Wrongful Termination Suit | Philadelphia (1993) | Now Playing

PHILADELPHIA is NOW PLAYING and can be found to Rent or Buy here: DP.SonyPictures...
When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.
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[@markbrown4039]

If you go into a meeting with your bosses and the first thing they say is "Everyone in this room is your friend", your response should be, "OK, what's my severance package going to be?"

[@jcmat9917]

Yup… “Danger, Will Robinson”…

[@richardsiciliano7117]

Then they ask him to close the windows, Andy must have known something was up.

[@defconbrown8667]

No. It should be "Is that why you're always grabbing my ass?"

[@joemckim1183]

@@richardsiciliano7117 And I just noticed that they positioned the tables and only seat for him to sit at to be on the complete opposite side of the room.

[@WilliamBonney-gl2qf]

With friends like these,who needs enemies?

[@christophernazer1888]

The way the music starts playing when he starts to walk out of the office, brilliant. The perfect atmosphere of hopelessness & also the miniscule possibility of finding someone to take on his case.

[@fear5735]

Hanks was on a liquid diet during production to thin out so it looks like he was dying of AIDS. One day, Washington knocked on Hanks' trailer with a double cheeseburger and told Hanks it was the greatest thing ever.

[@pouetpouetdaddy5]

yeah...but when Hanks got the oscar, I guess, then, it was the greatest thing ever. Eat your burger, Denzel.

[@andersorsan604]

The way Joe pulls his hand away when Andy says he has aids is amazing acting of course but also a stark reminder of the stigma the disease carried in the beginning and still does to some extent I should think .

[@abon587]

He’s also about to put his hands to his face at the end, and stops and looks at them as if reminded that they’re filthy.

[@andersorsan604]

@@abon587yeah that too

[@daiamod]

I know vengono well

[@Gameboy-Unboxings]

​@@abon587After he already rubbed his eyes at 5:45.

[@andersorsan604]

@@daiamod???

[@hercengmech]

Such a good movie. And I remember the early days when there was this panic that you could get it from water fountains, toilet seats, etc. so everyone’s reaction in the movie is pretty spot on for the time.

[@alanrogs3990]

Public toilet seats are still a pretty gross thing.

[@finesupplements9698]

@@alanrogs3990I never sat bare skin on a public toilet seat in my life. Do people really actually do that??

[@alanrogs3990]

@@finesupplements9698 so you are under 25 years old?

[@scottjulie27]

And let’s not forget: casual contact by the family in the household. We can thank Lord Fauci for that.

[@ACoKyo]

I remember as a young one hearing all about the toilet seats…

[@danydazed4314]

The way this scene is shot. **chef kiss** the way the camera swings to everything TH touches as if DW is cataloguing everything he has to burn or disinfect.

[@therealbronxbull8541]

That's the Equalizer effect. 😂

[@ArmyJames]

Christ, here we go with the “chef’s kiss” BS.

[@carpballet]

Abbreviating like this is the writing of a 13 year old. “TH?” Seriously.

[@StudioMod]

s a germaphobe, they nailed that part... *but* then they completely messed it up when, after shaking his hand, he touches his own face at 5:47 and then at 6:35 uses the same hand to eat an anti-acid. No way lmao.

[@ArmyJames]

@@StudioMod He wasn’t a germaphobe. More of an AIDS-aphobe.

[@mikecziraky2037]

Two masters of the craft together

[@Letnothinggotowaste]

Hanks a "Master?". Hanks can't carry Washingtons Jock. Hank got Oscar due to subject matter of this movie. His performance was sub par...

[@jptaylor]

@@Letnothinggotowasteperfectly said.

[@Da_one_tl]

@@Letnothinggotowasteif you don’t have anything nice to say…

[@jozefk.2495]

@@Da_one_tl Mr. Washington is fantastic in this scene, I am awe-struck! :)

[@joshuajethro]

Tom Hanks is overrated

[@willh7352]

This film is amazing. Wild Denzel didn't get an Oscar for this, but we know good acting when we see it alright. This is a great example from all of them.

[@ryanloftis1125]

@@willh7352 Years ago Entertainment Weekly included Denzel Washington's performance in "Philadelphia" on its list of 100 performances most snubbed by the Oscars.

[@user-jt5vm3mi1w]

false

[@joshuajethro]

Denzel is so much better than that hack Hanks

[@midnitdragoon]

I got it.... That's the guy from Big! Tom Hanks! That's it....! Funny guy.... Tom Hanks! Everything he says is a stitch.

[@mocassin92]

another reason he was fired...

[@MrAledro84]

Tim Honks

[@robpa6473]

I have aids

[@UglyMonsta]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@MexxProtect]

@@robpa6473life really is like a box of chocolates huh

[@Mike-01234]

I remember early 1990's I knew someone who passed away from HIV after a blood transfusion they got in the late 1980's. It was very difficult time for anyone with HIV even medical community treated patients differently who had HIV. They had to be told repeatedly how they contracted it as a direct result of the medical community.

[@buddyrebel_Garcia]

Passed away from aids not HIV HIV is the virus and aids is the syndrome

[@Tawny6702]

I never get tired of watching this brilliant movie, as were both Hanks and Washington’s acting, but the cold stark look on Hanks face of facing the terrible and awful reality of his situation when he steps out onto the street is unforgettable!

[@emperorreign6154]

As crazy as it sounds, the first client that Joe deals with actually does have a case. Regardless of whether the hole on the road that’s under construction is blocked off or marked, the city can still be sued for negligence if they’ve been found not to have taken further precautions to seal it off completely. If they’ve been found not to have taken every reasonable care, the claim could be successful. I know the scene was intended for the purpose of a bit of humour before Andy walks in but these things happen every day in the legal realm all over the world.

[@carlosrivas1629]

AIDS Spreads through sex and in africa it is highest, and they are 999 percent hetero.

[@carlosrivas1629]

also blood transfusions but the org screen for that.

[@ekathe85]

Humor, and portray Joe as a sort of ambulance chaser. Underscores him not taking a case potentially worth millions because of his prejudices.

[@Krelus]

For a while I was commuting to work in Philly and I always made a point to walk over a particularly sketchy-ass storm drain. When they finally fixed it after a year and a half I joked that they ruined my retirement plan lmfao

[@DamianTHallan]

Damn! The acting on display here is over the top on a different level.

[@sudiptamallik1006]

Absolute masterclass in acting by both!

[@nachc6459]

Not a netflix movie 😂

[@platinumtaterbug]

Denzel and Tom together. Two of my favorite actors.

[@mrkremko1]

The best way to get somebody to cop a bad attitude is to wrongfully accuse that somebody of having a bad attitude.

[@user-zr6pl6nb6z]

I thought his response was pretty restrained, actually. I know I would have let loose.

[@mrkremko1]

@@user-zr6pl6nb6zI agree. Yet, one of the partners still tried to accuse him of having a bad attitude. 🤦‍♂️

[@chucksucks8640]

Generally, if people don't like you they will find all sorts of things wrong with you even if you are not guilty of any of them.

[@StudioMod]

As a germaphobe, they nailed the part with the camera showing him clocking all the stuff in his office that Tom Hanks touches. But then they completely messed it up when, after shaking his hand, he touches his own face at 5:47 and then at 6:35 uses the same hand to eat an anti-acid. No way lmao.

[@epicphailure88]

He's not a germaphobe. He probably just did that stuff without realizing it. He eats an antacid while discussing the case with Hanks but then starts to look at his hand once he leaves.

[@LawrenceLaffer]

Antacid*

[@LawrenceLaffer]

But I like anti-acid

[@worldsheaviestjamband93]

It was the 90s. Everyone was touching their face and wiping their nose. You’d be amazed at what that generation thought was acceptable hand washing in the bathroom.

[@StudioMod]

@@worldsheaviestjamband93 I was there, friend. I know. I'm talking as someone with germaphobia, not someone who was born at all recently. If something touches my hand that's not clean, I'll remember not to touch my face even when I sleep.

[@socallawrence]

Lydia face was bad news lol

[@Anthony-df4bs]

Denzel and Tom Hanks, doesn't get better than this.

[@StuUngar]

His name is Jared… Jared lost weight eating Subway, now he’s cold and alone with no one place to call his home… He likes sandwiches with Philadelpha….cream cheese

[@5wheels178]

lmao

[@robloxvids2233]

When you walk into the room and 5 people are on one side of the table and 1 chair on the other side, 20 feet away, that's a bad setup.

[@BeatMedicare]

Dude has Phillies on his desk 😂

[@matthewmaning4859]

The name of the movie is Philadelphia

[@MrTUBEular10]

​@@matthewmaning4859and he just had a baby so he has a box of cigars bc that used to be a gift for new fathers. Phillies in Philadelphia. Was too much for dude to handle.

[@cakeisavegatable]

I still say “explain it to me like I’m a 6 year old” lol I love it if someone gets the reference

[@williamdon3442]

I remember it being 4 year old

[@leewilson1316]

I believe he uses both?

[@leewilson1316]

And even 2 year old.

[@huberticusrex]

It's a common expression not just from this movie

[@csaldana1989]

@@leewilson1316a jury member also uses the term!

[@Bfettrules]

I never noticed how far they placed Andy’s seat in comparison to the rest. They were also scared they were going to get AIDS not realizing that u can’t get to that way.

[@csaldana1989]

Damn I’ve seen this so many times and never noticed that either. It also explains why they pushed him out asap, rather than trying to slow-play the firing to make it appear legit.

[@Bfettrules]

@@csaldana1989 that’s easily a major detail as to why their explanatory firing was bogus. Top notch lawyer who always delivers just happens to “misplace” a file and u sack him. Sacking him was far too severe a punishment for what appears to be his only infraction. That alone was a big red flag and raised suspicion. They thought they would get aids, they thought no one would want to be represented by an aids patient & it would hurt their bottom line.

[@keepgoing7533]

Why'd Denzel eat a mint after flinching from shaking Andy's hand?

[@marcellapagano6325]

Me lo son chiesto io pure e son arrivata alla conclusione che o l' ha presa con l' altra mano oppure si è trattato di un' azione inconsulta dovuta all' agitazione.

[@zerocool1ist]

ignorance has always bred fear and always will.

[@therealbronxbull8541]

a quote by ibn rushd.

[@kungfuwhip78]

I experienced a very similar termination from a bank, due to my age. It was a clear age discrimination termination, but the branch manager lied to me that I was not catching up fast enough, but I was brand new in the job and I was doing well the first month.

[@egordonliddy697]

Not the same thing. Aging is natural. Choosing an awful lifestyle is not.

[@Ajidam]

Well how old were you?

[@Ballroot84]

​@@egordonliddy697 what a disgusting comment

[@BigBeezyBtown]

age discrimination would mean that you worked there for 30 years and making $$ and one day they termed you for no good reason. You were there for a month, so they knew how old you were. Maybe you weren't catching up fast enough.

[@kungfuwhip78]

@@Ajidam 40

[@MichaelGiordano777]

Jason Robards was great as usual.

[@spacewolfjr]

I recalled his voice from All the President's Men... amazing movie

[@tugboat2030]

As usual :)

[@kyledodson2992]

The two greatest male actors to ever do it

[@cuitlamcuautencos8306]

Ron Vawter, the actor who played Bob died of AIDS 1 or 2 years after this film came out.

[@WatofSarum]

Thank you for this comment. I just read about him and it is more moving than this clip. As always, the real value is in the comments.

[@bizzy24100]

actually it was four months after its release when Vawter died.

[@sammencia7945]

You should have been out in bars and clubs in 1983 when this hit. Watching the Sexual Revolution end in real time from 10 feet away was an experience.

[@gabriel.954]

This is the movie which put Tom Hanks at the top. He wasn't taken very seriously as a Serious Leading Man actor prior to this role. Amazing.

[@CarlosRomanZ]

the dialogs in this movie are so meticulous and so well delivered that I wonder if they rehearsed them, and if they did, how many times they need to do it

[@Twentythousandlps]

They're both sharp actors, so I don't think it was that hard.

[@Kylefassbinderful]

I always thought it was short sighted of his firm to fire someone for a poor reason and who is very much prepared to take you to court.

[@red2977]

They probably figured he'd be dead soon anyway. On top of that they were ignorant about the disease and were convinced there was a risk that he could infect them and the rest of the firm killing them all. In this context it seems plausible that they would fire him right away. Doesn't mean they were right in doing so but given their state of mind you can see their internal flawed logic.

[@tugboat2030]

​@red2977 agree with a lot here. Very reasonable for the law firm to assume he would slink away in shame rather than fight back, and they thought they could get it simply by touching a person.

[@gregslav6755]

I never caught that the one lawyer said “that ALONE was inexcusable” and the other lawyer looked at him.

[@raygordonteacheschess5501]

The opening scene is at 19th and Chestnut. I used to work a block from there and ate many lunches at Snow White and the chinese buffet to the right of the screen.

[@keltrepes2534]

I remember Snow White and the Sam Eric movie theater. There used to be an eyeglasses place there too. I was actually hit by an Old City taxi cab right on the corner of 19th and Chestnut.

[@ryancross8756]

tom touches all that stuff on purpose! its a test. Denzel ate a 'tums?' with the same hand shook with tom. at the end he looks at both hands. character dynamics.beautiful scene.

[@jimklipper6022]

Do you think the Bosses could have sat any further away from Andy? They knew what was going on with him.

[@joemckim1183]

They didn't want to have to shake his hand.

[@allanbard6048]

MAN that's a big desk!

[@Memevze]

3:29 Wait he hit the windows? What was that?

[@Somnus88]

He hit a privacy switch that turns the windows from clear to frosted.

[@davemustaki134]

Pretty damn advanced for the time I haven't really seen it around nowadays let alone back then

[@annielin2894]

I am watching the third time I love it

[@panaderofilms]

Walter likes little girls; wants to know if Jack is still his friend...

[@manchesterisblue1023]

great film

[@christopherfritz3840]

I I'll NEVER forgot when 1st Sgt Becket took over HQ Platoon. Had a meeting.. "I what you to know that you ALL have my back".. (You KNOW your days are numbered.. 😒)

[@florinivan6907]

If they hadn't fired him how much longer could he have kept working before AIDS started impacting his abilities?A year?Maybe two?And how much longer until potential clients started noticing his sickly demeanour?Ie they'd say 'we want someone else to represent us this guy looks half dead'. A year maybe? So realistically his career was cut short by at most 18 months. Once he started looking visibly ill no client of any importance would want him anymore. So he would at most be assigned secondary or tertiary duties.

[@Bfettrules]

Yes that should have occurred. Instead they sacked him. The man is facing the last year of his life with no significant income. They added insult to illness.

[@jackdillon5903]

This was AIDS in the 1980s so there was a lot more going on than what you detailed. The fact that he was someone with AIDS was the only factor in the decision. Not his ability as a lawyer or his visible illness. He had AIDS. I'm not trying to justify any of it but that was the paranoia and stigma of AIDS back then. Children who were born with AIDS were treated the same way and preschools and kindergartens tried to refuse enrol to them.

[@Scottydontbutscottydoes]

They didn’t fire him because she had AIDS- they fired him because he was gay… everything else was a pretext

[@peteandurnot]

​@jackdillon5903 more than that, he was a gay man who had aids. There's a woman referenced in the film who also has aid but who wasn't fired cos she got ot via a blood transfusion

[@skahler]

The vibe of this movie reminds me of that movie where the guy wakes up and is like "I'm retarded?" Ah yes - the After School Special.

[@bhaskarmothali]

Great to see Denzel Washington in this movie. His recent movies though fantastic, his roles however seem stereotypical.

[@MP-in4or]

I don't blame a single person for being scared. No one really knew about AIDs at that time. If you got it, you were dead. What I like about Denzel's character is he plays a typical lawyer. They will represent any side of the coin as long as the money is right. To them, there is no right or wrong. Its who can pay the most.

[@TLR1219]

My favorite movie

[@dyates6380]

I'm NOT a movie goer, and not, any more at least, a Tom Hanks fan, but this was one of the best movies I've ever seen. Just outstanding acting from several key actors in this movie.

[@kevinwasilewski598]

“Joe, counting silently to ten in his head, takes out his machete and chops off his hand World War Z-style”

[@joeorlando9140]

Two great actors

[@eugenezharnoff]

That guy in the beginning DOESN'T have a good case.

[@doctortimetv1577]

Great acting by Tom Hanks in any movie he stars in. However, I have always wondered in this scene was there a hiring clause to begin with that states what is and isnt acceptable behavior for representatives of the law firm? Because if his character knew that being hired and accepted the job any way . Then his character was more about making a statement than fair employment practices. Afterall, employers have to be candid in interviews about what they are looking for in candidates.

[@kylea9801]

The colonel was hired after his time spent in the California penal system

[@ryanloftis1125]

Brilliant.

[@martyguy8185]

Remember "covid" .....same "same"

[@Liza.Wharton]

oh no tom's makeup beard and hair in the beginning looks so fake and pasted on lmao 😂😂

[@ashwinoashwin]

Did tom hanks say nine or none?

[@MatthewSmith-cv7op]

Nine.

[@mendozaartstudiollc1354]

How little we knew about HIV & AIDS back then. I suppose we've come a long way.

[@trainmandavid8408]

He doesn’t see a case with Andy but that idiot who decided to cross the street where a hole is clearly marked had one. Give us a break. I do understand that’s the point of showing that is to illustrate the absurdity of it all, but it makes me wonder if stuff like this has happened for real and in how many instances.

[@bobbyblazini]

Now playing where? Lol

[@user-uu5mu1fs6d]

and 4 years later Walter went on to make pornos and ended up in jail. Judge much.

[@lukerocheleau9173]

What a plot twist to find out it was Denzel’s character that gave him aids in the first place!

[@goldcanyon340.]

I noticed how Denzel immediately lets go of Tom’s hand when Tom reveals that he has AIDS.

[@BeatMedicare]

You must’ve finished top of your class

[@amannamedred7932]

@@BeatMedicareLMFAO

[@vickykulig5080]

That was the stigma at the time, I praise both Denzel and Tom for their performance and being one of the first mainstream movies to tackle HIV/AIDS directly

[@joemckim1183]

Not only did he just let go of his hand but he also moved to the other side of the room.

[@vjiggy81]

Why does the guy that fell threw the hole have a case?

[@abon587]

He doesn’t, really. Denzel’s character says he does either because he wants the guy’s money or is confident he can do lawyer magic or something. The point is just to show Denzel’s prejudice and how up against it Andy is. He can’t even get a lawyer who will take pretty much anything to take him on.

[@vjiggy81]

@@abon587😢 your right!! I didnt even think about that. It does show major tolerance for anyone other than andy.

[@Иван-р1р7е]

♥️♥️♥️

[@stoneymcneal2458]

One of those groundbreaking movies that allow for a societal catharsis.

[@LordGreystoke]

The film came out about 5 years too late...

[@richardwolcott5567]

What nonsense firing a guy who has aids.

[@jrcasselman]

This film was released in 1993, 30 years ago. Back then it was an entirely different world. Homosexuals routinely faced discrimination in the workplace, and life in general. AIDS only served to exacerbate this discrimination. Nor were gays and drug users the only ones ostracized. Hemophiliacs and people who were infected through tainted blood faced routine discrimination.

[@Onecooltop75]

They did so much worse to people with HIV/AIDS. There’s still a stigma attached to it

[@seanwebb605]

@@Onecooltop75 Yes. It improved, but never truly went away. Society has just moved on to other issues.

[@joemckim1183]

@@jrcasselman And this was a time when AIDS was a death sentence. AIDS still isn't curable if you get it but if you get it when its still HIV then as long as you stay on your medication you can go the rest of your life without getting any worse. Magic Johnson has had HIV since like 1991 and hasn't gotten AIDS yet.

[@allanbard6048]

Lost a friend from the AZT cocktail and not the illness around the time this came out. Cannot listen to Springsteen's "Streets of Philadelphia" to this day.

[@SayNo2NoseBeers]

They fired him for packing fudge

[@xenonmob]

iris is an absolute dime

[@gamehengeful]

I always thought that too! Also Miguel's sister later on in the movie.

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (Concord, California; 9 de julio de 1956) es un actor y director de cine estadounidense. Es de los intérpretes más reconocidos de Hollywood. Varias de sus películas, sean dramas o comedias, han recibido el reconocimiento internacional. 67 AÑOS. (68)

[@therealbronxbull8541]

🤦

[@felixthelmocevallosmorales41]

Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr. (Mount Vernon, Nueva York; 28 de diciembre de 1954) es un actor, productor y director de cine estadounidense, ganador de tres Globo de Oro, un Premio del Sindicato de Actores, un premio Tony y dos premios Óscar; estos por las cintas Glory como mejor actor de reparto en 1989, y por Día de entrenamiento como mejor actor principal en 2001. En 2020, el New York Times lo calificó como el gran actor del siglo xxi. Conocido por sus actuaciones en la pantalla y el escenario, ha sido descrito como un actor quien reconfiguró "el concepto de cómo ser una estrella de cine", relacionando con personajes definidos por su gracia, dignidad, humanidad y fuerza interior. 69 AÑOS. (70)

[@SuperDecdog]

Not sure how it is in America but in Australia you aren’t allowed to turn down a client for personal reasons

[@vickykulig5080]

In the US you can for the following reasons: caseload is too big, clients don’t have the finances, personal experience with the type of case, conflict of interest. I don’t agree with it but that’s the way it is in the states, however Joe miller (Denzel) does change his mind and his homophobia does disappear

[@jezalb2710]

Not his area of expertise. Simple

[@tritosac]

It was a different era. This was well over 30 years ago. Today turning down a case for what seems like obvious reasons would likely get a firm bad press.

[@SuperDecdog]

@@tritosac its not even that. In Australia you cannot turn down a case as a member of the bar. You can't lie for someone knowingly but you must take on any case in your skillset

[@SuperDecdog]

@@jezalb2710 It was, it was suing haha. Imagine being that fucking stupid

[@HajimeNoJMo]

After family guy, I can’t see this scene the same way again

[@OmranSalem-pw7kb]

♥️♥️♥️

[@georgebyrne9002]

back when Denzel, Hanks and Springsteen were all at there peak

[@mocassin92]

Before Tom contracted Covid-19...

[@actuary33]

Who thinks that? I do. Damn that guy had balls!

[@freshtendrills5969]

AAAIIIIIDDDDDSSSSSS!

[@johnholland448]

Nobody's got AIDS.....I don't wanna hear that word again!!! - Tony Soprano

[@diarmuidmarsden7752]

@@johnholland448the sudden weight loss

[@saleonar]

Calling people "terrorists" on the basis not of their actions or even their demonstrable intentions, but simply on the basis of their views, is extremely illiberal, dare I say "un-American." Just call them "Hamas apologists" or "Israel critics" whatever.

[@JohnAdams-lw5wh]

I’m actually on the employer side

[@davidkitterman3952]

I feel that mr Beckett didn’t prove his case

[@carlousmagus5387]

How exactly?

[@gamehengeful]

I've always thought that. There was never any indication that they knew he had AIDS other than Bob who suspected it but didn't tell anyone else.

[@RonPaul42069]

Love movies where people die slowly.

[@gislo]

You must really love life too then?

[@user-wg3wj6ur9z]

Say what you want, but I am proud of our Amaerican system of justice where the little guy, the underdog can fight in court for wha tis right and win. ONLY IN AMERICA. God Bless the USA!!! TRUMP 2024!!!!

[@yakirzeev]

Trump the convict...

[@user-hr4mo8py5l]

I worked at two law firms for 14 years. ( 6 at one-8 at the other). The partners at both were slime , just like THE BOYS here.

[@vitamindealer7915]

Worked in law firms for years. MANY, GOOD, employees are mistreated by name partners.

[@chucksucks8640]

Even if you are not gay people can understand what it is like to be unfairly treated. Getting fired because the employer doesn't like gay people is one of them. It isn't a good feeling but there is not a lot you can do about it.

[@sunnyboy1307]

❤️❤️❤️