Milk

In 1977, Harvey Milk became the first openly gay man elected to public office in the United States, winning a spot on San Francisco's Board of Supervisors. A disaffected hippie who had moved to the Bay Area with his lover Scott Smith, Milk could see the systematic police persecution of what was arguably the nation's largest geographically concentrated gay community. Coming out of the closet and urging his fellow gay citizens to do likewise, Harvey became a fiery orator who challenged heterosexual orthodoxy, made powerful enemies, and finally was assassinated by fellow Board member and one-time political ally Dan White, a devout Catholic who (according to the film) was deeply conflicted about his own sexuality. Milk's story is powerfully told by director Gus Van Sant, who's aided immensely by star Sean Penn, portraying Harvey as someone with an almost childlike faith in his ability to change minds and hearts. James Franco is superb as Smith, who drifts away from Harvey following the latter's immersion in politics, while Emile Hirsch and Diego Luna are also excellent in supporting turns, but it's Josh Brolin as White, who comes closest to matching Penn's performance. Garnering Oscar nominations for Best Picture, Director, Actor (Penn, who won), and Supporting Actor (Brolin), among others, this is a fine biopic that also serves as a chronicle of the social and political upheaval dominating American life in the ‘70s. Highly recommended. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include 15 minutes of “Hollywood Comes to San Francisco” cast and crew stories, a 14-minute “Remembering Harvey” tribute featurette, a “Marching for Equality” segment featuring key figures from Milk's life (8 min.), three deleted scenes (missing from the Blu-ray version), and trailers. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release is the BD-Live function. Bottom line: a rather slim extras package for one of 2008's best.] (E. Hulse)