Milk

R

Released Nov 26, 2008

2 hr. 8 min.

Biography

Drama

LGBTQ+

List

93%

246 Reviews

Tomatometer

89%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in his life. Settling in the Castro District, he opens a camera shop and helps transform the area into a mecca for gays and lesbians. In 1977 he becomes the nation's first openly gay man elected to a notable public office when he wins a seat on the Board of Supervisors. The following year, Dan White (Josh Brolin) kills Milk in cold blood.

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Critics Consensus

Anchored by Sean Penn's powerhouse performance, Milk is a triumphant account of America's first openly gay man elected to public office.

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PridePosterStudios

“You gotta give ‘em hope!”

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/26/24

Full Review

Jerod S

Penn is believable as gay politician Harvey Milk, but the relationships featured in the film aren't nearly as gritty as they were in real life. And the double homicide was treated like an afterthought.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

05/05/23

Full Review

Amy L

EXCELLENT. So relevant still today.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/16/23

Full Review

Peter H

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Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/14/23

Full Review

d h

I've been interested in Harvey Milk's story since I was young. I finally watched this movie at 20 and was not disappointed.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

dave s

With Milk, director Gus Van Sant proves once again that he is able to effectively transfer his small-budget, independent film (Elephant, Drugstore Cowboy) sensibilities to a larger budget, Hollywood production. Covering the last decade of Harvey Milk's life, it is the story of a man who uses his considerable influence to protect the civil rights of, primarily, the gay community in San Francisco. Sean Penn is brilliant in the lead role, but what real stands out is Van Sant's ability to capture the atmosphere of the times. Much of the film has the vibe of a documentary thanks to the copious amounts of archival footage that documents the tumultuous time period. Austere throughout, Van Sant dispenses with the glitz and glamor of most Hollywood films to capture the raw emotions of an important period in American history.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Gus Van Sant

Director

Sean Penn

Harvey Milk

Emile Hirsch

Cleve Jones

Josh Brolin

Dan White

Diego Luna

Jack Lira

James Franco

Scott Smith

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Milk: Official Clip - A Cold Welcome to the Castro

1:05

Milk: Official Clip - Harvey Meets Cleve Jones

1:50

Milk: Official Clip - Victory Map

1:52

Milk: Official Clip - My Fellow Degenerates

1:24

Milk: Official Clip - Harvey Tries to Work With Dan

1:19

Milk: Official Clip - We Must Fight!

1:54

Milk: Official Clip - Gay Pride Rally Speech

2:51

Milk: Official Clip - Strategy Session

1:12

Milk: Official Clip - Cleve Joins the Revolution

2:58

Milk: Official Clip - Harvey Debates Senator Briggs

1:03

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Namrata Joshi

Outlook

Penn is so well-tuned that not for a minute does his Milk lapse into a caricature.

Rated: 3/4

Jan 31, 2019

Full Review

Nathan Lee

Film Comment Magazine

Milk is fortuitously, if inevitably, a movie of its moment.

Mar 20, 2018

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

Penn may be the main attraction, but this is very much an ensemble piece. Emile Hirsch, as cheeky street kid turned activist Cleve Jones, Diego Luna as Milk's annoyingly needy, unstable second lover and James Franco's Scott, add to the communal spirit.

Feb 6, 2018

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Sean Penn plays Harvey Milk as if overcome by another personality, allowing us to forget there’s an amazing actor at work and simply accept the person as presented.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 5, 2024

Full Review

Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... focuses less on Milk’s triumphs than on his activism: how he shaped a movement and showed gay men and lesbian women all over the country that they could stand up for their rights as a political force.

Apr 8, 2023

Full Review

Michael Cuby

them.

Van Sant places Milk’s queerness front and center, spotlighting the myriad ways his unapologetic homosexuality informed both his political ambitions and the widespread support he worked to earn from his community.

Sep 27, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

In 1972, Harvey Milk (Sean Penn) and his then-lover Scott Smith leave New York for San Francisco, with Milk determined to accomplish something meaningful in his life. Settling in the Castro District, he opens a camera shop and helps transform the area into a mecca for gays and lesbians. In 1977 he becomes the nation's first openly gay man elected to a notable public office when he wins a seat on the Board of Supervisors. The following year, Dan White (Josh Brolin) kills Milk in cold blood.

Director: Gus Van Sant
Executive Producer: Michael London, Dustin Lance Black, Bruna Papandrea, Barbara Hall, William Horberg
Screenwriter: Dustin Lance Black
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Groundswell Productions, Jinks/Cohen Company
Rating: R (Language|Brief Violence|Some Sexual Content)
Genre: Biography, Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 26, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 15, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $31.8M

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