2011 Black History Month: #18 Black Actor Performance
Denzel Washington as "Joe Miller" in "Philadelphia"
Tighten up your belt, double-tie your shoe-laces, and get your game-face on. We are getting serious from here on out. These next 18 performances are legit and you could probably make a case for any of these next eight to be in the top-ten, but there are only so many spots available. Here we go folks.
Denzel Washington is not only one of my favorite actors in the business, but he is also widely considered to be the one of the best as well. However, the typical Denzel role has him starring in a high-action, gun-wielding, powerful-yelling movie. Look at Training Day, American Gangster, John Q, Out Of Time, etc. Not taking anything away from Denzel, but these can all be considered the same role. This is not the case in Philadelphia.
Denzel plays a lawyer named Joe Miller who decides to take on Tom Hanks lawsuit. Hanks is suing his former law-firm because he believes they fired him once they found out he had AIDS. Hanks does a marvelous job in this film and he very much deserved the Oscar he won for Best Actor. During Hanks' acceptance speech he mentions Denzel and goes on to say, "by taking this role, he [Denzel] put his film integrity at risk." Couldn't agree more.
Joe Miller is a homophobe who doesn't understand the AIDS virus except that it is attached to homosexuals. He is very short-minded, short-sighted, and ignorant at the beginning of the film. But as the movie progresses, so does Miller's attitude. He begins to understand the disease and he sees Hanks' character more as a person than just as a homosexual. The beauty of it is there is not a single scene where everything dawns on Denzel, instead, it is something that slowly develops as the movie goes on. It's a remarkable sight.
As for me, I could relate to Joe Miller. The first time I watched Philadelphia I can honestly say that I did not know too much about the AIDS virus. I had no idea what it meant and how one contracted it. Philadelphia was an eye-opening film and one that everyone needs to watch.
Memorable Quotes
"Some of these people make me sick. But a law's been broken here. You do remember the law, don't you?" - Joe Miller
"We're standing here in Philadelphia, the, uh, city of brotherly love, the birthplace of freedom, where the, uh, founding fathers authored the Declaration of Independence, and I don't recall that glorious document saying anything about all straight men are created equal. I believe it says all men are created equal." - Joe Miller
"It's that every now and again - not often, but occasionally - you get to be a part of justice being done. That really is quite a thrill when that happens." - Andrew Beckett
Hint for #17: This actor played the son of a someone already mentioned in a movie previously on this list. He gets the nod here because just as Tropic Thunder pointed out, he didn't go "full retard."
Until next time, "read it, roll it, hole it."
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