Milk

Theatrical Release Date: 2008 11 26 (USA - Limited) / 2008 11 28 (USA - Limited) / 2008 12 05 (USA)

UPC: 025195048972

Studio: Universal Studios

MPAA Rating: R   Contains:[Violence, Profanity, Sexual Situations]

Summary: Academy Award winner Sean Penn takes the title role in Gus Van Sant's biopic tracing the last eight years in the life of Harvey Milk, the ill-fated politician and gay activist whose life changed history, and whose courage still inspires people. When Milk was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1977, he made history for being the first openly gay man in American history to be voted into public office. But the rights of homosexuals weren't Milk's primary concern, as tellingly evidenced by the wide array of political coalitions he formed over the course of his tragically brief career. He fought for everyone from union workers to senior citizens, a true hero of human rights who possessed nothing but compassion for his fellow man. The story begins in New York City, where a 40-year-old Milk ponders what steps he can take to make his life more meaningful. Eventually, Milk makes the decision to relocate to the West Coast, where he and his lover, Scott Smith (James Franco), found a small business in the heart of a working-class neighborhood. Empowered by his love for the Castro neighborhood and the success of his business, Castro Camera, Milk somewhat unexpectedly begins to emerge as an outspoken agent for change. With a growing support system that includes both Scott and a like-minded young activist named Cleve Jones (Emile Hirsch), the charismatic Milk decides to take a fateful leap into politics, eventually developing a reputation as a leader who isn't afraid to follow up his words with actions. In short order, he is elected supervisor for the newly zoned District 5, though this seeming triumph is in fact the catalyst for a tragedy that starts to unfold as Milk does his best to forge a political partnership with Dan White (Josh Brolin), another newly elected supervisor. Over time it becomes apparent that Milk and White's political agendas are directly at odds, a revelation that puts their personal destinies on a catastrophic collision course. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Category: Drama

Awards: Best Acting Ensemble – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Actor – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Ensemble – Phoenix Film Critics Association Best Actor – Phoenix Film Critics Association Best Picture – Phoenix Film Critics Association Best Actor – Independent Spirit Awards Best Supporting Actor – National Board of Review Best Cinematography – Independent Spirit Awards Best Picture – National Board of Review Best Actor – Los Angeles Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – New York Film Critics Circle Best Actor – New York Film Critics Circle Best Picture – New York Film Critics Circle Best Actor – Detroit Film Critics Society Best Actor – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Original Screenplay – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Picture – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Director – Southeastern Film Critics Association Best Actor – Boston Society of Film Critics Best Picture – New York Film Critics Online Best Ensemble – New York Film Critics Online Best Actor – New York Film Critics Online Best Composer – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Picture – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Director – San Francisco Film Critics Circle Best Original Screenplay – Southeastern Film Critics Association Best Actor – Southeastern Film Critics Association Best Picture – Southeastern Film Critics Association Best Actor – St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Boston Society of Film Critics Best Director – Boston Society of Film Critics Best Actor – Alliance of Women Film Journalists Best Screenplay – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Director – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Supporting Actor – Broadcast Film Critics Association Best Picture – Austin Film Critics Best Supporting Actor – Screen Actors Guild Best Performance by a Cast – Screen Actors Guild Best Actor – Austin Film Critics Best Actor – London Film Critics Association Best Director – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Picture – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Picture – London Film Critics Association Best Actor – Houston Film Critics Best Actor – Utah Film Critics Best Director – London Film Critics Association Best Original Score – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Original Screenplay – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Actor – Chicago Film Critics Association Best Picture – American Film Institute Best Actor – National Society of Film Critics Best Original Screenplay – Writers Guild of America Best Director – Directors Guild of America Best Edited Feature - Drama – American Cinema Editors Guild Best Art Direction in a Period Film – Art Directors Guild Best Makeup and Hair – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Actor – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Original Screenplay – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Picture – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Actor – Vancouver Film Critics Best Art Direction in a Period Film – Costume Guild Awards Best Makeup and Hair – British Academy of Film and Television Arts Best Picture – Vancouver Film Critics Best Director – Vancouver Film Critics Best Supporting Actor – Vancouver Film Critics Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Editing – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Supporting Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Picture – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Original Score – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Director – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Costume Design – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actor – Screen Actors Guild Best Picture – Producers Guild of America Best Supporting Actor – Independent Spirit Awards Best First Screenplay – Independent Spirit Awards Best Original Screenplay – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Best Actor – Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Film Presented – Berlin International Film Festival Best Actor – Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Picture – Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association Best Screenplay – Dallas/Fort Worth Film Critics Association

Features: Deleted scenes
Remembering Harvey
Hollywood comes to San Francisco
Marching for equality

Milk

Format: Digital Video Disc (DVD)

Release Date: 03/10/2009

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: DD5.1 Dolby Digital 5.1

Runtime: 129 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English,Spanish,French

Chapters: Disc #1 -- Milk
1. Being Discrete (Main Titles) [6:37]
2. Running for Office [6:16]
3. Taste of Power [5:13]
4. Running for Office [5:40]
5. Part of Movement [4:59]
6. We Have to Fight [6:04]
7. Evil Forces [6:03]
8. Into the Streets [3:57]
9. Rules Have Changed [2:13]
10. Ring in the New [6:57]
11. Elected Supervisor [6:18]
12. Gaining Allies [5:05]
13. A Dangerous Threat [4:02]
14. Coming Out [5:38]
15. Making Peace [1:21]
16. Cleaning Up [3:41]
17. Here to Recruit You [8:42]
18. Keep on Fighting [8:54]
19. Hope Is Alive [8:39]
20. Epilogue (End Titles) [13:45]

Perry Seibert

As the first openly gay man to hold elected office in California, Harvey Milk served as the spokesperson for the gay rights movement in the '70s, in San Francisco, and by extension, the United States. Practically from the moment of his assassination in 1978, people have been trying to get Milk's remarkable life story onto the screen, and thanks to Gus Van Sant and Sean Penn, it was worth the wait. The movie follows the final years of Milk's life, starting when he leaves New York with his significant other, Scott Smith (James Franco), and opens a camera store in the now famous Castro District of San Francisco. He faces bigotry based on his sexual orientation, but responds with serious action, spearheading a campaign of activism that organizes the gay community into a group with genuine financial strength -- a strength Milk translates into political muscle. With his leadership, the community publicizes the unfair treatment often suffered at the hands of cops, who are occasionally physically abusive, and often can't be bothered to investigate the murders of gay men. All the while, Milk continues his attempts to win a seat on the city's Board of Supervisors, even as his devotion to politics leads to the breakdown of his relationship. Dustin Lance Black's screenplay never holds Harvey Milk up as something bigger than he was -- he's never made into a martyr or a saint. He's a heroic, but complicated, three-dimensional person, and Sean Penn rises to the occasion with an empathetic performance that never rings false. He captures the charisma and drive that made Milk a born politician just as cannily as he does the flaws that made him a difficult life partner, and the intimate moments Milk shares with Smith are just as heartfelt as the scenes where he rallies thousands of angry protestors to march on city hall. Penn also gets expert support from everyone in the cast, especially Franco, who plays Smith's loyalty as unwavering, even when the their relationship becomes so strained that he must move out. The film also benefits from a nuanced performance by Diego Luna, who plays Jack Lira, another longtime companion of Milk. Although Lira is a grandly flamboyant character, Luna never condescends to playing him as a drama queen -- his histrionics always seem to come from the character rather than from a stereotype. And Emile Hirsch shines as Cleve Jones, the brainy, energetic runaway who turns out to be Milk's political right-hand man. Of course, director Gus Van Sant matches his lead actor's total commitment to the project. He doesn't shy away from the story's occasional stabs at operatic impact, but instead employs a recurring visual motif using mirrors and reflections to help these moments achieve maximum emotional effect. We see major and minor events transpire in mirrors, windows, and other items -- the most striking of which is an argument with a police officer viewed in the reflection of a metal whistle. This visual refrain, along with the measured but consistent use of opera on the soundtrack, helps make the ending an emotional powerhouse -- even though we know right from the start how Milk's life will end. Harvey Milk embodied the concept that "all politics is personal," and by presenting the famed Mayor of Castro Street's personal and public lives with such clarity and empathy, Van Sant has made something very rare in Hollywood -- a genuinely powerful political film that works equally well as a story of personal triumph. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Bruce Cohen  Producer 
Danny Elfman  Composer (Music Score) 
William Horberg  Executive Producer 
Michael London  Executive Producer 
Gus Van Sant  Director 
Dan Jinks  Producer 
Bruna Papandrea  Executive Producer 
Dustin Lance Black  Executive Producer 
Dustin Lance Black  Screenwriter 
Barbara Hall  Executive Producer 
Sean Penn  Actor 
Emile Hirsch  Actor 
Josh Brolin  Actor 
Diego Luna  Actor 
James Franco  Actor 
Alison Pill  Actor 
Victor Garber  Actor 
Denis O'Hare  Actor 
Joseph Cross  Actor 
Stephen Spinella  Actor 
Lucas Grabeel  Actor 
Brandon Boyce  Actor 
Zvi Howard Rosenman  Actor 
Kelvin Yu  Actor 
Jeff Koons  Actor 
Ted Jan Roberts  Actor 
Robert Boyd Holbrook  Actor 
Frank M. Robinson  Actor 
Allan Baird  Actor 
Tom Ammiano  Actor 
Carol Ruth Silver  Actor 
Hope Goblirsch  Actor 
Steven Wiig  Actor 
Ashlee Temple  Actor 
Wendy King  Actor 
Kelvin Han Yee  Actor 
Robert Chimento  Actor 
Ginabel Machado  Actor 

Country: USA