"Angels in America" (2003) TV mini-series

User Rating:

8.3/10   

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

7 December 2003 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy

Tagline:

The messenger has arrived.

Plot:

Playwright Tony Kushner adapts his political epic about the AIDS crisis during the mid-eighties, around a group of separate but connected individuals.

Plot Keywords:

AIDS | Marriage | Closet | Friend | Attorney

Awards:

Won 5 Golden Globes. Another 33 wins & 27 nominations

Cast

Patrick Wilson	...	Joe Pitt (6 episodes, 2003)
Al Pacino	...	Roy Cohn (6 episodes, 2003)
Meryl Streep	...	Ethel Rosenberg / ... (6 episodes, 2003)
Emma Thompson	...	Homeless Woman / ... (6 episodes, 2003)
Mary-Louise Parker	...	Harper Pitt (6 episodes, 2003)
Justin Kirk	...	Leatherman in the Park / ... (6 episodes, 2003)
Jeffrey Wright	...	Belize / ... (6 episodes, 2003)
Ben Shenkman	...	Louis Ironson / ... (6 episodes, 2003)
James Cromwell	...	Henry - Roy's Doctor (2 episodes, 2003)
Michael Gambon	...	Prior Walter Ancestor #1 (2 episodes, 2003)
Simon Callow	...	Prior Walter Ancestor #2 (2 episodes, 2003)
Robin Weigert	...	Mormon Mother (2 episodes, 2003)

Runtime:

352 min (6 parts)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Hebrew | Aramaic | Yiddish

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:A (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Germany:12 | Netherlands:16 | Singapore:(Banned) | Portugal:M/16 (DVD rating) | USA:TV-MA | Finland:K-15 (DVD rating)

Filming Locations:

Bethesda Fountain, Central Park, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Avenue Pictures Productions

Trivia:

The painting displayed during Joe and Harper's living room talk about his childhood dreams is entitled "Jacob Wrestling with the Angel" and was painted in 1865 by Alexander-Louis Leloir.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Louis takes Joe to his Alphabet City (tenement) apartment, he opens his door which is in a long line of doors down the hallway. Once inside, he suddenly has two large windows, front and back, where there shouldn't be windows because there are more apartments on either side of his.

Quotes:

Prior Walter: I'm a prophet.
Joe Pitt: What?
Prior Walter: Prophet! Prophet! I prophecy, I have sight, I see! What do you do?
Joe Pitt: I'm a clerk.
Prior Walter: Oh, big deal, a clerk? You, what, you file things? You better be keeping a file on the hearts you break. That's all that counts in the end. You'll be having bills to pay in the world to come. You and your friend, the Whore of Babylon. Sorry, wrong room.

Movie Connections:

Featured in 10th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Shall We Gather At The River?

Maddening and fascinating

There was a statement that was going through my head while watching "Angels in America": I know what art is when I see it. Just like art, this ambitious miniseries dares the viewer to have an opinion on the various subjects brought up by screenwriter/playwright Tony Kuchner.

I saw the miniseries one chapter at a time, which may or may not have been a good idea to get the full impact of the point. At least it did motivate me to read both of Kuchner's "Angels" plays.

I found it to be both a frustrating and challenging miniseries. There were the great performances by Al Pacino, Meryl Streep, Justin Kirk, and Jeffrey Wright and the good performances by Emma Thompson, Mary-Louise Parker, Patrick Wright and, in a small role, James Cromwell.

I find it rather humorous that some people thought Al Pacino was miscast as Roy Cohn. Though this is Kuchner's fictional view of Cohn and having seen the real Roy Cohn in television interviews, I though Pacino was not too far from the essence of who Cohn was: an ambitious but very bitter gay man in denial who helped his notable clients but was always out for himself. Cohn was rabid dog without a leash. This was Pacino's first television role and I though he did a great job.

I did have a few problems with the mini-series. The role played by Ben Shenkman (Louis) was incredibly annoying. I heard that role is Tony Kuchner's alter ego. Louis redeems himself at the end but I found him to be a whiny, cowardly man who had difficulty counting his blessings. I loved it when after Louis' typically long diatribes, Belize (Jeffrey Wright) verbally put him down with a just a few words.

In both plays, many of the actors played multiple roles. It seems more of a gimmick on the small screen, though I think Streep and Wright fared best.

The always dependable Thomas Newman has fashioned a haunting musical score. It was minimalistic and very memorable. The theme has been on my mind ever since I first heard the theme when the miniseries won various awards at the Golden Globes. (Update: The miniseries received 21 Emmy nominations and won a record (for miniseries) 11 Emmys. For some mysterious reason, Newman's brilliant score was overlooked.)

I don't see this play adapted for the big screen without chopping a lot of things out. Congratulations to Mike Nichols and the cast and crew for taking a chance adapting "Angels in America" to television.