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Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 9780800141806
Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, DVD-Video, Widescreen, NTSC
ISBN: 0800141806
Label: Sony Pictures
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
Number Of Items: 1
Picture Format: Anamorphic Widescreen
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 1
Release Date: September 10, 1997
Running Time: 125 minutes
Sales Rank: 5600
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: December 23, 1993
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Editorial Review:
Amazon.com essential video:
Philadelphia wasn't the first movie about AIDS (it followed such worthy independent films as Parting Glances and Longtime Companion), but it was the first Hollywood studio picture to take AIDS as its primary subject. In that sense, Philadelphia is a historically important film. As such, it's worth remembering that director Jonathan Demme (Melvin and Howard, Something Wild, The Silence of the Lambs) wasn't interested in preaching to the converted; he set out to make a film that would connect with a mainstream audience. And he succeeded. Philadelphia was not only a hit, it also won Oscars for Bruce Springsteen's haunting 'The Streets of Philadelphia,' and for Tom Hanks as the gay lawyer Andrew Beckett who is unjustly fired by his firm because he has AIDS. Denzel Washington is another lawyer (functioning as the mainstream-audience surrogate) who reluctantly takes Beckett's case and learns to overcome his misconceptions about the disease, about those who contract it, and about gay people in general. The combined warmth and humanism of Hanks and Demme were absolutely essential to making this picture a success. The cast also features Jason Robards, Antonio Banderas (as Beckett's lover), Joanne Woodward, and Robert Ridgely, and, of course, those Demme regulars Charles Napier, Tracey Walter, and Roger Corman. --Jim Emerson
Customer Reviews
Average Rating: 
Rating:  - An important educational film.
Right when the world needed a film about HIV we got Philly.
Actually we could have used this movie ten or fifteen years earlier.
This movie puts a very human face on HIV and the discrimination that goes along with it.
Brilliant performances by Hanks and Washington.
A brilliant script, direction, and paced very well.
And now I'm going to rant just like I did with Brokeback Mountain.
Philly and Brokeback share the same issue.
Why can't gay people have one movie made about us without the movie stereotyping us as HIV pos. (Philadelphia)
Totally dysfunctional, (Brokeback) Or just plain psychotic, (Basic Instinct)?????
Don't get me wrong I love and admire Broke and Philly.
They were and are two of the best and most important films to come out of Hollywood.
I however think it would be nice to see a movie like............Forever Young (Mel Gibson) with two leading men.
Just one ordinary film without the usual "gay" drama and stereotypes.
Please??????
Do I recommend Philly?
Yes, its pretty much mandatory viewing for everyone.
Rating:  - An `important' film that is highly `over-hyped'...
`Philadelphia' tells the heroic tale of Andrew Beckett, a one time hot young lawyer who was unjustly fired from his job when his superiors discovered he was suffering from the AIDS virus. At times this film is extremely touching and ultimately it is inspiring, but it suffers from clichés and an air of simplicity that robs it of any real emotional impact. I won't say that this is a bad film; it is just not a great one.
Andrew Beckett is young and smart and steadily climbing the corporate ladder in his law firm. He has a caring young boyfriend and very caring and understanding parents; yet something is terribly wrong. Andrew has contracted the deadly virus known as AIDS and as time progresses this virus begins to ware away at his health. He conceals this disease from his workmates, but when his illness becomes visible he is unable to hide it any longer and he finds himself being fired. Of course the law firm will not admit their reasons are based on his physical condition, but the reason given is so shaky that it leads Beckett to conclude the obvious. This is when Beckett approaches lawyer Joe Miller to represent him on trial. Joe turns down the case claiming that he doesn't think Beckett's lawsuit would hold up in court but it is more than obvious that Beckett's condition as well as his `alternative' lifestyle sit crossly with Miller and are the real reasons for his refusal to help. Joe does have a change of heart though and takes on Beckett as a client.
The initial ... Read More
Rating: - Fighting for what's right.
Philadelphia starring Tom Hanks is a powerful movie from beginning to end. I have seen this film many times and I am still moved by the plot and incredible acting especially by Hanks. His performance was a turning point in his career, this film brought him back from his short hiatus. Denzel Washington also stars as Hank's lawyer and even though Washington's character can be superficial at times, he is able to show the many different aspects of a person not familiar with AIDS or homosexuality. If you want a deep and profound film about love, forgiveness, and the strength to stand up for injustice then Philadelphia is the film for you. Enjoy!
Rating: - MIND GAME
If you'd told me 15 years ago that Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington were about to become major forces in Hollywood, I'd have told you that it was well past closing time. To me, Hanks was a great guy who'd be forever saddled with class B material, while Washington was just the new handsome face on the block. This film changed everything for both of them. In the first place, for the umpteenth time, this is a story of prejudice. The relative paucity of reviews for an Academy Award winner such as this may still indicate some confusion amongst the voters. Secondly, the script material and the acting skill of our protagonists matured both of them exponentially amongst the viewing public. Can one really believe that "Forrest Gump" would have produced such fabulous results for Hanks were it not for this film? Or that Washington seems to be everywhere garnering quality roles? Finally,and less obviously, we again relearn that prejudice is not an inborn instinct; it is learned behavior that has been proven time and again in a child's sandbox. Lest we forget, visit one from time to time and take a moment to reflect.
Rating: - One of the first films to take aids seriously
I love Tom Hanks in anything of course, but this was a very good movie about how America was back in the 80's when the Hiv virus first appeared.
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