And the Band Played On (film)

Infobox Film
name = And the Band Played On


image_size =
caption = Promotional poster
director = Roger Spottiswoode
producer = Sarah Pillsbury
Midge Sanford
writer = Arnold Schulman
Based on the book by Randy Shilts
narrator =
starring = Matthew Modine
Alan Alda
music = Carter Burwell
cinematography = Paul Elliott
editing = Lois Freeman-Fox
distributor = HBO
released = September 11, 1993 USA
runtime = 141 minutes
country = United States
language = English
budget = $8 million
gross =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:2221
imdb_id = 0106273

"And the Band Played On" is a 1993 Emmy Award-winning American made-for-television docudrama directed by Roger Spottiswoode. The teleplay by Arnold Schulman is based on the best-selling 1987 non-fiction book "" by Randy Shilts.

The film premiered at the Montreal Film Festival before being broadcast by HBO on September 11, 1993. It later was released theatrically in the United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Germany, Argentina, Austria, Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Australia.

Plot synopsis

In a prologue set in 1976, American epidemiologist Don Francis arrives in a village on the banks of the Ebola River in the Congo and discovers many of the residents and the doctor working with them have died from a mysterious illness later identified as Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is his first exposure to such an epidemic, and the images of the dead he helps cremate will haunt him when he later becomes involved with HIV and AIDS research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 1981, Francis becomes aware of a growing number of deaths from unexplained sources among gay men in Los Angeles, New York City and San Francisco, and is prompted to begin an in-depth investigation of the possible causes. Working with no money, limited space, and outdated equipment, he comes in contact with politicians and numerous members of the medical community—many of whom resent his involvement because of their personal agendas—and gay leaders, some of whom—like Bill Kraus—support him, while others express resentment at what they see as unwanted interference in their lifestyles, especially his attempts to close the local bathhouses. While Francis pursues his theory that AIDS is caused by a sexually transmitted virus on the model of feline leukemia, he finds his efforts are stonewalled by, among others, the CDC, which is loath to prove the disease is transmitted through blood, and competing French and American scientists, particularly Dr. Robert Gallo, who squabble about who should receive credit for discovering the virus. Meanwhile, the death toll climbs rapidly.

Principal cast

*Matthew Modine ..... Dr. Don Francis
*Alan Alda ..... Dr. Robert Gallo
*Ian McKellen ..... Bill Kraus
*Glenne Headly ..... Dr. Mary Guinan
*Richard Masur ..... William Darrow
*Saul Rubinek ..... Dr. Jim Curran
*Lily Tomlin ..... Dr. Selma Dritz
*Jeffrey Nordling ..... Gaëtan Dugas
*Donal Logue ..... Bobbi Campbell
*B.D. Wong ..... Kico Govantes
*Patrick Bauchau ..... Dr. Luc Montagnier
*Nathalie Baye ..... Dr. Françoise Barre
*Phil Collins ..... Eddie Papasano
*Richard Gere ..... The Choreographer
*David Marshall Grant ..... Dennis Seeley
*Ronald Guttman ..... Dr. Jean-Claude Chermann
*Anjelica Huston ..... Dr. Betsy Reisz
*Ken Jenkins ..... Dr. Dennis Donohue
*Richard Jenkins ..... Dr. Marc Conant
*Tchéky Karyo ..... Dr. Willy Rozenbaum
*Peter McRobbie ..... Dr. Max Essex
*Charles Martin Smith ..... Dr. Harold Jaffe
*David Clennon ..... Mr. Johnstone
*Swoosie Kurtz ..... Mrs. Johnstone
*Lawrence Monoson ..... Chip

Critical reception

In his review in "Variety", Tony Scott said, "If there are lapses, director Spottiswoode's engrossing, powerful work still accomplishes its mission: Shilts' book, with all its shock, sorrow and anger, has been transferred decisively to the screen." [ [http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117901186.html?categoryid=32&cs=1&p=0 "Variety" review] ]

Ken Tucker of "Entertainment Weekly" graded the film B+ and called it an "intriguing, sometimes awkward, always earnest combination of docudrama, medical melodrama, and mystery story . . . The stars lend warmth to a movie necessarily preoccupied with cold research and politics, and they lend prestige: The movie must be important, since actors of this stature agreed to appear. The result of the stars' generosity, however, works against the movie by halting the flow of the drama every time a familiar face pops up on screen . . . The emotions and agony involved in this subject give "Band" an irresistible power, yet the movie's rhythm is choppy and the dialogue frequently stiff and clichéd. The best compliment one can pay this TV movie is to say that unlike so many fact-based films, it does not exploit or diminish the tragedy of its subject." [ [http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,307958,00.html "Entertainment Weekly" review] ]

"Time Out New York" says, "So keen were the makers of this adaptation of Randy Shilts' best-seller to bombard us with the facts and figures of the history of AIDS that they forgot to offer a properly dramatic human framework to make us care fully about the characters . . . The film [is] a disjointed, clichéd narrative." [ [http://www.timeout.com/film/newyork/reviews/77950/And_the_Band_Played_On.html "Time Out New York" review] ]

Channel 4 says the film "is stifled by good intentions and a distractingly generous cast of stars in leads and cameos." [ [http://www.channel4.com/film/reviews/film.jsp?id=100467 Channel 4 review] ]

Film review website Rotten Tomatoes gives the film a 100% "Fresh" rating based on eight reviews [ [http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/and_the_band_played_on/ "And the Band Played On" at RottenTomatoes.com] ] .

Awards and nominations

"'Emmy Awards
*Outstanding Made for Television Movie (winner)
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Casting (winner)
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Editing for a Miniseries or a Special - Single Camera Production (winner)
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Directing for a Miniseries or a Special (nominee)
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Writing in a Miniseries or a Special (nominee)
*Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Special (Matthew Modine, nominee)
*Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special (Alan Alda, nominee)
*Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special (Richard Gere, nominee)
*Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Special (Ian McKellen, nominee)
*Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special (Swoosie Kurtz, nominee)
*Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Special (Lily Tomlin, nominee)
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Miniseries or a Special (nominee)
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special (nominee)
*Outstanding Individual Achievement in Makeup for a Miniseries or a Special (nominee)Golden Globe Awards
*Best Mini-Series Or Motion Picture Made for Television (nominee)
*Best Performance by an Actor in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for Television (Matthew Modine, nominee)CableACE Awards
*Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries (Ian McKellen, winner)
*Best Movie or Miniseries (nominee)
*Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries (Richard Gere, nominee)
*Best Supporting Actor in a Movie or Miniseries (Lawrence Monoson, nominee)
*Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries (Swoosie Kurtz, nominee)
*Best Supporting Actress in a Movie or Miniseries (Lily Tomlin, nominee)
*Best Make-Up (nominee)Additional awards
*GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding TV Movie (winner)
*Casting Society of America Artios Award for Best Casting for TV Movie of the Week (winner)
*American Cinema Editors Eddie Award for Best Edited Motion Picture for Non-Commercial Television (winner)
*Humanitas Prize (Arnold Schulman, winner)
*Montréal World Film Festival Special Grand Prize of the Jury (Roger Spottiswoode, winner)

References

External links

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