Title

Theatrical, Cinematic, And Domestic Epic In Tony Kushner’S Angels In America

Abstract

Few cinematic adaptations of theatrical plays boast such an impressive pedigree as Mike Nichols’s production of Tony Kushner’s Angels in America. Nichols’s oeuvre stands as one of the most respected in Hollywood history, and many of his greatest successes have resulted from theatrical adaptations, foremost his translation of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1966), but also his re-creations of Neil Simon’s Biloxi Blues (1988), Jean Poiret’s Le Cage aux folles as The Birdcage (1996), and Margaret Edson’s Wit (2001). Kushner himself wrote the screenplay for this adaptation of his play and closely adhered to his award-winning text. The cast featured actors celebrated not merely for their celebrity but for their pitch-perfect dramatic skills, including Al Pacino as Roy Cohn, Meryl Streep as Hannah Pitt, Emma Thompson as the Angel, and Mary-Louise Parker as Harper Pitt. An impressive array of up-and-comers – including Justin Kirk as Prior Walter, Ben Shenkman as Louis Ironson, and Patrick Wilson as Joe Pitt – more than held their own when paired with these heavyweights. Jeffrey Wright reprised his Tony-winning role as Belize for the film version, again capturing critical acclaim – as well as a Golden Globe and an Emmy – for his performance. The ancillary components of the film, including its set design, costume design, and musical score, contribute effectively to the film’s coherence, as they each capture respective components of the play’s storyline. The critical acclaim among the popular press for the film version of Angels in America was virtually unanimous: “a masterpiece,” one that is “hauntingly, unshakably memorable, and ranks among television’s finest recent achievements,” extols David Bianculli; “Angels in America calls for celebration,” declares Nancy Franklin.

Publication Date

1-1-2011

Publication Title

Modern American Drama on Screen

Number of Pages

271-288

Document Type

Article; Book Chapter

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511843709.016

Socpus ID

84928079680 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84928079680

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