And the Band Played On (1993)

The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.

Director:

Roger Spottiswoode

Writers:

Randy Shilts (book), Arnold Schulman (teleplay)

Stars:

Matthew Modine, Alan Alda, Patrick Bauchau

Nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Another 10 wins & 21 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Matthew Modine	...	Dr. Don Francis
Alan Alda	...	Dr. Robert Gallo
Patrick Bauchau	...	Dr. Luc Montagnier
Nathalie Baye	...	Dr. Françoise Barre
Christian Clemenson	...	Dr. Dale Lawrence
David Clennon	...	Mr. Johnstone
Phil Collins	...	Eddie Papasano
Bud Cort	...	Antique shop owner
Alex Courtney	...	Dr. Mika Popovic
David Dukes	...	Dr. Mervyn Silverman
Richard Gere	...	The Choreographer
David Marshall Grant	...	Dennis Seeley
Ronald Guttman	...	Dr. Jean-Claude Chermann
Glenne Headly	...	Dr. Mary Guinan
Anjelica Huston	...	Dr. Betsy Reisz

Storyline

This is the story of the first years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and focuses on three key elements. Dr. Don Francis, an immunologist with experience in eradicating smallpox and containing the Ebola virus, joins the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to try and understand just what this disease is. They also have deal with bureaucracy and a government that doesn't seem to care. The gay community in San Francisco is divided on the nature of the disease but also what should be done about it. Finally, the film deals with the rivalry between Dr. Robert Gallo, the American virologist who previously discovered the first retrovirus and his French counterpart at the Pasteur Institute, Dr. Luc Montagnier, that led to disputed claims about who was first to identify the AIDS virus.

---

Plot Keywords:

disease | epidemic | virus | gay | center for disease control | 

---

Taglines:

A threat no one dared face. A word no one wanted to speak. A fight for many, fought by few.

---

Genres:

Drama

---

Certificate:

PG-13

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English French Danish

Release Date:

11 September 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

...und das Leben geht weiter

Filming Locations:

San Francisco, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Home Box Office (HBO), Spelling Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

141 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Dolby SR

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Produced despite heavy misgivings in the film industry. When film star Richard Gere accepted a small role, he broke the taboos - at grave risk to his career - about both the subject and major film stars taking small parts in TV productions. Subsequently Steve Martin, Alan Alda, Phil Collins and Anjelica Huston were willing to appear.

---

Goofs

This movie is set early 1980s, but there is a box of Wheatables from the early 1990s on the coffee table.

---

Quotes

Dr. Don Francis: How many dead hemophiliacs do you need? How many people have to die to make it cost efficient for you people to do something about it? A hundred? A thousand? Give us a number so we won't annoy you again until the amount of money you begin spending on LAWSUITS makes it more PROFITABLE for you to save people, than to kill them!

---

Connections

Features A Room with a View (1985)

---

Soundtracks

"The Last Song"
Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Performed by Elton John

User Reviews

If you don't remember the start of the epidemic, don't comment on the movie....

I've read far too many reviews of this movie that just don't seem to get it, even if they did enjoy the film. The purpose of the movie was precisely to show how the AIDS epidemics reached the stages that it did before anything was done, and how the Doctors, researchers and even the federal government and the CDC contributed as much to the progression of the disease as they did to discovering it. To state that this presentation, while not quite showing as much regarding the suffering of the early AIDS patients in some way makes "less of an impact" than it may have otherwise, is to basically state that you have no concept of what the purpose of the movie was! Anyone who actually WAS around when the AIDS crisis began can remember getting blood tests for Hepatitis, then something called HTLV III, then HIV, all with no explanation or understanding as to why. And that was only if you were giving blood! They misconceptions and fears passed on from scientists themselves made it far more difficult to actually understand what it was and how to be safe. This movie explained far better than any other resource exactly what was going on during a time when those of us who WERE alive were getting no answers at all.

So, if you're going to comment on a movie, make sure you have some idea of what the purpose of the film is before questioning the point of view of the film. This is quite possibly one of the most important films of the past twenty years BECAUSE of its point of view.