Philadelphia (1993)

In the mid-90s, Tom Hanks was on top of the world. He was coming off an Oscar for his performance in Forrest Gump and would earn a second one a year later for 1993’s Philadelphia. It was a shocking and controversial movie for its time, since it was dealing with the AIDS crisis, and Mr. Hanks plays a gay man fired from his law firm because of his orientation and his disease. Denzel Washington plays the attorney who is prejudiced but still defends him in court. While Mr. Hanks won the Oscar for best actor, it’s really Mr. Washington’s movie, and his lack of even a nomination remains a travesty that cannot be understood 33 years later. Mr. Washington shows the most evolution as a character here, going from someone who starts to wipe his hand after shaking Mr. Hanks’ hand and then realizing he’s gay and infected with AIDS. 2026 might find a lot of the material outdated because of how society has changed, and the better understanding of AIDS since then. But don’t make any mistake, Philadelphia will leave you in tears. It’s got an emotional punch that is still relevant to anyone who has a heart all of these years later. It’s not going to be a great time at the movies, but it’s great drama. It had a strong box office run in 1993, making $77 million. It’s a lot harder in 2026 to put yourself in the time, but 1993 wasn’t exactly an enlightened environment when it came to homophobia. Mr. Hanks star power helped bring people into the theaters, but it was also a time the gay community was fighting just to be able to live its lives in public. Philadelphia may have gone a long way in helping America understand everyone’s human, no matter what label they are given. And it may have helped the country understand AIDS, since there was still a lot of misinformation about it. You’ll have to remember, this is two years after Magic Johnson shocked the world with his HIV diagnosis, so America was wrestling with its own soul. Philadelphia remains a great movie, a great courtroom drama, and while you might not stand up and cheer at the end, you’ll feel something, and that’s the best thing about it.