The Normal Heart tells the story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s. Based on Larry Kramer’s play of the same name, it takes an unflinching look at the nation’s sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial. An ensemble of searing performances featuring Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, and Julia Roberts.
The Normal Heart perfectly captures the vast disruption that HIV-AIDS brought to the gay community and the amazing acts of courage and community organizing that occurred during the early days of this public health disaster.
The story captures the tensions between those in the gay community that thought that the strategy for stopping the epidemic lay in constant outrage at those with political power as compared to those who thought that the strategy for stopping the epidemic lay in community organizing in partnership with public health officials and institutionalizing the response effort.
The film also depicts those who brought their talents to fund raising and to the important and essential tasks of care for those impacted by the disease. The film is fair in this debate and leaves the viewer with the impression that all types of responses and strategies were necessary to curtail the epidemic.
Mark Ruffalo, as character Ned Weeks, is outstanding in playing the angry activist who demands action, confronts hypocrisy at every opportunity. A man who uses anger and confrontation to move the agenda forward despite making enemies in the process may eventually be unwelcome. He is also a man who converts his grief and fear into anger as he sees the deterioration of his lover, Felix, played perfectly by Matt Bomer.
Director: Ryan Murphy
Year of Release: 2014
Character to watch: Matt Bomer as Felix Turner.
Journal your answers to the following questions after you watch the movie.
- How does this particular character’s journey compare with yours?
- Did the character develop certain characteristics during the movie that you have or that you would like to have? If so, what are those characteristics?
- What obstacles did this character face? What was his or her biggest challenge?
- What would you have done differently if you had been in the same position as the character?
- Is this character the type of person you would be friends with? Why or why not?