Milk

In Universal's rather theatrical portrayal of the story of America's first openly gay public official, Harvey Milk, the audience is carefully guided along the edge of the surrounding controversies and is offered a limited glimpse of the inspirational force that stood at the center of the late 1970s gay rights movement. The Oscar awarded to straight actor Sean Penn for his performance as Milk leads to many questions - including but not limited to - Why did they not choose a real gay actor? And, would a gay actor have won an Oscar for this role? With countless random, spotlighted make out scenes, the stereotype of homosexuals being promiscuous is fulfilled and certain scenes repeated throughout are insulting to the viewer's intelligence. If the director really thinks it's necessary to repeat the same line three times in order to render comprehension, maybe it is time to shorten the movie or rewrite the script. Though the Harvey Milk story is an important part of America's human rights history that helps to illuminate the still current struggle for gays to attain equal rights, there are simpler, more entertaining ways to learn more about it: try the documentary (The Times of Harvey Milk 1984), the book (The Mayor of Castro Street: The Life and Times of Harvey Milk), or even Wikipedia.

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Rating 2.5 out of 5
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Plot: 3
Imagery: 3
Originality: 1
Soundtrack: 3 MILK Soundtrack
Overall: 2.5