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And the Band Played On (TV)

6.6

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Original title

And the Band Played On

Year

1993

Running time

140 min.

Country

United States

Director

Roger Spottiswoode

Screenwriter

Arnold Schulman. Novel: Randy Shilts

Cast

Music

Carter Burwell

Cinematography

Paul Elliott

Producer

HBO, Odissey Entertainment, Spelling Entertainment

Genre

Drama | Disease/illness. AIDS. TV Movie

Synopsis

This is the story of the first years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and focuses on three key elements. Dr. Don Francis, an immunologist with experience in eradicating smallpox and containing the Ebola virus, joins the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to try and understand just what this disease is. They also have deal with bureaucracy and a government that doesn't seem to care. The gay community in San Francisco is divided on the nature of the disease but also what should be done about it. Finally, the film deals with the rivalry between Dr. Robert Gallo, the American virologist who previously discovered the first retrovirus and his French counterpart at the Pasteur Institute, Dr. Luc Montagnier, that led to disputed claims about who was first to identify the AIDS virus.

Awards: 1994: Emmy: 3 Awards, Including Best TV Movie and Casting. 14 Nominations

1993: Golden Globes: Nominated Best Mini-Series or TV Picture and Actor (Modine)

1993: Directors Guild of America (DGA): Nom. for Best Director (Miniseries/TV Movie)

1993: Montréal World Film Festival: Special Grand Prize of the Jury

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Critics' reviews

"Complicated, intelligent and vibrant. Without a trace of sentimentality, it is very moving"

Chicago Sun-Times
"Excessive tinkering has left the pacing of the film sluggish in spots, but the story is never less than compelling."

John J. O'Connor: The New York Times
"A fine film but one lacking an emotional punch commensurate with its subject."

Rick Kogan: Chicago Tribune
"Swift pacing energizes the movie, and Schulman writes compelling scenes for the large cast. Many actors, who have only one scene to make an impression, meet the challenge splendidly."

Hal Boedeker: Miami Herald
"The most discouraging aspect of the film is the fact that we can never latch onto these characters in any warm, intimate or sympathetic way. They stand as ciphers in the larger steely drama"

Boston Herald
"Noble endeavor, bad movie"

Tom Shales: The Washington Post
"¡What And the Band Played On¡ needs more of are not good actors, obviously, but characters who have depth and texture as well as sheen"

Howard Rosenberg: Los Angeles Times

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And the Band Played On (TV)

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