ANGELS IN AMERICA: the HBO film

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 1:18pm

I just rented this six part miniseries and watched it for the first time in a while and realized how phenomenally well adapted from the stage show it is. It's such a great piece of cinema, especially for a made for TV miniseries. It's not perfect (the abstract pieces are really hard to film and you can see that during some awkward moments that are obviously more aimed towards the stage) but it's really strong work.

I just thought I'd start a thread on it and see what everyone else thought of it.

[mormonophobic]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 1:30pm

I absolutely loved it. Superb performances from Meryl Streep, Al Pacino, and Jeffrey Wright. Not to mention this is what made me fall in love with Mary Louise Parker and Patrick Wilson. There are a lot of moments that get me choked up, but Wilson's phone call in the middle of the night to his mother, the eventual confrontation with Harper and Joe...I could go on forever. This is one of the best adaptations of a superb play.

[Weez]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 1:33pm

I love it. Kushner's script is very theatrical, and he's very into the idea of any productions being as theatrical as possible, but they did a wonderful job transferring it to the screen; kudos to them for making it work onscreen, and kudos to them for not destroying the original theatricality while putting it onscreen. I'm so very happy they kept the double-casting thing, even if they only utilised it where they were sure it would work. It's one of the happiest and best examples of a theatre/movie compromise I've ever seen. Simply wonderful. :3

[walkedthroughmany]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 1:34pm

It was a master class in how to act.

I agree with you, though, the only thing that prevented it from being perfect was moments like that terrible CGI book rising up in the hospital room, etc.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 1:35pm

I never saw the stage production, but I did see the miniseries. I thought it was wonderful. Brilliant acting and a wonderfully written story.

[BroadwayBaby21]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 1:58pm

I love it. It's an amazing stage-to-screen transistion. I think alot of it has to do with Kushner's script. Two gorgeous plays, one awesome miniseries.
And Mary Louise Parker is fantastic as Harper. :)

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 2:14pm

I agree it is a masterclass in how to act. Pacino and Parker are the two that stick out for me. The whole cast though portray their characters exceptionally well. I love the mini series and its on my to buy list.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 2:56pm

I saw the F. Murray Abraham cast of ANGELS and I think the movie adaptation was a vast improvement over that production of the play. (I thought the stage direction was a mess and several of the actors were inaudible).

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 3:21pm

Solid movie - very, very strong cast working with a very, very strong script.

Missed a lot of the humor, though.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 4:11pm

Isn't it in two parts and not six?

[jewishboy]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 4:36pm

Jeffrey Wright is a god. Love the movie, never saw the stage show (wish I had). Streep, Pacino, Parker, Wright, Thompson, Kirk, Wilson and Shenkman... Is there really a better ensemble out there?

[Weez]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 4:39pm

The play is in two parts, the HBO miniseries divided it up into six.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 6:38pm

I wasn't aware of ANGELS IN AMERICA until I saw the mini-series when it first came out on DVD. Needless to say, it changed my life.
Mary-Louise Parker gives what could be the best performance of her film career (in a career highlighted by wonderful, brilliant turns), her Harper is superb. I'll never forget her face after Prior tells him her husband's a homo, she stares and just says "ridiculous," but there is so much in that stare and so much in the way she reads that one word. It's brilliant. She gives my favorite performance from the younger cast, followed by Wright and Wilson. Jeffrey Wright is...wow, I can't imagine anyone else matching his performance. Wilson's Joe is great as well.
Al Pacino is so so so perfect as Roy Cohn. God, what a haunting performance. Streep and Thompsom do an excellent job as well.
Kushner's screenplay is tight and Mike Nichols outdoes himself.
What a wonderful piece of art.

[jennyish]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 6:40pm

While I thought the miniseries was great, I actually agree with Yankeefan--a lot of the humor just wasn't there. Also, it plain old didn't affect me as much as the stage show.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 6:48pm

I still only remember watching two three hour parts when it first aired.

[EponineThenardier]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 6:59pm

I would have been interested in seeing the London stage production with Jason Issacs as Louis and Daniel Craig as Joe. Must've been pretty spiffy.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 7:05pm

Yeah...Daniel Craig as Joe, yummers!
I seriously would love to see this live on stage, I've read the play SO many times, including twice for different classes I took in college.
I mentioned this in another thread, but Frank Langella would make a wonderful Roy Cohn, and I've love to see Kate Burton as the Angel or even Hannah Pitt perhaps. Parker can reprise her work as Harper Pitt.

[BroadwayChica]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 7:13pm

CATSNYrevival is right. When the series first aired, it was in 2 parts. Later, it was divided up into 6 parts. (The individual chapters were always there, but the very first showing was 2 parts, app. three hours each)
Updated On: 7/20/08 at 07:13 PM

[WordedGrace]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 8:34pm

It's a moving stage work and just brilliant on screen. Meryl Streep and Emma Thompson stood out to me but Jeffrey Wright was pretty awesome also.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:28pm

One of my favorite films. It was my first exposure to Angels in America. The copies of the play I bought shortly after are now almost falling apart, if that tells you anything of my love for this piece. The film moved me so, so much; I have this remarkably vivid memory of being so emotionally wound up after seeing Millennium Approaches air that I couldn't sleep that night. I think if I could pick any one play to be revived, AiA would be it.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:31pm

Here's hoping the Signature does at least a reading of it as part of their Kushner season in 2010.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 7/20/08 at 10:43pm

It originally aired in a 3 hour chunk and then was split the rest of the week, so it's schedule was:
Sunday - 3 hours
Monday - Part 1
Tuesday - Part 2
Wednesday - Part 3