Philadelphia 1993

Janet Maslin, New York Times: "Philadelphia" mostly succeeds in being forceful, impassioned and moving, sometimes even rising to the full range of emotion that its subject warrants. But too often, even at its most assertive, it works in safely predictable ways. Read more

Entertainment Weekly: Read more

David Ansen, Newsweek: Philadelphia may not be the film Demme's fans expect--its emotionalism is unfiltered by cool. But it has the power to open more than a few blinkered hearts. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: The story is timely and powerful, and the performances of Hanks and Washington assure that the characters will not immediately vanish into obscurity. Read more

Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: Philadelphia breaks no new dramatic ground ... And yet Philadelphia is quite a good film, on its own terms. Read more

Geoff Andrew, Time Out: Safe and apolitical it may be, but Philadelphia succeeds as a deeply affecting humanist drama. Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: [An] extremely well-made message picture about tolerance, justice and discrimination is pitched at mainstream audiences, befitting its position as the first major Hollywood film to directly tackle the disease. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: This AIDS courtroom drama is so pumped full of nitrous oxide, you could get your teeth drilled on it. Read more

Rita Kempley, Washington Post: It's less like a film by Demme than the best of Frank Capra. It is not just canny, corny and blatantly patriotic, but compassionate, compelling and emotionally devastating. Read more