"[28] At Metacritic, which assigns a rating to reviews, the film has an average score of 84 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". . [41], On April 30, Principal Censor Leiataua Niuapu released the reason for the ban, saying the film had been deemed "inappropriate and contradictory to Christian beliefs and Samoan culture": "In the movie itself it is trying to promote the human rights of gays. The Mayor of Castro Street is a 1982 biography of Harvey Milk by Randy Shilts.. Adaptations. Milk also launches an effort to defeat Proposition 6, an initiative on the California state ballot in November 1978. [38], In late March 2009, Samoa's Censorship Board banned the film from distribution, without giving a reason. Exceptional.” —The Los Angeles Times. The film made the top 10 box office list on its opening weekend with earnings of $1.4 million in 36 theaters. Milk clashes with the local gay "establishment" which he feels to be too cautious and risk-averse. The website's critical consensus reads, "Anchored by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America's first openly gay man elected to public office. Much of Milk was filmed on Castro Street and other locations in San Francisco, including Milk's former storefront, Castro Camera. December 9, 2008, the film received eight Critic's Choice Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Director. Learn how to enable JavaScript on your browser, A no-holds-barred character study and a history of the local gay movement . "[36] Los Angeles Times film critic Patrick Goldstein commented in response to the controversy, "I'm not holding my breath that anyone will be holding Penn's feet to the fire. The film's writer Christopher McQuarrie last wrote Mission: Impossible - Fallout and The Wolverine. The music of the movie is composed by Danny Elfman under the label Decca Records. Add it now to start borrowing from the collection. [35], The Advocate, while supporting the film in general, criticized the choice of Penn given the actor's support for the Cuban government despite the country's anti-gay rights record. The Mayor of Castro Street is Shilts's acclaimed story of Harvey Milk, the man whose personal life, public career, and tragic assassination mirrored the dramatic and unprecedented emergence of the gay community in America during the 1970s.. The Fa'afafine Association also criticised the ban, describing it as a "reject[ion of] the idea of homosexuality". The last scene is a candlelight vigil held by thousands for Milk and Moscone throughout the streets of the city. Add a library card to your account to borrow titles, place holds, and add titles to your wish list. An investigative piece on the mechanics of big-city government in all its expedient, back-biting splendor.” —The Washington Post“A remarkable work [of] biography, social history, and political machination . "[39] The Pacific Freedom Forum issued a press release stating that "Samoa is the only nation worldwide where censors have specifically banned the multi-Academy Award winning film", limiting Samoans to smuggled or pirated versions. An investigative piece on the mechanics of big-city government in all its expedient, back-biting splendor.” —The Washington Post“A remarkable work [of] biography, social history, and political machination . [37] Movie City News shows that the film appeared in 131 different top ten lists, out of 286 different critics lists surveyed, the 4th most mentions on a top ten list of the films released in 2008. Anne Kronenberg makes an appearance as a stenographer, and Daniel Nicoletta appears as Carl Carlson. They open Castro Camera in the heart of Eureka Valley, a working-class neighborhood in the process of evolving into a predominantly gay neighborhood known as The Castro. It also stated that the portrayal of Dan White was very fair and humanized and portrayed as more of a tragically flawed character, rather than a "typical 'crazy Christian villain' stereotype". . Need a card? Dissatisfied with his life and in need of a change, Milk and Smith decide to move to San Francisco in the hope of finding larger acceptance of their relationship. To withdraw your consent, see Your Choices. Black's screenplay is based solely on his own original research and interviews, and it shows: The film is richly flavored with anecdotal incidents and details. . [20], In contrast, John Podhoretz of the conservative magazine Weekly Standard blasted the portrayal of Harvey Milk, saying that it treated the "smart, aggressive, purposefully offensive, press-savvy" activist like a "teddy bear". Sign up for one using your mobile number. Movie Insider ® is a registered mark of The Movie Insider LLC. Our Privacy Notice has been updated to explain how we use cookies, which you accept by continuing to use this website. Kirkus Reviews wrote that "Shilts' interwoven account of the emergence of San Francisco as a gay mecca--and the accompanying rise in gays' political clout--is first-rate." Have a card? Some of the scenes are very inappropriate in regard to some of the sex in the film itself, it's very contrary to the way of life here in Samoa. However, the film appears to have stalled in "development hell," as no further news about development, casting or production has emerged. For a better shopping experience, please upgrade now. e track upcoming movies through all stages of film production. Rather, it is an act of revenge for perceived wrongs and public humiliation," Davies continues to postulate that "It seems as likely that Milk would have been murdered were he heterosexual. Boyle reserved criticism for what he felt was the film's inability to tell the whole story of Milk's election and demise. On November 7, 1978, after working tirelessly against Proposition 6, Milk and his supporters rejoice in the wake of its defeat. In April 2007, Participant Media closed a deal with Warner Independent to turn the book into a film. The story centers on the life and assassination of San Francisco supervisor Harvey Milk. . "[1], Fleming, Michael and McClintock, Pamela. The film's director Bryan Singer last directed Bohemian Rhapsody and X-Men: Apocalypse. January 5, 2009, the film's producers received a nomination for Producer of the Year for the 20th, The film won Best Original Screenplay at the 62nd, This page was last edited on 23 October 2020, at 13:13. Exceptional.” —The Los Angeles Times, ©1997-2020 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. 122 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011, Submit your email address to receive Barnes & Noble offers & updates. [8] By the following September, Sean Penn was attached to play Harvey Milk and Matt Damon was attached to play Milk's assassin, Dan White. The Mayor of Castro Street is Shilts's acclaimed story of Harvey Milk, the man whose personal life, public career, and tragic assassination mirrored the dramatic and unprecedented emergence of the gay community in America during the 1970s.Known as "The Mayor of Castro Street" even before he was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, Harvey Milk's personal and political life is a story full of personal tragedies and political intrigues, assassinations at City Hall, massive riots in the streets, the miscarriage of justice, and the consolidation of gay power and gay hope.The Mayor of Castro Street is a story of personal tragedies and political intrigues, assassination in City Hall and massive riots in the streets, the miscarriage of justice and the consolidation of gay power and gay hope.Harvey Milk has been the subject of numerous books and movies, including the Academy Award–winning 1984 documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk. "[42] Samoan society is, in the words of the BBC, "deeply conservative and devoutly Christian".[43]. [10] By November, Focus Features moved forward with Van Sant's production, Milk, while Singer's project ran into trouble with the writers' strike. He added, "while Milk is unquestionably marked by many mandatory scenes . If you're still having trouble, follow these steps to sign in. Milk is invited to, and attends, the christening of White's first child, and White asks for Milk's assistance in preventing a psychiatric hospital from opening in White's district, possibly in exchange for White's support of Milk's citywide gay rights ordinance. Attempts to put Milk's life to film followed a 1984 documentary of his life and the aftermath of his assassination, titled The Times of Harvey Milk, which was loosely based upon Randy Shilts's 1982 biography, The Mayor of Castro Street (the film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature for 1984, and was awarded Special Jury Prize at the first Sundance Film Festival, among other awards). "The Mayor of Castro Street" is Shilts's acclaimed story of Harvey Milk, the man whose personal life, public career, and tragic assassination mirrored the dramatic and unprecedented emergence of the gay community in America during the 1970s. Filming also took place at the San Francisco City Hall, while White's office, where Milk was assassinated, was recreated elsewhere due to the city hall's offices having become more modern. [26] The DVD comes with deleted scenes and three featurettes: Remembering Harvey, Hollywood Comes to San Francisco, and Marching for Equality. [36] Human Rights Foundation president Thor Halvorssen said in the article "that Sean Penn would be honored by anyone, let alone the gay community, for having stood by a dictator that put gays into concentration camps is mind-boggling. Sign up to receive information about new books, author events, and special offers. White, who is politically and socially conservative, has a difficult relationship with Milk, and develops a growing resentment for Milk when he opposes projects that White proposes. Pictures of the actual people depicted in the film, and brief summaries of their lives follow. Members save with free shipping everyday! For the Turkish film, see, CS1 maint: BOT: original-url status unknown (, the first openly gay person to be elected, Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, List of accolades received by Milk (film), Learn how and when to remove this template message, "Orange County plays the villain in Harvey Milk movie", "On film and in exhibits, a full picture of Milk", "It's a wrap – 'Milk' filming ends in S.F. If you receive an error message, please contact your library for help. Directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black, the film stars Sean Penn as Milk and Josh Brolin as Dan White, a city supervisor, and Victor Garber as San Francisco Mayor George Moscone. [6] By April 1993, Van Sant parted ways with the studio, citing creative differences. Frustrated by the opposition they encounter in the once Irish-Catholic neighborhood, Milk utilizes his background as a businessman to become a gay activist, eventually becoming a mentor for Cleve Jones. Enraged, White shoots Moscone in his office and then goes to meet Milk, where he guns him down, with the fatal bullet delivered execution-style. A desperate White favors a supervisor pay raise, but does not get much support, and shortly after supporting the proposition, resigns from the Board. You can view Barnes & Noble’s Privacy Policy. Important Notice about Copyrighted Materials. A number of Milk's associates, including speechwriter Frank M. Robinson, Teamster Allan Baird and school teacher-turned-politician Tom Ammiano portrayed themselves. Please add your card again, or add a different card. [20][21] Gay activists called on Focus Features to pull the film from the Cinemark Theatres chain as part of a series of boycotts because Cinemark's chief executive, Alan Stock, donated $9,999 to the Yes on 8 campaign. Milk subsequently meets fellow Supervisor Dan White, a Vietnam veteran and former police officer and firefighter. The film then flashes back to New York City in 1970, the eve of Milk's 40th birthday and his first meeting with his much younger lover, Scott Smith. The Mayor of Castro Street is coming out To Be Announced (TBA). [24] At the box office, the film more than doubled its production cost of $20 million.[25]. I HIGHLY recommend that you watch Milk, this film was extremely moving and really makes you think before you say something stupid because someone else is different from you, not just sexually, but in general.