The story of Harvey Milk, and his struggles as an American gay activist who fought for gay rights and became California's first openly gay elected official.
Using flashbacks from a statement recorded late in life and archival footage for atmosphere, this film traces Harvey Milk's career from his 40th birthday to his death. He leaves the closet and New York, opens a camera shop that becomes the salon for San Francisco's growing gay community, and organizes gays' purchasing power to build political alliances. He runs for office with lover Scott Smith as his campaign manager. Victory finally comes on the same day Dan White wins in the city's conservative district. The rest of the film sketches Milk's relationship with White and the 1978 fight against a statewide initiative to bar gays and their supporters from public school jobs.
Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Cameo:
[Dustin Lance Black]
The screenwriter appears as one half of the couple that walks by the Castro camera shop after it's closed, when Harvey Milk is inside and one of the men asks if Harvey was going to win this time.
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Goofs
Anachronisms:
In the camera shop during Milk's 1973 campaign for supervisor, the song "Rock the Boat" by the Hues Corporation played in the background. But that song wasn't released until the summer of 1974, by which time Milk had already cut his hair short and was clean shaven. In the film the clean-cut Harvey Milk didn't appear until the beginning of the 1975 campaign.
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Quotes
Harvey Milk:
[First lines]
This is Harvey Milk speaking on Friday November 18th. This is to be played only in the event of my death by assassination. During one of the early campaigns, I started opening my speeches with the same line and it sort of became my signature... Hello, I'm Harvey Milk, and I'm here to recruit you. See more »
"You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real)"
Written by Sylvester (as Sylvester James) and James Wirrick Performed by Sylvester Courtesy of Concord Music Group, Inc.
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