okay, I'll go easy... you get one favorite in Part 1 and one favorite in Part 2. Pick 'em and weep.
(I acknowledge that this is a bit of a steal from GI's 'SINGLE favorite line' thread, but oh well. I guess I'm tired of seeing all the angry trollbait threads at the top of the board.) Come on kids, let's have some fun! Remember fun? Favorite scenes.... go!
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Well, my favourite scenes haven't changed since I saw the film for the first time, they are still "Moon River" for part 1 and "More Life" for part 2. It's good that they are not in the same part so I could mention both! And it's good you didn't ask for a third or a fourth, because I can't choose, too many great scenes!
shareOooh - tough, tough question....:)
I'll try and narrow it down to a couple per part. In part one my favorite is probably the dual abandonement scene followed by the Moon River dance. In part two (this one is even harder) - I'd say the scene with Prior and Hannah at the hospital where she tells him an angel is a belief with wings followed by the epilogue at the end.
part one is a toss-up:
opening funeral scene
harper snaps the tether
part two i have 2 favorites:
the way people change with harper and the dummy
when prior returns the prophecy to heaven "bless me anyway, i want more life..."
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in Part 1.
the scene where Louis comes to the hospital and Joe comes home.
its the split scene thing that goes back and forth between the two...
Prior screams "you have no right to do this" and it runs chills down my spin everytime.
and Harper yells "Mr. Lies, i want to go away, quick before he starts talking again"..that makes me cry everytime.
and in Part 2.
i guess that whole ending....where Prior is giving his little speech at the end.
and i also like when Harper is talking in the plane.
je t'aime.
abbey
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Ah, you guys have brought up more scenes I love!....:)
I love Harper's soliloquy on the airplane and also the scene of Harper and Joe on the rooftop.
And I adore the funny scene where Prior meets Hannah.
ahhh. such great answers, thanks for responding, everyone. It's hard to narrow it down, isn't it???
I am still struggling to finalize my own 2 favorites...
as of tonight it's these:
Part 1: Louis/ Belize in the diner while Prior is in the hospital with Emily... I love the way the conversations relate. lack of freedom throughout American history, how that theme resonates directly to the lack of freedom for AIDS afflicted Prior.
My favorite scene in part 2 begins in the cemetary with-
Prior: "Then she arrived." and goes thru the whole Angel/Prior sequence, and back to the fallout of Belize's baffled reaction and Prior's eloquent, angry response.
-I love this moment. Prior realizes what is ahead... how much to overcome, beyond just his illness. The prophecy, the gravity of its meaning.
I revel in the anticipation that builds throughout this scene every time I watch it, all the way up to the last line: "And if I hate Heaven, my only resistance is to run".
I just get so excited for the whole rest of the story every time I hear those words!
Part I: Harper and Prior meeting in his dream and her hallucination, and Harper leans toward him and whispers that there is a part of him, way deep down inside, that is completely free from disease. (I know I don't have the exact words, but it's the sense of what she says that matters, isn't it?) It brought tears to my eyes to hear Harper say what I had sensed in Prior from his first appearance...that there was something *pure* in him...something that couldn't be touched by the plague. What a playwright Kushner is...to be able to create a character who is very human, who has flaws, and yet is so intrinsically good.
Part II: "More life." Actually, what I love most about this scene is the way Prior responds to the angels' laundry list of earth's ills by agreeing that they're right about the existing problems and may be right that it's only going to get worse; he pauses for a moment and then says "But still." Because I think that really sums it up more than all the eloquence of all the poets and prophets who have ever lived. Is there suffering in life? Oh, yes. Yes indeed. There is ugliness aplenty--vulgar, base crudeness that makes us laugh with discomfort to witness it. Horrors and evils so immense that we can barely encompass them...that often force us to deny what we've seen out of sheer self-preservation.
But still...it's worth it.
But still.
I've already said my favourite two scenes, but now I want to add my "second favourite scenes " :-)
Part 1
Harper/Prior hallucination-dream sequence. I love the dialogue and the whole idea of them meeeting in another dimension, and as Lizedits said, Harper seeing Prior's sould free of disease.
Part 2
Hannah and Prior at the hospital when she speaks about the Angel and tells him:" if that can't hold you up, seek for something new" For me it's the meaning of the whole movie in a few words: find hope.
axl,
thank you for adding on!! It's all about gushing our favorite bits anyway :)
In that spirit, I have to add another:
The Kaddish scene, Part 2. Belize's speech about forgiveness leading into that magical Louis/Ethel prayer. I get chills and cry every time. I think it's Louis' reaction to Ethel's presence and to the miracle he's experiencing. the miracle being not only the sound of her voice, but his own compassion for Roy. Ben Shenkman does such a good job in that scene...
and just for the record - I think Ben is underdiscussed on this board - he's becoming my new favorite. His performance is so nuanced and everything he does lands perfectly. What a great actor.
I've only watched the first DVD so far, but yes, I think (as does beigeshundilein) that one of the best quotes is Emma Thompson's as the homeless person when she says that everyone will be crazy in 2000.....With W at the helm (well, really Cheney....but also dumbsh*t, psycho-religious-war-mongoring-babbling W), too many people were just getting too crazy and too scared and too gun/terrorist-gung-ho for too long in this country. Plus, with the dumbest SELECTED (not elected) president ever to set foot in the White House, coupled with THE BIRTH OF STUPID REALITY TV SHOWS...the dumbing down of America hit an all-time low. Now that W is finally GONE, I hope reality tv...ALL OF IT, INCLUDING DANCING WITH THE STARS AND MORONIC AMERICA'S GOT TALENT and that dumb couple Kate and Jon....goes with him.
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Like the other ones I can't really name ONE single favourite scene, but I wanted another great scene from the first part to be added, because no one has mentioned it yet:
I loved the scene after the funeral of Louis' Grandma when Lou and Prior talk about the family thing ("getting butch", "the silbilant S") and when Prior tells Louis that he is sick ("Little Sheba" , "le chat elle ne reviendra jamais jamais", "I'm a lesionaire") and afraid that Louis is going to leave him. Ben Shenkman is great trying to fight back his tears, promising to come home.
You're right, he is really underdiscussed/underrated, he had really awesome moments.
Of course, there are so many other even more tragic, significant or multilayered scenes, but that one always comes to my mind when I think about "Angels in America".
Little Sheba, you must've liked it as well, haven't you? Your name draws me to that conclusion... ;-)
Julibu
How did you guess????
:)
yes, I do love that scene, and it always comes to mind for me as well. It's such a perfect glimpse into Prior and Louis' relationship pre-fallout.
One can almost hear the distant thunder... a terrifying storm is on its way. And both actors nail the scene so well, what a great intro to both actors and to both characters
On a personal level, my favorite part about that scene is Prior's recollection of calling out my name in his best Shirley Booth. I feel just terrible for having left him in his time of need, but what can I say, I'll do anything to get him to queen it up in fuzzy slippers and a housecoat.
;-)
Glad to hear you agree about Ben Shenkman. In fact, I must point out that your name is almost a wacky phonetical anagram of 'Lou the Jew'. (well, maybe that's a stretch, but do you see it?)
;-)))
Yes, now that you say it, I can point out a similarity... ;-)
But this phonetical resemblance was not intended, I'm afraid.
The reason why I chose my name is a whole lot simpler.
My first name is "Julia´" and my familiy name starts with "Bu", that's why I call myself "Julibu".
So, unfortunately it wasn't my coruscating wit... ;-)
But if anyone should ask in the future, I'll get back to that point!
Terribly nice and funny here, I hope to hear more from you ;-)
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For part one, the dual-abandonment scene. I thought my heart was going to drop out of me...it was so moving. Great acting all around, and especially from Justin Kirk. It gave me chills, and still makes me cry, even on my 7th viewing.
For part two, Roy Cohn's death scene gets to me all the time...the whole confrontation with Ethel and then the "octopus" line...shattering. (Honorable mention would go to Pacino's other scene with Joe Pitt, where Roy pulls the IV out of his arm and his blood drips all over the floor. I don't think I've ever felt more sorry for a man so revulsive...reminded me why Pacino is my absolutely favorite actor. His talent is amazing.)
IN PART 1:I loved the scene where Harper and Prior met in their dreams. IN PART 2:The end was perfect.Harper's speech at the plane and Prior's speech about life and living was very good!
share"Revelation" between Harper and Prior.
Funeral and Prior and Belize after the funeral.
Belize and Cohn when he has the AZT. Cohn made Belize stoop to his level to get anything from him.
I don't have too much to add to everyone's suggestions (they're all fabulous, each and every one of them :) ). I have a real soft-spot, however, for Joe and Louis's intitial meeting in the bathroom. Beautifully written, and brilliantly acted.
shareI so agree with you on those two choices, deathbymongoose. Every time I see the scene with Prior and Louis dancing, I end up crying too. And then when it shows Prior dancing with himself, I just break down and start bawling, lol.
I also love the 2nd scene in the film, in which Prior reveals to Louis that he has AIDS. I love Prior's dialogue: about Sheba, Shirley Booth, housecoat & slippers, etc...That whole exchange was just really well done. And the final dialogue of that scene, when--poignantly--Prior calls after Louis, "And then you'll come home?" and Louis calls back, "Then I'll come home. I promise." It's just beautiful and heartbreaking.
Loved the whole scene between Belize and Louis at the cafe. Very interesting chemistry/give-and-take between those two characters. And when they step outside and they both comment on the strange wintry weather, and the camera pans up to the sky: very evocative and chilly-feeling.
Loved all the scenes between Roy Cohn and Belize, especially the one after Roy has accidentally yanked the tubes out of his arm and is bleeding everywhere (including all over Joe Pitt), and Belize quickly and adroitly gets him taken care of. Despite the contept that Roy and Belize have for each other, there's a unique connection between them that goes slightly beyond the regular patient/nurse relationship. I find it interesting to watch.
And just briefly, I loved:
The rabbi's eulogy
The Threshold of revelation
The first appearance of the two ancestors ("Oh see, he's counting the bastards..." lol)
The appearances of the angel
Harper's emotional freakout right before she escapes into the fridge
And many more...(sorry littlesheba, I know you said one, but I just couldn't stop myself :-\)
Tourmalyn, no need to apologize. it's not as though I'm grading you on this!
If I were, you'd receive an A for enthusiasm.
Funny you mentioned the Roy-bleeding-on-Joe scene. I think that's one of my least favorite actually. Makes me so uncomfortable. It's too violent, both emotionally and graphically.... with all the tubes and blood spurting as Roy's shouting and Joe's crying.... pretty powerful though.
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