Article first published as THE NORMAL HEART Review on Seat42F.
HBO’s THE NORMAL HEART is not only a great TV movie, one of the best the pay-cable network has made in years, and that’s a high bar, it’s also an important story that everyone should know about. This moving, frustrating, beautiful film tells the based-on-truth tale of gay rights activists in the 1980s fighting an epidemic that the government doesn’t want to acknowledge or investigate. It’s a dark chapter in our history, and only by remembering it can we try to prevent such a thing from happening again.
HBO’s THE NORMAL HEART is not only a great TV movie, one of the best the pay-cable network has made in years, and that’s a high bar, it’s also an important story that everyone should know about. This moving, frustrating, beautiful film tells the based-on-truth tale of gay rights activists in the 1980s fighting an epidemic that the government doesn’t want to acknowledge or investigate. It’s a dark chapter in our history, and only by remembering it can we try to prevent such a thing from happening again.
The picture of the gay community in New
York City at the time is an interesting one, certainly something I never
learned about growing up, and sex means something different to them
than to most people. They fought hard for the right to love whoever they
want, even if they don’t have legal protections that straight people
do, and they see giving up this right as taking a step backward. Even
when it becomes likely the virus is spread through sexual contact, many
wonder if that’s a lie spread to tear them down. These are people who
won a war but still justifiably feel persecuted, and can’t bear the
thought that they might be pushed back into the past.
Because of this, they work against their
own interests. As Dr. Emma Brookner (Julia Roberts, August: Osage
County) pleads with them to stop screwing, many use the meetings to
raise awareness as hookup spots. It’s a very slow crawl to even convince
those affected that they must do something, let alone the powers in
charge. If the gays won’t help themselves, what chance do they have of
anyone else helping them?
The main character is Ned Weeks (Mark
Ruffalo, The Avengers), an asshole writer who can’t keep his big mouth
shut. He has earned the ire of many of his fellow homosexuals by
complaining about how their rampant sexual activity prevents them from
finding love, the one thing he desperately wants. But he also has
friends, and once they begin falling ill to the mysterious “gay cancer,”
he is convinced something must be done and begins a crusade to do so.
Along the way, Ned meets and falls in
love with a New York Times reporter named Felix Turner (Matt Bomer,
White Collar). Felix is supportive, but not part of the campaign, giving
Ned a much-needed life apart from his work. As Ned’s colleagues,
including good-looking, amiable Bruce Niles (Taylor Kitsch, Friday Night
Lights), abrasive and inquisitive Tommy Boatwright (Jim Parsons, The
Big Bang Theory, reprising his role from the stage production), and
government employee who doesn’t want to make waves Mickey Marcus (Joe
Mantello, who played Ned on Broadway), grow exhausted with Ned’s public
rants, Felix is the only chance Ned has to calm down.
Which is why it probably won’t surprise you when Felix catches the disease.
THE NORMAL HEART, based on the
Tony-winning play by Larry Kramer and directed by American Horror
Story’s Ryan Murphy, is a very personal telling of the crisis. Through
Ned, we see loved ones hurt and dying, feel the fear that overtakes him,
and the desperation that he has to stop the virus. We experience his
pain when his brother, Ben (Alfred Molina, Spider-Man 2), tries to help,
but just can’t accept Ned as his equal. We connect with the horror and
compassion, loving Ned even through his abrasiveness. Anyone not
emotionally affected lacks a soul.
The sprawling cast, which also includes
Jonathan Groff (Looking), Denis O’Hare (True Blood), Corey Stoll (House
of Cards), Stephen Spinella (Milk), BD Wong (Law & Order: SVU), Finn
Wittrock (Masters of Sex), Adam B. Shapiro, Danielle Ferland, and more,
shows us many different individuals, and how each copes in a different
way with the events. Some have small roles, but Murphy deftly lets the
actors shine through, each conveying a lot in a limited amount of time,
showing us many varying individuals. Not everyone agrees, but the
variety of opinions and personalities are why THE NORMAL HEART feels so
authentic.
I do think the opening of THE NORMAL
HEART may hurt the film’s impact, immediately turning off conservatives
by the open displays of gay love and promiscuity. These are the people
who most need to watch, to begin to see the humanity and suffering
they’ve ignored or ignorantly been disgusted by. But it also succeeds in
dropping us into a world and mood that is merely the starting point of
the story, giving the script a foundation to start from before it turns
dark. Stick with the movie for ten minutes, and you’ll start to have
your eyes opened.
THE
NORMAL HEART is a moving masterpiece, a triumph for HBO and all
involved, and one that will not soon be forgotten by any who witness it.
If you missed last night’s premiere,
please make sure to catch a rerun, as the network should be playing it
often for some time to come.
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