DId you see the movie "Milk"? What did you think of it?

Just watched it last night. I thought it was a great story, but the pace was sleepy. It made me nostalgic for that era. I also thought the echoes of “hope” and faith in the political process interesting given current times.

I liked it. It’s an extremely well-done example of a biopic, but a lot was glossed over to heighten the central conflict of the story between Milk and Dan White. It had more nuance about Milk’s life and the inner struggles he faced in becoming more himself than most movies in this genre have. I would’ve liked it better if Ray had had more of that nuance.

I think the characterization of Jack Lira, MIlk’s last bf, could’ve been handled better, though. He seems like he was written like an afterthought, and he never felt truly integral to the rest of Milk’s life, though I’m sure in reality, he was.

They just “passingly” suggest White was a closet gay. Was that true? Did it play a part in events?

Nah. He just didn’t like it that the liberal elements of the Supervisors’ Board were a powerful bloc that was thwarting his aims. He more or less confessed to wanting to kill 4 people that day, not just Milk and Moscone, but another supervisor and Willie Brown.

@Mr_M I think it isn’t known whether White was gay or not, but Harvey seemed to think he was, hence the passing suggestion in the movie. I doubt White would have admitted it whether he was or not! Makes it hard to know whether any historical figure was gay or not.

And to answer your original question, I saw it and really liked it. I’m in my early 20s, and I’d heard of Harvey Milk but didn’t know his story in its entirety. I’m really glad that the film was made, first of all, and that it came out at such a pertinent time in politics. Being a member of the glbt community, I found it very touching.

I really liked it, it was very well made, and if Sean Penn is not gay, then he’s certainly a great actor. He played the role of a gay man without falling into the usual Hollywood stereotypes. There were things I did not like about the story of course, but I guess this has to do with the truth behind it rather than the creative process.
I felt it was an interesting movie about human rights, not one about homosexuality. And this is what made it appealing to me (being straight). As opposed to Brokeback Mountain for example, which doesn’t really work unless you’re gay yourself.

I tried to get my uncle to go w/me to see it
he didn’t want to
he is getting to be an old fuddy duddy in his old age

As far as Dan White’s sexuality, that is a common misstatement about very conservative men. There is nothing to indicate it is true. White comes from the stereotypical Irish, Catholic, conservative, public servant family seen in big cities all over the US. This probably contributed to the entire catastrophe. He was a golden boy in his limited community and insulated from the realities of the larger world. Because he was so popular among conservatives and he rarely interacted with the majority of the City he did not understand the realpolitick.

George Moscone became mayor and was set to run for higher office because he was a good politician. When Dan White asked for reinstatement he didn’t have a chance, why would the mayor agree to appoint a political opponent when he could choose an ally? But politician Moscone wasn’t going to baldly say ‘No’ before he had another appointee acceptable to the conservative Sunset/Parkside District.

White couldn’t understand the politics and thought he had just been strung along. He took it personally and reacted personally. I don’t believe that Harvey Milk was targeted because of his homosexuality, there were gay people all over City Hall. Because, Milk was thought to influence the mayor, he had to be punished. Moscone was his own man, but as a politician he was OK with deflecting some of the ‘blame’ and Milk was fine with making it seem he was the driving force behind the decision.

The movie was brilliantly made, plain and simple. The interweaving of real footage and movie was seamless, and the casting was inspired. Everyone in the cast played so well off of each other, it was hard for the movie not to be a success. I saw it twice and cried both times.

@galileogirl not sure how relevant this is, but here goes:

I have a friend who is not gay. But he likes girls with small breasts and short hair. Which I call “boys”. Ok, his wife is curvy and with long hair, but that’s an exception. He was brought up by a very conservative grandmother who forced him to go to church every Sunday, confess regularly, have no sex before marriage etc. At some point he rebelled and tried all sorts of extreme stuff (ok, not all that kinky I guess, but kinkier than most). The sexual frustration had been building for decades. I was the opposite. Even though I first had sex at 18, I had a nymphomaniac girfriend for a couple of years right after that, and got it all out of my system. By the time I was 21, I had had enough sex to last me a lifetime, and enough experience to please anyone my age or even older.

Ok so the point of all this is that my friend is very much like White, and I’ve always said that if anyone in the world would be a closet homosexual, it would be him. I’m not saying he is gay, but his background would make him hide such a thing (he’s the personification of comformity). I am the opposite, extravagant and eccentric. If I were gay, the whole world would know, and I’d write songs about it and have it written all over my forehead. Which is what makes me sure I’m not.

Which I guess was the point the movie was making about White. sorry this was so long

I think we are talking about too different levels of preference. We are born with an inherent general preference for one gender or another. But we also develop a preference for partner characteristics based on life experience. Small breasted women are NOT boys. If the women in your life are generally small-breasted, you might have a preference for them. People who are outside your life experience may never be attractive. I don’t find East Indian men physically attractive, I never knew any before I was in my 30’s with my preferences set. Of course that doesn’t matter because enough women do that East Indians are the fastest growing group in the world. lol

@fireinthepriory , awesome movie. I felt really bad in the last scene with Harvey and White.

SOMEBODY please tell me the significance of the opera scene at the end, where the woman kills herself. Thanks.

Aw, wasn’t that sad? Harvey could see clearly that Dan didn’t have a friend in the world, Dan knew he didn’t have a friend in the world, and he didn’t understand it was because he was such an abrasive, judgemental person.

As for the opera, I think it was just the cliche “It’s not over ‘til the fat lady sings.” It was a bit of foreshadowing to Milk’s murder. You know how in real life, Dr King knew the night before he was assassinated that he wasn’t going to be around much longer and said as much in his last sermon? I get the feeling that, at least in the context of the movie, Harvey knew that about himself as well at a certain point and the opera underscored this.

I haven’t seen the movie but it might foreshadow the tragedy that did not end with the Moscone/Milk murders. Dan White went to prison on a lesser charge. While on a visit he and his wife managed to have (non-approved) relations and she gave birth to a handicapped child When he was paroled, emotions were so high in San Francisco, he was not allowed to come back where he had a support system. After he was off parole he did return but had to live on the largesse of his family because he was pretty much ostracized by the community. In the end he killed himself.

I saw the movie and really enjoyed it….I found it interesting and informative. As a little side story it was also interesting to see where Dianne Feinstein got her start….

@Mr_M: The story of Tosca (the opera) ends with Tosca being betrayed and her lover is shot. She is about to be executed, but kills herself instead. I think it is meant to allude to White and Milk and the situation at hand, in a foreshadowing manner.

Yes. I think it would require a deep inner hatred not to enjoy and feel happy that you were able to see it.

galileogirl, and some others replies….

I see your statements on Whites upbringing etc… Where are your references? How do you know these assumed facts? Please point to evidence or sources to back up your facts please..

Yea, I hate arguments that are based on opinion and spoken like facts…

@dnstrom I don’t think this will convince you but here goes:
1. As a civics teacher, I am a real political junkie and pay a lot of attention to the people who represent me at all levels. San Franciscans generally take a keen interest in local politics.
2. My mother’s family was very similar to the Whites-Irish immigrants with 2–3 generations of cops/firemen/local politicians so I understand that culture.
3. In the late 70’s I lived in the Sunset District which was represented by Dan White. Since I did not support him I followed the discussion of who would replace him after his resignation, hoping it would be someone more aligned with my views.
4. The double political assassination was the biggest news in the City since the 1906 quake and every aspect of the case was dissected in the local media.
5. The trial testimony was the leading news every day.
6. We were all interested in the Twinkie defense, shocked by the verdict and witnesses to the White night riot.
7. The pregnancy was widely reported and 18 years later I knew the child as a teacher.
8. When White was paroled, it was again widely reported and there were demonstrations.
9. I wasn’t aware personally that White had returned to San Francisco until the suicide which again was widely reported along with all the details of White’s history.