2009/9/9 Nitin Karani <nitin.kar...@gmail.com>
> > > This Sunday we will show the remaining three episodes of 'Angels in > America', the six-episode award-winning 2003 HBO miniseries adapted > from the play of the same name by playwright Tony Kushner. The play is > his 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. . > > Cast: > * Al Pacino as Roy Cohn > * Meryl Streep as Hannah Pitt, Ethel Rosenberg, the Rabbi, and the > Angel Australia > * Patrick Wilson as Joe Pitt, the Antarctic Eskimo > * Mary-Louise Parker as Harper Pitt > * Emma Thompson as Nurse Emily, the Homeless Woman, and the Angel America > * Justin Kirk as Prior Walter and the Leatherman in the Park > * Jeffrey Wright as Mr. Lies, Belize, Homeless Man and the Angel Europa > * Ben Shenkman as Louis Ironson, and the Angel Oceania > * 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: 5.00 p.m. to 8.00 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 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) > >
