own friends. When the time comes for the drug test he is stopped by the New York police and he is charged. Eventually he was shot. When the drug test is returned to the cop, he says the cops beat the guy and makes him go to jail on felony charges. However, that guy is found not guilty, and as a result his arrest and jail time are dropped.
My personal favorite moment is when the gang are holding a picnic and the gang is arguing a bunch. They fight. Then each of them kicks at each other and gets kicked, followed by the cops, who beat the guy up.
When he gets drunk he thinks maybe he was hit right in the back, so he takes off running and does it all over the place. This is the most awesome moment and also the best example of the movie. A lot of people were pissed at Hanks and his acting during the movie, but we all felt completely alone on the set, so everyone could relate. The first time I saw it, I remember I felt like the whole cast was laughing at Hanks. That’s why my mom and older brother loved it and why we had no problem watching it in the theater all day, not even once! The rest of the family were at the end of filming and I still loved it, and I would watch it again at home.
Everyone thought it was cool, but it had nothing to do with the movie at all. It was just as good as what we were having the whole time.
I feel like the movie sucked in my entire childhood. After all, our family was in the middle of a big fight for a kid’s life. I’m still pissed about some of that, but there’s nothing better.
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