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Milk (2008)

R | | Biography, Drama | 30 January 2009 (USA)
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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.

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Won 2 Oscars. Another 61 wins & 141 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
... Harvey Milk
... Cleve Jones
... Dan White
... Jack Lira
... Scott Smith
... Anne Kronenberg
... Mayor Moscone
... John Briggs
... Dick Pabich
... Rick Stokes
... Danny Nicoletta
... Jim Rivaldo
... David Goodstein (as Zvi Howard Rosenman)
... Michael Wong
... Art Agnos
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Storyline

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>

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

gay activist | gay | gay rights | california | gay pickup | See All (318) »

Taglines:

Never blend in See more »

Genres:

Biography | Drama

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language, some sexual content and brief violence | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Country:

Language:

Release Date:

30 January 2009 (USA)  »

Also Known As:

Untitled Harvey Milk Project  »

Filming Locations:

 »
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Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$1,453,844, 30 November 2008, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$31,841,299, 16 April 2009
See more on IMDbPro »

Company Credits

Production Co:

, ,  »
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Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

|

Color:

|

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

The only Best Picture Oscar nominee to be nominated for Best Original Screenplay, the other four were nominated in the Adapted Screenplay category. See more »

Goofs

Harvey Milk uses the term "African-American" during a speech. While Reverend Jesse Jackson popularized the term in the early 1980s, it has existed since 1782. See more »

Quotes

Harvey Milk: Even though the Castro was firmly our area by 1973 it wasn't safe for us. We would have to wear whistles on our necks or in our pockets and if you ever heard a whistle you would run for help.
See more »

Connections

Featured in The Oscars (2014) See more »

Soundtracks

Wake Up, San Francisco
Written by Ken Stange and Robert Hackl
Performed by Sourcerer
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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: At Dan White's trial, how could judge and jury have taken the "Twinkie Defense" seriously?
Q: What's the Bowie-esque song in the trailer?
Q: Why wasn't this film released in time to influence the vote on the 2008 California Prop 8?
See more »

User Reviews

'All Men Are Created Equal. No Matter How Hard You Try, You Can Never Erase Those Words'.
11 March 2009 | by – See all my reviews

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.
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