Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Mark Ruffalo | ... | Ned Weeks | |
Jonathan Groff | ... | Craig | |
Frank De Julio | ... | Nick | |
William DeMeritt | ... | Nino | |
Taylor Kitsch | ... | Bruce Niles | |
Joe Mantello | ... | Mickey Marcus | |
Sean Meehan | ... | Morton | |
Stephen Spinella | ... | Sanford | |
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Jill Melanie Wirth | ... | Receptionist |
BD Wong | ... | Buzzy | |
Julia Roberts | ... | Dr. Emma Brookner | |
Jim Parsons | ... | Tommy Boatwright | |
Adam B. Shapiro | ... | Bella (as Adam Shapiro) | |
John Mainieri | ... | John | |
Matt Bomer | ... | Felix Turner |
The story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial. Written by Home Box Office
Just watched the HBO original movie the "Normal Heart" which is based on a Tony award winning play from real life AIDS activist Larry Kramer, and I must say that director Ryan Murphy took this film to life's edge showing that love and life ends in the tragic and sad deaths of gay men. Set in New York city during the early to mid 80's at the very early stages of HIV/AIDS in fact the film shows the first deaths and early cases of gay men getting an unknown disease some called even a gay men's cancer plague. In these very early years the disease was still searching for a name and it was known only as a gay disease. After death after death a newspaper reporter Ned Weeks(in a super performance from Mark Ruffalo)starts to become an activist and fight for the rights of gay men and he faces a big climb from the political and medical community who both seem in denial of gay men's rights and they have no clue on how to treat the disease. Ned sees the pain and toll that it takes as his lover Felix(Matt Bomer)falls to defeat in the end from this new mysterious killer of gay men. In an outstanding performance veteran Julia Roberts is high strong and determined as a polio stricken doctor Brookner who was one of the first in the country to treat gay men for this disease. She has hope and fights for change. Overall this film is a painful watch about life, love, and in the end death still it's message is it's okay to fight for life and equal justice even if your different and love one of your own gender. Overall a must watch film that shows the early harsh days of the AIDS birth.