Rev. Danny Fisher

Anyone who reads this blog with any regularity knows that I’m fascinated with American civil rights history. That said, I’m very excited for the upcoming release of Oscar-nominated filmmaker Gus Van Sant’s biopic Milk. The film tells the story of former San Francisco City Supervisor Harvey Milk, who was, according to Time Magazine, “the first openly gay man elected to any substantial political office in the history of the planet.” The effects of his life and work on the gay rights movement in this country are difficult to quantify–suffice it to say that they were great. His story, though, has a sad end: in 1978, he and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated by former city supervisor Dan White. You can find out more about Milk and his life here.

The film will be released this November, and stars Academy Award-winner Sean Penn (Mystic River) as Milk, Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men) as White, and Victor Garber (Titanic) as Moscone, as well as Emile Hirsch (Into the Wild), Denis O’Hare (Michael Clayton), and James Franco (Spider-Man) in supporting roles. Hopefully, it’s as good as the trailer makes it look…