And the Band Played On

TV Movie
1993
12
2h 21m

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

11K

YOUR RATING

Matthew Modine in And the Band Played On (1993)

On this IMDbrief, we'll download the history of the first movies to raise our collective awareness of HIV/AIDS.

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Watch How Movies and TV Shaped Our Perception of HIV/AIDS

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Drama History

The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic, and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic, and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.The story of the discovery of the AIDS epidemic, and the political infighting of the scientific community hampering the early fight with it.

Director
- Roger Spottiswoode
Writers
- Randy Shilts
- Arnold Schulman
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

7.8/10

11K

YOUR RATING

Director
- Roger Spottiswoode
Writers
- Randy Shilts
- Arnold Schulman
Stars

See production info at IMDbPro

Won 3 Primetime Emmys
- 11 wins & 23 nominations total

Videos1

Clip 4:54

How Movies and TV Shaped Our Perception of HIV/AIDS

Photos93

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Storyline

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Did you know

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Trivia
When Richard Gere accepted a small role, he broke taboos about the subject, and major movie stars taking small parts in television productions. Subsequently, Steve Martin, Alan Alda, Phil Collins, and Anjelica Huston were willing to appear.

Goofs
The movie presents January 4, 1983 as the date when the term AIDS was created in a proposition in the CDC, in Atlanta. The real meeting where the term was developed was July 27, 1982, and the reunion took place in Washington. (Source: Time Magazine)

Quotes
Blood Bank executive: Is the CDC seriously suggesting that the blood industry spends $100M a year to use the test for the wrong disease because we have a handful of transfusion fatalities and eight dead hemophiliacs?
Dr. Don Francis: How many dead hemophiliacs do you need? How many people have to die to make it cost effecient for you people to do something about it? A hundred? A thousand? Give us a number so we won't annoy you again until the amount of money you begin spending on lawsuits make it more profitable for you to save people than to kill them.

Alternate versions
In 1999, the end credit scrolls were rewritten to show updated AIDS statistics.

Connections
Featured in Siskel & Ebert & the Movies: The Man Without a Face/Wilder Napalm/King of the Hill/Hard Target/And the Band Played On (1993)

Soundtracks
The Last Song
Written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
Performed by Elton John

User reviews66

Featured review

10/10

Excellent as was the book it's taken from

I decided to watch this movie again tonight for the first time in several years. I lived in San Francisco when the epidemic began and had a first hand view of the fear, paranoia, and grief.

The movie brings back memories of worrying about my gay child and many of my friends. We attended more than a few memorial services. My son, praise be, is fine.

The best thing about watching it so many years later is to realize how far we've come since then. AIDS is no longer the death sentence it once was. The book and the film did a great deal to raise public awareness. HBO was courageous, the actors were all first class and I believe it was realistic in its portrayal of the heroes, the villains, and the public ignorance and apathy of the time.