Angels in America (2003– )

Playwright Tony Kushner adapts his political epic about the AIDS crisis during the mid-eighties, around a group of separate but connected individuals.

Stars:

Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Emma Thompson

Won 5 Golden Globes. Another 34 wins & 27 nominations.

Cast

Complete series cast summary:
Al Pacino	...	Roy Cohn (2 episodes, 2003)
Meryl Streep	...	Ethel Rosenberg (2 episodes, 2003)
Emma Thompson	...	Nurse Emily (2 episodes, 2003)
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Harper Pitt (2 episodes, 2003)
Jeffrey Wright	...	Belize (2 episodes, 2003)
Justin Kirk	...	Prior Walter (2 episodes, 2003)
Ben Shenkman	...	Louis Ironson (2 episodes, 2003)
Patrick Wilson	...	Joe Pitt (2 episodes, 2003)
James Cromwell	...	Roy's Doctor (2 episodes, 2003)

Storyline

God has abandoned Heaven. It's 1985: the Reagans are in the White House and Death swings the scythe of AIDS. In Manhattan, Prior Walter tells Lou, his lover of four years, he's ill; Lou bolts. As disease and loneliness ravage Prior, guilt invades Lou. Joe Pitt, an attorney who is Mormon and Republican, is pushed by right-wing fixer Roy Cohn toward a job at the Justice Department. Both Pitt and Cohn are in the closet: Pitt out of shame and religious turmoil, Cohn to preserve his power and access. Pitt's wife Harper is strung out on Valium, aching to escape a sexless marriage. An angel invites Prior to be a prophet in death. Pitt's mother and Belize, a close friend, help Prior choose.

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Plot Keywords:

death | aids | religious | marriage | closet | 

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Taglines:

The messenger has arrived.

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Genres:

Drama | Fantasy

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Certificate:

TV-MA

Details

Official Sites:

HBO

Country:

USA Italy

Language:

English Hebrew Aramaic Yiddish French

Release Date:

7 December 2003 (USA)

Also Known As:

Ameerika inglid

Filming Locations:

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$60,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Avenue Pictures Productions, HBO Films, Panorama Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

352 min 352 min (6 parts)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first episode drew 4.2 million viewers, making it the most-watched cable show of the year.

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Goofs

The movie takes place in 1985, yet the funeral in Perestroika shows a drag queen dressed as a Barbra Streisand circa 1993.

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Quotes

Prior Walter: Look. Garlic. A Mirror. Holy Water. A Crucifix. Fuck off! Get the fuck out of my room! Go!

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Crazy Credits

Person Generally in Charge of Everything Aaron Geller

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Connections

Referenced in Munich: The Mission - The Team (2006)

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Soundtracks

"Shall We Gather At The River?"
(hymn written in 1864)
Music and Lyrics by Robert Lowry (1826-1899)
Performed by Meryl Streep and choir

User Reviews

a must-see and one of my all-time favorites.

Angels in America is definitely one of my favorites. I was a loyal viewer when it was on HBO, and rushed out to buy the DVD when it was released. I think this miniseries was very tastefully done. I was delighted to see such diversity in the movie. It was very refreshing to see Jews, Mormons, Protestants, Homosexuals, Heterosexuals, Republicans, and Democrats together. I think this movie was very real in it's portrayal of AIDS, and it really raised awareness for me, because it showed AIDS as a real disease, not just something we hear about on the news. I was very excited to see minorities presented like average, real people. I didn't see the play, so i can't compare. but i was thoroughly pleased with Mike Nichols direction, i think the cast was incredible, and brought life to each character in the best way possible. i think Mary-Louise Parker especially brought with her character, Harper Pitt, something to the play that was very difficult to do. Harper, other than her marriage to Joe, was irrelevant to the story; Parker was able to take the character, though, and make Harper one of the most insightful and endearing characters in the show. I especially like Justin Kirk in this movie. He did not have a particularly challenging part, but he really grabbed my heart in a subtle way. I have heard much criticism directed toward Al Pacino. However, i think Pacino did very well as is character. I have little knowledge of the real Cohn, but Pacinio was able to give Cohn an evil personality, while still keeping the audience aware of how human Cohn really is. It was very interesting. I was also very pleased with the characters of Belize and Mother Pitt. I found Angels in America very inspiring, and after seeing it for the first time, I seemed to see the world in a whole new light. I know that sounds cheesy, but it is true. For someone very passionate about equal rights, like me, this movie seemed to relay exactly what I stand for. If you are an easily offended Conservative, this movie may not be for you, but I recommend this to anyone with an open mind.