History Film / Philadelphia

Not to be confused with ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'', nor with ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia''.

* BuryYourGays: Poor Andrew.

* HeteronormativeCrusader: A group of them, based on the infamous real-life Westborough Baptist Church, can be seen protesting on the courthouse steps during Andy's trial. WBC leader and famed asshole Fred Phelps would later call the movie his favorite comedy.

Not to be confused with ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'' , nor with ''Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia''.

''Philadelphia'' is a 1993 drama film directed by Jonathan Demme, starring Creator/TomHanks and Creator/DenzelWashington.

* CharacterDevelopment: Joe Miller came a long way.
** Let's compare: When Andy discloses to Joe that he has AIDS, the latter immediately gets far away from the former. Then, at the hospital, Joe straightens Andy's mask with a relaxed tenderness.

* BuryYourGays: Andrew.

* CampGay: Several of the guests during the party that Andrew and Miguel hold. Quentin Crisp, who is a real-life example of a Camp Gay, also makes an appearance, though doesn't have any dialogue. However, Andrew also shows shades of this in a scene where he puts on opera music and explains it for Joe.

''Philadelphia'' is notable as one of the first Hollywood movies with a large-scale distribution to bring up the subject of AIDS, as well as Tom Hanks' first non-comedic role, a practice he's continued enough to [[TomHanksSyndrome earn its own trope]][[note]] Although if we really want to get technical, Main/EveryTimeWeSayGoodbye was Tom's first ''attempt'' at doing a dramatic film, although he would go back to starring in comedies until he did ''Philadelphia'' [[/note]]. It won two UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s: Tom Hanks' first for Best Actor in a Leading Role (he won another one year later for playing the title role in ''Film/ForrestGump''), and Music/BruceSpringsteen for Best Original Song ("Streets of Philadelphia").

''Philadelphia'' is notable as one of the first Hollywood movies with a large-scale distribution to bring up the subject of AIDS, as well as Tom Hanks' first non-comedic role, a practice he's continued enough to [[TomHanksSyndrome earn its own trope]][[note]]Although if we really want to get technical, Main/EveryTimeWeSayGoodbye was Hanks' first ''attempt'' at doing a dramatic film, although Hanks would go back to starring in comedies until he did ''Philadelphia''. It won two UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s: Tom Hanks' first for Best Actor in a Leading Role (he won another one year later for playing the title role in ''Film/ForrestGump''), and Music/BruceSpringsteen for Best Original Song ("Streets of Philadelphia").

''Philadelphia'' is notable as one of the first Hollywood movies with a large-scale distribution to bring up the subject of AIDS, as well as Tom Hanks' first non-comedic role, a practice he's continued enough to [[TomHanksSyndrome earn its own trope]]. It won two UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s: Tom Hanks' first for Best Actor in a Leading Role (he won another one year later for playing the title role in ''Film/ForrestGump''), and Music/BruceSpringsteen for Best Original Song ("Streets of Philadelphia").

Not to be confused with the 1940 film ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'' starring KatharineHepburn, CaryGrant, and Creator/JimmyStewart, nor with Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia.

''Philadelphia'' is a film from 1993 about a man named Andrew Beckett (Creator/TomHanks), who is an up and coming lawyer until his employers figure out that he has AIDS. Then an important complaint is suddenly misplaced and his contract is terminated on that account. Suspecting that his disease was the true cause of his firing, Andrew approaches an old rival lawyer named Joe Miller (Creator/DenzelWashington) to plead his case in a lawsuit for discrimination. The two eventually team up to fight Andrew's firm while Joe struggles with his own homophobia and Andrew himself fights a losing battle against his disease.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The film's makers were aware this might happen due to the film's subject matter, hence the casting of Hanks in the lead.

* HappierHomeMovie: Andy's family reminisce with a few clips after he gets fired.

Not to be confused with the 1940 film ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'' starring KatharineHepburn, CaryGrant, and Creator/JimmyStewart, nor with Series/ItsAlwaysSunnyInPhiladelphia}}.

Not to be confused with the 1940 film ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'' starring KatharineHepburn, CaryGrant, and Creator/JimmyStewart, nor with Series/{{It's Always Sunny In Philidelphia}}.

* AudienceAlienatingPremise: The film's makers were aware this might happen due to the film's subject matter, hence the casting of Hanks in the lead. [[invoked]]

* CourtroomAntics

* GayAesop

* HappierHomeMovie

* {{Pun}}: The intro shows a store named "Condom Nation".
** At a costume party, Joe wears a suit covered in pages torn from a law book. Or, as he describes it: A Law Suit.

* WhamShot: Andrew's sudden collapse in the middle of the trial.
** Andrew showing the court the lesions on his chest.

''Philadelphia'' is notable as one of the first Hollywood movies with a large-scale distribution to bring up the subject of AIDS, as well as Tom Hanks' first non-comedic role, a practice he's continued enough to [[TomHanksSyndrome earn it's own trope]]. It won two UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s: Tom Hanks' first for Best Actor in a Leading Role (he won another one year later for playing the title role in ''Film/ForrestGump''), and Music/BruceSpringsteen for Best Original Song ("Streets of Philadelphia").

Not to be confused with the 1940 film ''Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory'' starring KatharineHepburn, CaryGrant and Creator/JimmyStewart.

* ButNotTooGay: It received (and continues to receive) a lot of criticism for this, to the point where Tom Hanks addressed the issue in ''Film/TheCelluloidCloset'' by explaining this was because of ExecutiveMeddling, and that if they hadn't allowed for the edits the studio wanted the film might never have gotten a release.
* CampGay: Several of the guests during the party that Andrew and Miguel hold. Quentin Crisp, who as a real-life example of a Camp Gay also makes an appearance, though doesn't have any dialogue. However, Andrew also shows shades of this in a scene where he puts on opera music and explains it for Joe.

* FiveTokenBand: Well, it was TheNineties, after all

* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Joe Miller is shown to be homophobic and believes in some of the stereotypes regarding gays (i.e. the conversation with his wife). He even initially disagreed to help Andy because of this prejudice. However, Miller does agreed to help Andy because he witnessed Andy going through discrimination. [[CharacterDevelopment And begins to see the error of his ways during and after the trial]].

** At a costume party, Joe wears a suit covered in pages torn from a law book. Or, as he describes it: [[IncrediblyLamePun A Law Suit.]]

''Philadelphia'' is notable as one of the first Hollywood movies with a large-scale distribution to bring up the subject of AIDS, and it won two UsefulNotes/{{Academy Award}}s: Tom Hanks' first for Best Actor in a Leading Role (he won another one year later for playing the title role in ''Film/ForrestGump''), and Music/BruceSpringsteen for Best Original Song ("Streets of Philadelphia").

[[quoteright:334:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Philadelphia_113.jpg]]

* ButNotTooGay: It received (and continues to receive) a lot of criticism for this, to the point where Tom Hanks addressed the issue in ''TheCelluloidCloset'' by explaining this was because of ExecutiveMeddling, and that if they hadn't allowed for the edits the studio wanted the film might never have gotten a release.

''Philadelphia'' is notable as one of the first Hollywood movies with a large-scale distribution to bring up the subject of AIDS, and it won two {{Academy Award}}s: Tom Hanks' first for Best Actor in a Leading Role (he won another one year later for playing the title role in ''Film/ForrestGump''), and Music/BruceSpringsteen for Best Original Song ("Streets of Philadelphia").

Not to be confused with the 1940 film {{Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory}} starring KatharineHepburn, CaryGrant and Creator/JimmyStewart.

Not to be confused with the 1940 film {{Film/ThePhiladelphiaStory}} starring KatharineHepburn, CaryGrant and JimmyStewart.