Stereotypes In The Movie Philadelphia

The movie Philadelphia follows the story of Andrew Beckett, a young lawyer suffering from the disease HIV. Fearing it would compromise his career; Beckett hides his homosexuality and HIV status but is later found out, when his colleagues notice the illness’s telltale lesions. Fired shortly afterwards, Beckett decides to sue for discrimination, teaming up with Joe Miller, the only lawyer willing to help. Through a rigorous court case, the two end up winning and set a precedent setting case for homosexuality in the work place
When Beckett first started his pursuit of equality, he was met with many hardships, most if not all stemming from prejudice. This prejudice came due his contracted disease which carried many stereotypes at the time. This was first seen when Beckett tried to find a lawyer, he had to go through nine until he was finally able to find a lawyer who was willing to help him and even then it took some persuading. Moreover, in the scene where he talked to Miller, Miller felt very

This is seen in the scene where Miller asked a witness if they were gay he attempted to show the court that this trial is not just about HIV but about homosexuality and the way the LBGTQ community is treated within society. This is further proven when Miller and Beckett reference the Arline decision, a case brought to the Supreme Court in 1973, which prohibited the termination of a competent employee on the grounds of handicap including HIV/AIDS. The fact that this case did not hold much weight and didn’t influence the court’s decision displays the fact that the case wasn’t just about HIV as a disease but how it’s contracted. Therefore, Beckett was faced with not only the issue of HIV and its lack of knowledge and prejudice but also the stigma surrounding homosexuality and the lack of knowledge. However, through it all he kept his head high and was able to come through