Is it too early to predict the Emmy nominees? Ryan Murphy‘s loooong-awaited film adaptation of The Normal Heart, one of the two or three great American plays about the impact of the AIDS epidemic, is likely to receive a lion’s share when they’re announced in July. HBO has just released a full-length trailer for its celluloid version of Larry Kramer‘s devastating (and somewhat autobiographical) 1985 play which will premiere on the premium cable channel May 25 and it’s the most powerful 1:30 minutes of video we’ve watched all week.
It all begins on a happy note in 1981 with Mark Ruffalo, Jonathan Groff, Taylor Kitsch and pals convening on Fire Island for what appears to be a memorable party weekend. Then Groff begins to cough and drops to his knees on the beach as the water rushes in, symbolizing that AIDS has just entered the lives of this close group of friends.
Ruffalo stars as Ned Weeks, the Kramer-esque protagonist, a man who refuses to remain silent as he and his friends become stricken with this mysterious and, in many cases, fatal new illness. Julia Roberts makes a rare small screen appearance as Emma Brookner, a wheelchair-bound doctor, who has an exchange of dialogue that Ruffalo that succinctly sums of the impact of both Kramer and his landmark play:
“Where’s this big mouth I hear you’ve got?” Brookner asks.
“Is big mouth a symptom?” Weeks questions back.
“No, it’s a cure,” she offers in response.
Powerful stuff, right? The Normal Heart also features a stellar supporting cast with many openly gay actors, including Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Denis O’Hare and Joe Mantello.
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Check out the trailer below.
hotboyvb81
what’s the Emmy cut off date? Nominations come out in July- it may be sometime in May…
hotboyvb81
sounds A LOT like Longtime Companion.
courthousedoc
@hotboyvb81: The Normal Heart premiered on stage in 1985. Longtime Companion was released in 1989.
boring
You know True Detective was this year, right?
JustaThought
@hotboyvb81: I was JUST thinking the same thing! You got it in one mate 🙂
hotshot70
@hotboyvb81, I think it is a remake.
hotboyvb81
I didn’t mean it was copying LTC- just that they seemed similar- gays in NYC/Fire Island dealing with the start of AIDS. LTC was a GREAT movie
stranded
hmmm. I don’t really like Mark Ruffalo
rainey13
@boring: TD has already been announced as competing in the Series category. They won’t be in direct competition with The Normal Heart.
Cagnazzo82
No offense to anyone here, but I really do not like AIDS movies.
It’s so depressing.
I’ve seen enough gay movies dealing with AIDS. I really do not like feeling empty after watching a movie.
stvrsnbrgr
@stranded: That’s OK. I like him enough for both of us.
mjwatts
@boring: What does that have to do with anything? True Detective already announced they’re submitting as a drama series, while this would fall under the TV movie/miniseries category.
mjwatts
@boring: Apologies, if you were referring to the “biggest and best TV event of the year” and not the Emmys part of the article, then I see where you’re coming from hahah. I didn’t realize the headline of the article until after I posted.
boring
@mjwatts: Hahaha, I wasn’t going to say anything! I’m content with just sitting here smugly with my arms folded.
NJjoe
I cannot wait for this to air. It’s been a long time coming.
kel777
Love Mark Ruffalo! Especially his voice.