Home
search
more | tips
IMDb > Philadelphia (1993)
Philadelphia
Quicklinks
Top Links
trailers and videosfull cast and crewtriviaofficial sitesmemorable quotes
Overview
main detailscombined detailsfull cast and crewcompany creditstv schedule
Awards & Reviews
user commentsexternal reviewsnewsgroup reviewsawardsuser ratingsparents guiderecommendationsmessage board
Plot & Quotes
plot summaryplot synopsisplot keywordsAmazon.com summarymemorable quotes
Fun Stuff
triviagoofssoundtrack listingcrazy creditsalternate versionsmovie connectionsFAQ
Other Info
merchandising linksbox office/businessrelease datesfilming locationstechnical specslaserdisc detailsDVD detailsliterature listingsNewsDesk
Promotional
taglines trailers and videos posters photo gallery
External Links
showtimesofficial sitesmiscellaneousphotographssound clipsvideo clips

Philadelphia (1993) More at IMDbPro »

Photos (see all 45 | slideshow) Videos (see all 3)
Philadelphia (1993) -- When a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
Philadelphia (1993) -- text os
Philadelphia (1993) -- When a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.

Overview

User Rating:
7.6/10   46,075 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Up 109% in popularity this week. See rank & trends on IMDbPro.
Director:
Jonathan Demme
Writer (WGA):
Ron Nyswaner (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for Philadelphia on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
23 December 1993 (USA) more
Genre:
Drama more
Tagline:
No one would take on his case... until one man was willing to take on the system.
Plot:
When a man with AIDS is fired by a conservative law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit. full summary | full synopsis
Awards:
Won 2 Oscars. Another 9 wins & 12 nominations more
NewsDesk:
(64 articles)
DVD Playhouse--July 2009
 (From The Hollywood Interview. 14 July 2009, 12:00 PM, PDT)

The 2009 Home Run Derby: The Music Tells Us Who Will Win
 (From MTV Newsroom. 13 July 2009, 8:05 AM, PDT)

User Comments:
Hanks gives his best performance ever more

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Tom Hanks ... Andrew Beckett

Denzel Washington ... Joe Miller
Roberta Maxwell ... Judge Tate
Buzz Kilman ... Crutches
Karen Finley ... Dr. Gillman
Daniel Chapman ... Clinic Storyteller
Mark Sorensen Jr. ... Clinic Patient
Jeffrey Williamson ... Tyrone
Charles Glenn ... Kenneth Killcoyne
Ron Vawter ... Bob Seidman
Anna Deavere Smith ... Anthea Burton
Stephanie Roth Haberle ... Rachel Smilow (as Stephanie Roth)
Lisa Talerico ... Shelby

Joanne Woodward ... Sarah Beckett

Jason Robards ... Charles Wheeler
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Also Known As:
At Risk (USA) (working title)
People Like Us (USA) (working title)
more
MPAA:
Rated PG-13 for some graphic language and thematic material.
Runtime:
125 min
Country:
USA
Language:
English
Color:
Color (Technicolor)
Aspect Ratio:
1.85 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
SDDS | Dolby

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
At Becketts Fancy Dress Celebration/Memorial Party, the elderly chap standing next to 'Mona Lisa' is none other than Quentin Crisp, the British gay celebrity portrayed in BBC film The Naked Civil Servant (1975) (TV) starring John Hurt. more
Goofs:
Crew or equipment visible: Crewman reflected in hospital door as Joe Miller opens it, after the trial. more
Quotes:
Judge Garrett: In this courtroom, Mr.Miller, justice is blind to matters of race, creed, color, religion, and sexual orientation.
Joe Miller: With all due respect, your honor, we don't live in this courtroom, do we?
more
Movie Connections:
Referenced in People Like Us (2009) more
Soundtrack:
Streets Of Philadelphia more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
37 out of 49 people found the following comment useful:-
Hanks gives his best performance ever, 5 October 2005
10/10
Author: Lee Eisenberg (eisenberg.lee@gmail.com) from Portland, Oregon, USA

"Philadelphia" may be the movie that changed Hollywood. For so many years, they portrayed gays as sissies, but this movie forced them to change. Tom Hanks gives the performance of a lifetime as AIDS-afflicted lawyer Andrew Beckett, fired from his law firm after they discover his condition. Equally good is Denzel Washington as homophobic lawyer Joe Miller, who is forced to ignore his own stereotypes in taking Andrew's case. Good support also comes from Jason Robards as Andrew's vicious ex-boss, Joanne Woodward as Andrew's ever-loving mother, and Antonio Banderas as Andrew's companion.

Maybe this is just me, but I think that "Philadelphia" was released at just the right time. Think back to 1993. We had just come out of the Reagan-Bush years and we now had Clinton. Maybe he wasn't openly pro-gay, but he did change the military's policy towards gays. Moreover, Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington are analogous to Paul Newman and Sidney Poitier: the embodiment of the new era under a new president (in Newman's and Poitier's case, it was Kennedy; in fact, those two co-starred in "Paris Blues" the year that Kennedy became president, much like Hanks and Washington were starring in "Philadelphia" the year that Clinton became president). But let's not get sidetracked. This is a great movie, and I recommend it to everyone.

Was the above comment useful to you?
more

Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Philadelphia (1993)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
'Miguel? I'm ready.' (Possible spoilers) croak-1
It's Inevitable that some will have an ambiguous sexual identity. screenman
Who played Andy's sister? croak-1
The most powerful scene... paixalice
(Spoiler) Did the senior partners really know Andy had AIDS? justlev
What was the meaning of... RipperX-2
more

Recommendations

If you enjoyed this title, our database also recommends:
- - - - -
The Laramie Project Edmond As Good as It Gets Mysterious Skin Before Night Falls
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
IMDb User Rating:
Show more recommendations

Related Links

Full cast and crew Company credits External reviews
News articles IMDb Drama section IMDb USA section
Add this title to MyMovies

You may report errors and omissions on this page to the IMDb database managers. They will be examined and if approved will be included in a future update. Clicking the 'Update' button will take you through a step-by-step process.