'Angels in America' is a six-episode award-winning 2003 HBO miniseries
adapted from the play of the same name by playwright Tony Kushner. The play
is Kushner's political epic about the AIDS crisis during the mid-eighties,
around a group of separate but connected individuals.Angels in America' was
the most watched made-for-cable movie in 2003, garnering much critical
acclaim. This Sunday we will show the first three episodes (the remaining
three will be shown on 23 August), spread over about three hours.
*Cast:*
* Al Pacino as Roy Cohn
* Meryl Streep as Hannah Pitt, Ethel Rosenberg, the Rabbi, and the Angel
Australia
* Emma Thompson as Nurse Emily, the Homeless Woman, and the Angel
America
* James Cromwell as Henry, Roy's Doctor
Set in 1980s New York and subtitled "A Gay Fantasia on National Themes,"
Angels in America concerns a group of largely gay men who find themselves
caught up in series of disasters that range from love to religion and from
politics to philosophy--and most specifically caught between the rising tide
of AIDS and a generally unsympathetic society.
In the midst of this, AIDS patient Prior Walter begins to have a series of
visions, which may be fever dreams, medicine-induced hallucinations... or,
most unnerving of all, real. His long dead ancestors rise to speak to him,
the floor cracks open to reveal a burning book--and at the conclusion of the
play's first half a beautiful woman with majestic wings crashes through his
roof. She is the Angel of America. He is, she tells him, a prophet, and she
has come to bring him a message for mankind.
Intertwined with Prior's other-earthly experiences are oddly parallel lives.
Joe and Harper Pitt are a deeply dysfunctional couple doubting their faith
in the Mormon Church, Joe a closeted homosexual, Harper a Valium-addicted
and mildly psychotic woman given to visions as strange as those of Prior
Walter's. And as further counterpoint historical figure Roy Cohn
(1927-1986), among the most sinister figures of 20th Century America, finds
himself taunted by the ghost of Ethel Rosenberg as he drifts toward his own
AIDS-induced death. The characters swirl in and out of each other's lives
and dreams, playing to stereotypes and yet defying them, arguing politics
and philosophy and love and death--and it is fascinating stuff.
*Viewer comments:*
*(1) (Angels in America) has captured the essence of what being gay was in
the '80s with all its fears, problems and excitements. But it is more than
just a gay document, it speaks of life generally in the '80s, of everyone's
fears and hopes in such an affluent time. The depiction so real (even in the
surreal sequences) so insightful of that period.*
*(2) With a mad swirl of irony, intense drama, outrageous humor, and
unexpected twists and turns, Angels in America is almost sure to hold your
attention--particularly if you recall the Ronald Reagan years well enough to
recognize the truly bitter allegory the film offers on what many consider
his largely absentee second term. Truly a must have, multi-layered, bearing
repeated viewings, beautifully directed, performed, and filmed.*
*(3) I was lucky enough to see the Broadway production of Angels with the
original cast, and it was without question the highlight of my 25 years of
theatre-going.... Personally, I believe that Pacino gives the performance of
his career, and Streep is amazing in her three roles. The other performances
are quite solid as well....* *This film not only won a record 11 Emmys,
taking the award for Outstanding Miniseries and all four acting trophies, it
also won those same awards at the Golden Globe presentations plus four SAG
acting awards. In short, it won practically every award it possibly could.*
*(4) I think this movie was very real in it's portrayal of AIDS, and it
really raised awareness for me, because it showed AIDS as a real disease,
not just something we hear about on the news. I was very excited to see
minorities presented like average, real people....* *I found Angels in
America very inspiring, and after seeing it for the first time, I seemed to
see the world in a whole new light. I know that sounds cheesy, but it is
true. For someone very passionate about equal rights, like me, this movie
seemed to relay exactly what I stand for.* (IMDB.com)
*
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
*
*Time: 5.30 p.m. to 8.45 p.m. (with a 15-minute break after the second
episode).*
***Venue:* The Humsafar Trust's Drop-in Centre, 4th floor, Municipal Transit
Building (Vakola Municipal Market Building), Near Raheja Point and Vakola
Masjid, Santacruz (East), Mumbai.
*Getting there*: It's approximately minimum fare by auto-rickshaw from
Santacruz station (East). You could also take routes 311 or 313. The same
routes also operate from Kurla (West) station.
*Space courtesy:* The Humsafar Trust.
*Note:* Programme subject to change without notice. *Please track:* The
Bombay Dost Wiki OR the *Bombay Dost
Facebook*<http://www.facebook.com/BombayDost>page OR follow Bombaydost
on
*Twitter* <http://twitter.com/bombaydost> OR subscribe to our *Google SMS
Channel* <http://labs.google.co.in/smschannels/subscribe/BombayDost>
---------------------------------------------
My blog's at: http://queerindia.blogspot.com
You can leave me a voice message from any phone at
http://www.jaxtr.com/nitinkarani No call charges apply.
