The Normal Heart (2014)

Drama, Biography, History

Director: Ryan Murphy
Writer: Larry Kramer
Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Jonathan Groff, Frank De Julio, William DeMeritt

"To win a war, you have to start one."

Based on the 1985 autobiographical play by Larry Kramer, The Normal Heart is a powerful and heartbreaking drama that chronicles the onset of the HIV/AIDS crisis in the early 1980s, as witnessed in New York City. Mark Ruffalo plays Ned Weeks, a gay activist who deals with the indifference of both the authorities and the gay community, as he witnesses first-hand a mysterious disease that has begun to claim the lives of many of his friends and starts to seek answers.

With a pretty impressive cast, that also includes Taylor Kitsch, Matt Bomer, Jim Parsons, Julia Roberts and Alfred Molina, this HBO adaptation of a Tony Award-winning play from the 80s that has been successfully revived since, both on Broadway and off, is a sobering reminder of how far the gay community has come in terms of human rights and how much work remains until everyone is considered fully "human."

Plot summary from IMDb: A gay activist attempts to raise HIV/AIDS awareness during the early 1980s.

Awards: Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 22 wins & 55 nominations.
Runtime: 132 min
TV-MA