Playwright Tony Kushner adapts his political epic about the AIDS crisis during the mid-1980s and centers the story around a group of separate but connected individuals.
Louis abandons a hospitalized Prior; Joe and Roy confide in each other over drinks. Later, Prior hears voices from his hospital bed while Louis solicits sex from strangers, and Joe makes a drunken ...
A fight with Joe leaves Louis badly scarred; Roy plays a final practical joke on Ethel; Prior wrestles the Angel and then addresses a review board in Heaven; Harper heads out West; Prior, outliving ...
Cohn is diagnosed with AIDS. He pushes Joe to take the job in Washington so he can help Cohn keep his job. Prior becomes more sick and goes to the hospital, Louis can't handle being there for him so ...
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.Written by
<jhailey@hotmail.com>
Mary-Louise Parker (Harper Pitt) and Justin Kirk (Prior Walter), who appear in just one scene together in the TV adaptation, went on to co-star as Nancy and Andy Botwin in Showtime's hit series "Weeds," which began filming shortly after production for "Angels" had wrapped. See more »
Goofs
Prior says that "Thomas Jefferson died on his birthday". Jefferson died on 4 July 1826 but was born on 13 April 1743. See more »
Quotes
Prior Walter:
This disease will be the end of many of us, but not nearly all. And the dead will be commemorated, and we'll struggle on with the living, and we are not going away. We won't die secret deaths anymore. The world only spins forward. We will be citizens. The time has come.
See more »
I wish I could put into words how deeply touched I was by this movie/ miniseries. It has haunted me since I first saw it in December. I taped it when it was shown all together on HBO Signature and purchased the playscript book. And I have the soundtrack which is so beautiful.
I loved this work. It made me think, it made me laugh, it made me mourn. The concept of God abandoning Heaven just made me weep. The utter resolve Prior displays before the Council was so uplifting...and then Hannah's desire to have them all bathe in the Fountain of Bethesda and be healed. So touching.
Each character was such an intrigal part of the delicate equation. The awards/nominations were/are all richly deserved. (SAGs are on 2/22.)
Patrick Wilson positively floored me. I'd never heard of him before and was slack jawed by his range, his depth and his delivery. His vocal inflections, modulations, etc are incredible. And, his "look" was perfect. As a straight, active (practicing) LDS woman , I can tell you that he could have been dropped into any Church meeting and he would have blended right in. Kudos to the wardrobe/hair & make-up department. Of course, though Joe's particular struggle is not representative of every man in the Church, all individuals have burdens we must handle. I could really relate to that.
The rest of the cast were equally fantastic. You know, even if the character was being despicable...you appreciated the talents and efforts of the person portraying them.
I could gush forever about this. Bravo to Tony Kushner, Mike Nichols, and the incredible cast.
17 of 19 people found this review helpful.
Was this review helpful to you?
| Report this
I wish I could put into words how deeply touched I was by this movie/ miniseries. It has haunted me since I first saw it in December. I taped it when it was shown all together on HBO Signature and purchased the playscript book. And I have the soundtrack which is so beautiful.
I loved this work. It made me think, it made me laugh, it made me mourn. The concept of God abandoning Heaven just made me weep. The utter resolve Prior displays before the Council was so uplifting...and then Hannah's desire to have them all bathe in the Fountain of Bethesda and be healed. So touching.
Each character was such an intrigal part of the delicate equation. The awards/nominations were/are all richly deserved. (SAGs are on 2/22.)
Patrick Wilson positively floored me. I'd never heard of him before and was slack jawed by his range, his depth and his delivery. His vocal inflections, modulations, etc are incredible. And, his "look" was perfect. As a straight, active (practicing) LDS woman , I can tell you that he could have been dropped into any Church meeting and he would have blended right in. Kudos to the wardrobe/hair & make-up department. Of course, though Joe's particular struggle is not representative of every man in the Church, all individuals have burdens we must handle. I could really relate to that.
The rest of the cast were equally fantastic. You know, even if the character was being despicable...you appreciated the talents and efforts of the person portraying them.
I could gush forever about this. Bravo to Tony Kushner, Mike Nichols, and the incredible cast.