1. you are right..only straight men can be painted saintly.

Posted at 8:06PM on Sep 3rd 2008 by sam.hage

2. I never said that, Sam. Come on now, don't even try and put words in my mouth.

In my opinion, A Mighty Heart portrayed the straight Marianne Pearl as a saint and suffered for it in terms of drama and investment. If this were a trailer about a straight man, I would've been just as doubtful about the established arena of conflict.

Nor am I saying that Harvey Milk would then need to have a "dark side." There's simply a difference between having a heroic, noble protagonist and a flat-out martyr, and I feel that this trailer -- these mere two minutes -- lean more towards the latter than the former.

Posted at 8:17PM on Sep 3rd 2008 by William Goss

3. Believe it or not, the Tim Daly produced TV movie (in which Daly plays Dan White) is brilliant. "Execution of Justice"

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0176705/

Posted at 8:59PM on Sep 3rd 2008 by Osbo

4. i may have went to the extreme with my previous comment, but I still think the criticism is unwarranted because you have no idea how the real Harvey Milk was. Your clarification makes more sense than your original opinion William and that was something i was looking to read rather then the flat out comment that he was portrayed too saintly.

I meant no disrespect.

Posted at 11:47PM on Sep 3rd 2008 by sam.hage

5. Fair enough.

Posted at 8:34PM on Sep 3rd 2008 by William Goss

6. As someone who is unfamiliar with Harvey Milk, I just wanted to say that I'm disappointed that you gave away the fact that he was assassinated by Dan White(Josh Brolin).

Posted at 11:52PM on Sep 3rd 2008 by dee

7. Dee were you shocked when Robert Ford killed Jesse James at the end of The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford?

Posted at 12:36AM on Sep 4th 2008 by Jack

8. Uhm... No offense, dee, but I'm really disappointed you had no clue as to who the man was. It's a biographical drama of real person, not a fictional story... Knowing he was assassinated is more like the backdrop of the film, not a mysterious clincher to be revealed at the end.

It's like being surprised at the end of a Martin Luther King movie to find out he was assassinated.

All the more reason I'm glad for the movie, I guess.

Posted at 12:53AM on Sep 24th 2008 by Chuck

9. It's a trailer. Not the entire story. Have you seen an advanced screening of the whole film? It was merely giving quick glance of the heros arc. It's not the Dark Knight. The movie make suck, but your response to a trailer like this is odd.

Posted at 2:28AM on Sep 4th 2008 by Craig

10. In '88 I was 21 and happened, by chance, to catch the '84 documentary about Harvey Milk on a public television station in southern Missouri. I cannot not say I was anti-gay, but had been raised around enough anti-gay sentiment that I had many questions about gay rights and what it all meant. Thank goodness for that public station in southern Missouri that took a chance on a documentary about a gay man and, therefore, took a chance on me. I cried my eyes out and realized I had been asking the wrong question all along about 'rights' for anyone. That was the exact point at which I realized the question is NOT, "Should (whatever group) have equal rights?" The question is, "Since we all have equal rights, how can I play a part in helping us live up to that fact?"
Sometimes a 90 minute documentary really can change a life, and I'm glad it changed mine.
I cannot wait for the movie!
Thanks!
http://www.thecusp.wordpress.com

Posted at 12:42PM on Sep 4th 2008 by Mongoliangirl

11. I'm too young (25) to know much about Milk the man, but this your friend is right, this may be the best damn trailer of the entire year. F-ing brilliant.

Dan

Posted at 5:48PM on Sep 4th 2008 by dtpollitt

12. Maybe they laid it on a little thick, but considering huge swaths of America have never heard of this man, I think painting him as a significant figure is necessary. I think it's very difficult to generate interest among mainstream audiences for a film based on Milk, but this trailer is stirring.

Posted at 5:48PM on Sep 4th 2008 by hermitosis

13. I saw a test screening a few weeks back in Las Vegas --- No score yet finalized, and some of the cutting choppy, but it was a fantastic film. I may personalize it a bit, since I was 13 when he was killed, and I felt for a long time afterward that there was no place for me in the world, since I was "like him."

The movie was entertaining, the cast was engaging. There were some slow spots, but it's hard to say what the final product will be like....so often changes come after test screenings.

www.bentguy.com

Posted at 2:35AM on Sep 5th 2008 by bentguy

14. For all the supporters of this film there will be many more detractors. The purpose of the trailer is to provide a taster and stimulate interest. If it stays away from the flaws of the main character -so be it. The trailer looks great an the cast are great. It will be depressing all the homophobic vitriol it attracts and will be egnored at he Oscars as a result- but hey its another tiny step towards gay visibility and acceptance.

Posted at 8:03AM on Sep 8th 2008 by pete thomson

15. I also think it's odd to try to judge a movie by the trailer (what's that old saying about books?). I think your comments are presumptuous to say the least. Trailers give a taste of the overarching feel of the movie... And the movie is clearly intended to highlight Milk's courage and contribution to a significant era in gay culture.

I had dinner at Harvey's in San Francisco just tonight. He is remembered well by those that were here, and I think you should be more open minded about the movie and the person, AT LEAST until you see the film.

Posted at 12:46AM on Sep 24th 2008 by Chuck