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Milk

  • 2008
  • R
  • 2h 8m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
183K
YOUR RATING
Milk (2008)
This is the theatrical trailer for Gus Van Sant's Milk.
Play trailer2:26
14 Videos
99+ Photos
DocudramaPeriod DramaPolitical DramaBiographyDramaHistory

The story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official.The story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official.The story of American gay activist Harvey Milk, who fought for gay rights and was elected as California's first openly gay official.

  • Director
    • Gus Van Sant
  • Writer
    • Dustin Lance Black
  • Stars
    • Sean Penn
    • Josh Brolin
    • Emile Hirsch
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.5/10
    183K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Gus Van Sant
    • Writer
      • Dustin Lance Black
    • Stars
      • Sean Penn
      • Josh Brolin
      • Emile Hirsch
    • 344User reviews
    • 177Critic reviews
    • 83Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Won 2 Oscars
      • 66 wins & 146 nominations total

    Videos14

    Milk: Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 2:26
    Milk: Theatrical Trailer
    A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Stories on Screen
    Clip 4:31
    A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Stories on Screen
    A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Stories on Screen
    Clip 4:31
    A Celebration of LGBTQ+ Stories on Screen
    Milk: Rally Clip
    Clip 0:31
    Milk: Rally Clip
    Milk: This Is The Most Wonderful Dinner I Have Ever Had
    Clip 0:44
    Milk: This Is The Most Wonderful Dinner I Have Ever Had
    Milk: Harvey Introduces Anne Kronenberg
    Clip 1:07
    Milk: Harvey Introduces Anne Kronenberg
    Milk: What Do You Think Of My New Theater?
    Clip 0:30
    Milk: What Do You Think Of My New Theater?

    Photos265

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    + 259
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    Top cast99+

    Edit
    Sean Penn
    Sean Penn
    • Harvey Milk
    Josh Brolin
    Josh Brolin
    • Dan White
    Emile Hirsch
    Emile Hirsch
    • Cleve Jones
    Diego Luna
    Diego Luna
    • Jack Lira
    James Franco
    James Franco
    • Scott Smith
    Alison Pill
    Alison Pill
    • Anne Kronenberg
    Victor Garber
    Victor Garber
    • Mayor Moscone
    Denis O'Hare
    Denis O'Hare
    • John Briggs
    Joseph Cross
    Joseph Cross
    • Dick Pabich
    Stephen Spinella
    Stephen Spinella
    • Rick Stokes
    Lucas Grabeel
    Lucas Grabeel
    • Danny Nicoletta
    Brandon Boyce
    Brandon Boyce
    • Jim Rivaldo
    Howard Rosenman
    Howard Rosenman
    • David Goodstein
    • (as Zvi Howard Rosenman)
    Kelvin Yu
    Kelvin Yu
    • Michael Wong
    Jeff Koons
    Jeff Koons
    • Art Agnos
    Ted Jan Roberts
    Ted Jan Roberts
    • Dennis Peron
    Boyd Holbrook
    Boyd Holbrook
    • Denton Smith
    • (as Robert Boyd Holbrook)
    Frank M. Robinson
    • Frank Robinson
    • (as Frank Robinson)
    • Director
      • Gus Van Sant
    • Writer
      • Dustin Lance Black
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews344

    7.5182.8K
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    Featured reviews

    Chrysanthepop

    'All Men Are Created Equal. No Matter How Hard You Try, You Can Never Erase Those Words'.

    The last Gus Van Sant movie I saw was 'Elephant', a film that did not work for me. Thankfully he is back with 'Milk' which pretty much gives a detailed account of the rise of Harvey Milk and his martyrdom. Van Sant uses live footage between scenes which reminds one of how much harsher the world once was to people who were 'different'. The writing is stupendous and the dialogues are especially effective. The portrayal of the characters are very human. There is no hero or villain. There are just humans with flaws, humans fighting for what they believe in. Van Sant sets a tense and chaotic tone right from the beginning. The 70s atmosphere is well created through makeup and costumes. The use of brownish tinted light may arise nostalgia. It is two remarkable performances that make 'Milk' stand out: Sean Penn's very accurate and nuanced portrayal of Harvey Milk and Josh Brolin's layered portrayal of a complex Dan White. I doubt 'Milk' would have been effective enough if it weren't for such strong acting. The director deserves mention for his brilliant work. Movies like 'Milk' are relevant today because they serve as a reminder of how difficult life once was and how people fought against it and lives were sacrificed in order to create a better society for those living in today's world.
    Doug-193

    Everything comes together in this one

    Let's get one thing out of the way. Is it entertaining? And how! Sean Penn's best performance to date – Oscar quality; Emile Hirsch riotously perfect (best "supporting?"); James Franco heartbreaking; Diego Luna, devastating; Josh Brolin, flawless. Not one false note in any of the actors – a very complicated story unfolds with absolute clarity. I will be seeing this one again just for the screenplay. I was very gratified that no attempt is made to be "delicate" about Harvey Milk's personality, either his sex life or his out-sized ego, which perhaps ironically for some, makes him all the more heroic. The finest "political" film I think I've ever seen. It does more than dramatize a strong true story, it captures convincingly the truth about a whole political movement. (One that's as freshly active as today's headlines: Prop 6 or Prop 8 — does it ever end?) There is an ease and familiarity to the "scene" — to the historical period and place — with very few, small anachronisms, as far as I could tell. This is also the most assured work of Gus Van Sant, a genuine film artist, who here delivers a complete drama with real visual style and brazen wit. The blending of documentary footage is the most seamless I can remember seeing anywhere. The crowd scenes are remarkable, and all of the location shooting miraculously right. For a couple of fast, fast hours, I felt as though I had spent a couple of days — hilarious, intense, inspiring days — immersed in 1970s San Francisco. This movie does what all movies should do. See it.
    ametaphysicalshark

    "I am not a candidate, I am part of a movement. The movement is the candidate."

    "Milk" sees Gus Van Sant return to the mainstream after nearly a decade of divisive 'arthouse' films, a spell he might have felt was necessary after directing "Psycho" and "Finding Forrester" back to back. The stunning, beautiful "Gerry" is still his greatest film in my estimation, but Van Sant's return to near-unanimous mainstream acclaim and some level of box-office success in "Milk" actually isn't too far off as far as Van Sant's filmography goes. Some may express disappointment that "Milk" is a 'conventional' biopic, but it really isn't conventional at all. True, this could have been the sort of melancholy meditation Van Sant has been going for in recent years, but the best argument against that is that Harvey Milk is not that figure. He's not going to sit quietly and contemplate life. Perhaps he might have before we meet him on the eve of his fortieth birthday, but from that point onwards Harvey Milk was a man of action, of words, a man with the powerful ability to rally people for a cause, and not only gay people. He had a rare sort of energy, and an energetic film was needed to tell his story. Most impressive perhaps about Van Sant's direction and Dustin Lance Black's screenplay is that there are just as many of those melancholic, meditative moments as needed, just enough to make this a compelling character study and not a truly conventional biopic with a hero rather than a main character. The photography here is also simply gorgeous, and the camera work is outstanding, particularly the hand-held work during the rally scenes. It really succeeds in transporting you to 1970's San Francisco. Sean Penn has frequently annoyed me. I respect his abilities, but reserve the right to express my subjective annoyance at what I perceive as sometimes hilarious over-acting. When I found out that he was going to play Harvey Milk I was nervous, since I have admired Harvey Milk ever since I was first exposed to him through the Rob Epstein documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk", which is still the best movie made about Harvey Milk, with "Milk" running a close second, and I doubt Bryan Singer's "Mayor of Castro Street" will be a serious contender. I had no reason to be nervous. Penn's performance is one of the most vibrant, fascinating, brilliant performances in years, and one of the most convincing and human. It's not a Harvey Milk impression, it's more than just that, but he truly does capture the 'essence' of Milk, if you will. It is pointless to make a political statement in the body of this review, so take this as one only if you have to: it is disgusting that in 2008 gay rights still a matter of political debate. This film is a powerful, beautiful tribute to the rights movement. It's not a Democrats vs. Republicans film. In fact, it makes it clear that Harvey Milk was once a Republican, and sneaks in footage of Reagan in strong opposition of Proposition 6. Those short scenes should provoke some thought and discussion. They certainly did for me and the people I saw the film with. Ultimately however the film is not about an 'issue'. Harvey Milk says to Dan White that it's not about jobs or rights, that it's their lives that they were and still are fighting for. Ultimately this film is about people, not about issues, not about policy. It's about people who were told they were sick, who were told they were wrong, who were told they would corrupt society, who were accused of being pedophiles and attempting to 'recruit' children to homosexuality. The film is about Harvey Milk, a mere human being who did more for freedom and tolerance than he probably ever understood. "I am not a candidate, I am part of a movement. The movement is the candidate." Unfortunately, the fight against the rampant discrimination against and hatred of homosexuals is still not over. Milk's movement lives on, and grows stronger every day. He would be proud of that, and devastated that our society has not truly progressed, but only learned to mask its intolerance and hatred.
    9greg-253

    Van Sant delivers a great marriage of art and history

    Just caught the Portland premiere and have a few thoughts.

    Very thankful this film was made. Until now, it seemed like I was fairly alone in knowing about Harvey's legacy. After "Milk" starts getting attention....I hope that a whole new generation will come to know the Mayor of Castro Street (see Randy Shilt's book) and the importance of the gay rights movement.

    That being said, Van Sant's "Milk" is great marriage of art and history. Instead of a dry portrait of an assasinated leader, we get a beautifully rendered flavor of the times, and an intimate vision of a man finding his place within a community and history.

    Casting is brilliant. Penn inhabits Harvey Milk in a way that few actors I believe would be capable. His physicality and energy is very believable - and it's easy to forget what actor you're watching. After a while...it's just Harvey. I could go on about the supporting cast...all very solid in their own way. James Franco (Scotty) stands out as well....showing his range and willingness to expand as an actor.

    Kudos all the way around...I see this film getting several nods at Oscar time.

    Additionally...Rob Epstein's Oscar-winning 1984 documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk" is a definite must for anyone who enjoyed this film. I watched it right after "Milk" - and am still impressed with how affecting it is.
    10Michael Fargo

    A chronicle of history

    I had little expectations walking into this film. The trailer for this movie has appeared at almost every feature film I've seen for the last two months. But, the trailer is a facile example of this minutely detailed story of the rise of a leader and his martyrdom. While I'm familiar with the story from other sources (Shilts' "The Mayor of Castro Street," and the 1984 documentary "The Times of Harvey Milk"), Gus Van Sant and his cast bring a new immediacy to this story.

    None involved in this project could have anticipated the political climate of the premiere of this film: Both the hope of the Obama Presidency and the propaganda that helped Proposition 8 win in California. It seems a perfect environment for this story to reach across America.

    The dignity with which all of this is told and acted is its success. At the same time, it doesn't shy away from the culture of the Castro. Perhaps the greatest compliment is the rendering of Dan White here. He is neither demonized nor excused.

    We also don't get a white-washed version of Harvey Milk. He's there on the screen with all his foibles and kinks. Although his humanism shines in Sean Penn's unsettlingly accurate portrayal. It was Milk's love of--and impatience with--the rest of us that makes him a legend. And that is center stage in this film.

    What Van Sant gives us is both humbling and an inspiration.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The filming location for Harvey Milk's business, Castro Camera, was the real storefront where the actual business had once been. At the time of filming (mid-2008), it was a gift shop called "Given"; the film crew worked with the owner of the gift shop to recreate the look of Milk's camera store inside the space and restored it to its 2008 appearance after filming.
    • Goofs
      When marchers leave the Castro and pull the trolley pole off a PCC streetcar, the destination sign says "F Market." The F Market line entered service on September 1, 1995, as a tourist line between the Castro and the Embarcadero.
    • Quotes

      Harvey Milk: [Voice Over, Last lines] I ask this... If there should be an assassination, I would hope that five, ten, one hundred, a thousand would rise. I would like to see every gay lawyer, every gay architect come out - - If a bullet should enter my brain, let that bullet destroy every closet door... And that's all. I ask for the movement to continue. Because it's not about personal gain, not about ego, not about power... it's about the "us's" out there. Not only gays, but the Blacks, the Asians, the disabled, the seniors, the us's. Without hope, the us's give up - I know you cannot live on hope alone, but without it, life is not worth living. So you, and you, and you... You gotta give em' hope... you gotta give em' hope.

    • Connections
      Featured in Siskel & Ebert: Bolt/JCVD/Slumdog Millionaire/Quantum of Solace (2008)
    • Soundtracks
      Prelude No.7 in E Flat (The Well Tempered Clavier - Book 2 BWV 876)
      Written by Johann Sebastian Bach

      Arranged by Ward Swingle

      Performed by The Swingles

      Courtesy of Universal International Music, B.V.

      Under license from Universal Music Enterprises

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    FAQ31

    • How long is Milk?Powered by Alexa
    • What is 'Milk' about?
    • Is 'Milk' based on a book?
    • Who is/was Harvey Milk?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 30, 2009 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Milk: Un hombre, una revolución, una esperanza
    • Filming locations
      • Duboce Park, San Francisco, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • Focus Features
      • Axon Films
      • Groundswell Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $20,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $31,841,299
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $1,453,844
      • Nov 30, 2008
    • Gross worldwide
      • $54,662,930
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 8 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • DTS
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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