What is the And the Band Played On movie about?
In 1981, epidemiologist Don Francis (Matthew Modine) learns of an increased rate of death among gay men in urban areas. The startling information leads him to begin investigating the outbreak, which is ultimately identified as AIDS. His journey finds mostly opposition from politicians and doctors, but several join him in his cause. As it becomes apparent that people have personal reasons to turn the other cheek, Francis persists. Meanwhile, the number of deaths continues to grow.And the Band Played On / Film synopsis
Is the movie And the Band Played On a true story?
And the Band Played On is a 1993 American television film docudrama directed by Roger Spottiswoode. The teleplay by Arnold Schulman is based on the best-selling 1987 non-fiction book And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts.
Who did Richard Gere portray in the movie And the Band Played On?
Although the name of Richard Gere’s character is never revealed throughout the movie, he is Michael Bennett, the famous choreographer and creator of A Chorus Line and Dreamgirls (among others musicals), who died of AIDS in 1987.
Where does the phrase And the Band Played On come from?
The phrase first appears as the title to a song, “The Band Played On” written in 1895 by John Palmer. The song includes the refrain “And the band played on.” The phrase, as we know it, was redefined by the ill-fated maiden journey of the Titanic.
Why is the title and the band played on?
Like Randy Shilts’s book of the same title and on which it is based, the movie “And the Band Played On” attempts to expose the deadly role that inaction and infighting among Government officials, blood banks, the scientific community and segments of the gay community played in the early spread of acquired immune …
Did the musicians on the Titanic play as it sank?
The musicians of the RMS Titanic all perished when the ship sank in 1912. They played music, intending to calm the passengers, for as long as they possibly could, and all went down with the ship. All were recognized for their heroism.
What song did the band play while the Titanic was sinking?
Nearer, my God, to thee
The string players performed ‘Nearer, my God, to thee’, a 19th-century hymn published in Hymns and Anthems – a tome used at South Place Chapel, Finsbury, London – in 1841.
What is the movie and the band played on about?
The television movie from 1993, “And the Band Played On” deals with the politics within the scientific community in the context of the AIDS pandemic during the 80s.
Is’and the band played on’a good movie?
As a TV movie about a highly sensitive subject, overall it’s a moving experience. October 17, 2018 | Full Review… And the Band Played On adds its own snare-drum resonance to the AIDS catastrophe, beating elements of Randy Shilts’ journalism into a passionate, incisive condemnation of the government’s public health policy regarding this epidemic.
What’s the band played on got to do with AIDS?
And the Band Played On adds its own snare-drum resonance to the AIDS catastrophe, beating elements of Randy Shilts’ journalism into a passionate, incisive condemnation of the government’s public health policy regarding this epidemic. January 25, 2018 | Full Review…