reviews_and_ramblings | Milk (2008) directed by Gus Van Sant

Director: Gus Van Sant

Writer (WGA): Dustin Lance Black (written by)

Release Date: 28 October 2008 (San Francisco, California, USA) (premiere)
23 January 2009 (Italy)

Genre: Biography, Drama, Romance

Tagline: His life changed history. His courage changed lives.
Never blend in

Plot: MILK is director Gus Van Sant's riveting biopic about slain gay rights activist and San Francisco city supervisor Harvey Milk. Based on the politically resonant and thoroughly timely screenplay of Dustin Lance Black, Van Sant follows the arc of Milk's political awakening, from closeted Brooklyn insurance executive to doyen of San Francisco's Castro district's burgeoning gay mecca in the 1970s.

Sean Penn portrays the film's hero, melting into the role with an affable flamboyance that is both spirited and eminently engaging. James Franco plays opposite Penn as Milk's supportive and easygoing boyfriend, Scott Smith. The couple's cheerful and loving rapport lends buoyancy to the film's overall message of hope as Milk ascends from grassroots community organizer to a galvanizing figurehead in the push for gay civil liberties.

When Moral Majority crusader Anita Bryant forms an initiative to root out gay teachers and their supporters from public schools (Proposition 6), Milk is pitted in a bitter battle against fellow City Hall supervisor Dan White, played by Josh Brolin. While Van Sant does not deviate from the expository conventions that have defined other biopics, MILK sticks to biographically pertinent details that serve the film's underlying message of one man's idealism and conviction in the face of repression and bigotry.

Awards: 2009 Oscar as Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn) and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (Dustin Lance Black), Academy Awards, USA
2008 Austin Film Critics Association Award as Best Actor (Sean Penn)
2008 Boston Society of Film Critics Award as Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Director (Gus Van Sant) and Best Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black)
2009 Broadcast Film Critics Association Award as Best Acting Ensemble (Sean Penn, James Franco, Josh Brolin, Victor Garber, Stephen Spinella, Denis O'Hare, Emile Hirsch, Diego Luna) and Best Actor (Sean Penn)
2008 Dallas-Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards as Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black)
2009 GLAAD Media Award as Outstanding Film - Wide Release
2009 Independent Spirit Award as Best First Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black) and Best Supporting Male (James Franco)
2008 Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award as Best Actor (Sean Penn)
2008 National Board of Review, USA, as Best Supporting Actor (Josh Brolin)
2009 National Society of Film Critics Award, USA, as Best Actor (Sean Penn)
2008 New York Film Critics Circle Award as Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor (Josh Brolin)
2009 Stanley Kramer Award to Dan Jinks and Bruce Cohen, PGA Awards
2008 Phoenix Film Critics Society Award as Best Acting Ensemble and Best Performance by an Actor in a Lead Role (Sean Penn)
2008 San Francisco Film Critics Circle as Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Director (Gus Van Sant), Best Picture and Best Screenplay, Original (Dustin Lance Black)
2009 Screen Actors Guild Award as Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role (Sean Penn)
2008 Southeastern Film Critics Association Award as Best Actor (Sean Penn), Best Picture and Best Screenplay, Original (Dustin Lance Black)
2009 Vancouver Film Critics Circle Award as Best Actor (Sean Penn) and Best Film
2009 Writers Guild of America, USA, Award as Best Original Screenplay (Dustin Lance Black)

@IMDb
@Amazon: Milk
@Netflix
@Wolfe Video

Cast (in credits order)
Sean Penn ... Harvey Milk
James Franco ... Scott Smith
Diego Luna ... Jack Lira
Emile Hirsch ... Cleve Jones
Josh Brolin ... Dan White
Boyd Holbrook ... Denton Smith
Brent Corrigan ... Telephone Tree #3
Dustin Lance Black ... Castro Clone
Alison Pill ... Anne Kronenberg
Victor Garber ... Mayor George Moscone
Denis O'Hare ... State Senator John Briggs
Joseph Cross ... Dick Pabich
Stephen Spinella ... Rick Stokes
Lucas Grabeel ... Danny Nicoletta
Brandon Boyce ... Jim Rivaldo
Howard Rosenman ... David Goodstein
Kelvin Yu ... Michael Wong
Jeff Koons ... Art Agnos
Ted Jan Roberts ... Dennis Peron
Frank M. Robinson ... Himself (as Frank Robinson)
Allan Baird ... Himself
Tom Ammiano ... Himself
Carol Ruth Silver ... Thelma
Hope Tuck ... Mary Anne White (as Hope Goblirsch)
Steven Wiig ... McConnely
Ashlee Temple ... Dianne Feinstein
Wendy Tremont King ... Carol Ruth Silver
Kelvin Han Yee ... Gordon Lau
Robert Chimento ... Phil Burton
Ginabel Machado ... Lily
Daniel Landroche ... Young Teen
Trace Webb ... Boy with Flier
Velina Brown ... Morning Show Host
Scott Patrick Green ... House Boy
Mary Dilts ... Channel 5 Reporter
Roman Alcides ... City Hall Engineer
Robert George Nelson ... San Francisco Cop No.1
Brian Danker ... San Francisco Cop No.2
Richard Gross ... Riot Cop
Borzin Mottaghian ... Senator Briggs' Driver
Brian Yates Sharber ... Gay Man
Camron Palmer ... Medora Paine
Cully Fredricksen ... Assistant Sheriff
Mark Martinez ... Sylvester
Danny Glicker ... Customer
Catherine Cook ... Opera Performer - Tosca
Joe Meyers ... Opera Performer - Spoletta
Dominic Sahagun ... Another Protester
William McElroy ... Barber
Joey Hoeber ... Union Man
Mark E. Stanger ... Priest
Christopher Greene ... Reporter
Jesse Caldwell ... Chamber Clerk
Paul Arnold ... Supervisor #1
Jack Dunston ... Supervisor #2
Ron Gruetter ... Supervisor #3
Awele Makeba ... Supervisor #4
Tony R. Vella ... Supervisor #5 (as Tony Vella)
William M. Verducci ... Supervisor #6
Gilbert Baker ... Telephone Tree #1
Shavi Blake ... Telephone Tree #2
Draco Dewar ... Telephone Tree #4
Dave Franco ... Telephone Tree #5
Alex Gonzalez ... Telephone Tree #6
Olen Holm ... Telephone Tree #7
Elias McConnell ... Telephone Tree #8
Tom Ramdol ... Telephone Tree #9
Lynn McRee ... Moscone's Secretary
Cleve Jones ... Don Amador
John Parson ... Castro Man
Jay Kerzner ... Speaker
Kristen Marie Holly ... Anne's Friend
Sandi Ippolito ... Relative
Roger Groh ... Reporter
Maggie Weiland ... Girl on Motorcycle
Drew Kuhse ... Pizza Delivery Man
Eric Cook ... Robert Hillsborough
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Roger Mudd ... Himself (archive footage)
Matt Austin ... Campaign Messenger (uncredited)
John Douglas Ayers ... Castro local (uncredited)
Tom Brokaw ... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Anita Bryant ... Herself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Greg Cala ... Senator Briggs' Aide (uncredited)
Jimmy Carter ... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Cabran E. Chamberlain ... Riot Cop (uncredited)
John Clerkin ... Castro guy (uncredited)
Brad Comfort ... Castro Clone (uncredited)
Walter Cronkite ... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Zachary Culbertson ... Bill Kraus (uncredited)
Leesha Davis ... Hippie Girl (uncredited)
Maddie Eisler ... Birthday party relative (uncredited)
Patrick Engler ... Law student (uncredited)
Yeena Fisher ... Teacher (uncredited)
William H. Frey III ... Castro Man (uncredited)
Blake Griffin ... Castro man (uncredited)
Tim Halpin ... SFPD motor cop (uncredited)
Daryl Anthony Harper ... Campaign Volunteer (uncredited)
David Hodges ... Castro Guy (uncredited)
Stacie Hovland ... Hippy (uncredited)
Shaun Landry ... Gwenn Craig (uncredited)
Allan Lazo ... Castro Man (uncredited)
Derek Lux ... Goodstein Aide (uncredited)
Yoli Mapp ... Law Student (uncredited)
Harvey Milk ... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Logan Petrin ... Birthday party relative (uncredited)
John Prudhont ... Sergeant at Arms (uncredited)
Ronald Reagan ... Himself (archive footage) (uncredited)
Corbett Redford ... Teamster (uncredited)
Jeff Redlick ... Teamster (uncredited)
Timothy Roberts ... Godfather (uncredited)
Lin Shukla ... Passenger (uncredited)
Serene Sidher ... Law Student (uncredited)
Christopher Sugarman ... Don's Friend (uncredited)
Jeremiah Turner ... Law Student (uncredited)
Brian Vowell ... Castro Clone (uncredited)
Cindy Warner ... Irish local / PTA member / Candlelight marcher (uncredited)
Amron Paul Yuwono ... Castro Man (uncredited)

Sean Penn & James Franco

Emile Hirsch & Diego Luna

Josh Brolin & Dustin Lance Black

Brent Corrigan & Boyd Holbrook