
Treatment GuideJust DiagnosedSex & DatingAfrican AmericanStigmaAsk the HIV DocPrEP En EspañolNewsVoicesPrint IssueVideoOut 100
CONTACTCAREER OPPORTUNITIESADVERTISE WITH USPRIVACY POLICYPRIVACY PREFERENCESTERMS OF USELEGAL NOTICE
© 2025 Pride Publishing Inc.
All Rights reserved
All Rights reserved
By continuing to use our site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
The Normal Heart, a semiautobiographical play about a gay man's transformation into an AIDS activist, was a sensation when it premiered in New York in 1985. The drama was even more warmly received when it was revived on Broadway this year, and Tony voters honored it with three awards in June. The Normal Heart is just the latest story about AIDS to be embraced by critics'here are some of the most acclaimed depictions on TV, celluloid, and the stage:
An Early Frost (TV movie, 1985): A big-name cast including Gena Rowlands, Ben Gazzara, and Aidan Quinn brought AIDS into America's living rooms with a realistic dramatization of a family grappling with their son's diagnosis. The TV movie won Emmy, Peabody, and Golden Globe awards.
Parting Glances (film, 1986): AIDS isn't the only story in this New York'centric independent movie, but the disease hovers over much of the action. Steve Buscemi made a big impression as an HIV-positive rock star in love with his best friend. Director-writer Bill Sherwood died of AIDS complications four years after the film's release.
Longtime Companion (film, 1990): Though taken to task by The New York Times for putting a white gay face on AIDS, Longtime Companion was embraced by many critics, including Roger Ebert, who saw the movie as groundbreaking, as it was one of the first mainstream films to take on HIV.
Life Goes On (TV series, 1989'1993) When it premiered in 1989, this family drama made headlines for featuring a main character with Down syndrome'it broke further ground two years later when Chad Lowe was cast as an HIV-positive teen who romances series star Kellie Martin.
Thirtysomething (TV series, 1987'1991): The thoughtful ABC show took a big risk when gay character Peter contracted HIV. The Emmy-winning series won accolades for featuring not only an HIV story line but a budding relationship between two men.
Falsettos (Broadway, 1992): Though not be as well-remembered as shows like Rent or The Normal Heart, this musical, which featured an HIV-positive main character, received critical praise as well as Tony awards for Best Score and Best Book.
And the Band Played On (TV movie, 1993): The HBO adaptation of Randy Shilts's 600-page tome on the early days of the epidemic was heralded by critics, who saw it as a respite from the TV movies of the day that often focused on tabloid sensations like Amy Fisher instead of serious issues.
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches (Broadway, 1993): Tony Kushner's sprawling AIDS epic hit theatergoers like a punch and took home a Tony Award for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The production's second half, Angels in America: Perestroika, premiered the same year and also won a Tony.
Philadelphia (film, 1993): Based on a heartbreaking true story, this Oscar-winning film stars Tom Hanks as a lawyer fired for his HIV-positive status. Director Jonathan Demme intentionally followed The Silence of the Lambs, accused of homophobia for its transgender serial killer, with the gay-positive, HIV-sensitive Philadelphia.Kids (film, 1995): Controversial, disturbing, and lauded by many critics, Kids received an NC-17 rating when released in theaters. The movie takes a frank look at teenagers partying their way through New York City'a major plot point concerns a promiscuous boy spreading HIV to his numerous female sex partners.
ER (TV series, 1994'2009): This much-loved show, which launched the careers of George Clooney and Julianna Margulies, also changed public perceptions of HIV with the character of Jeanie Boulet (played by Gloria Reuben), an African-American physician assistant living, working, and loving while HIV-positive.
Rent (Broadway, 1996): Puccini's La Boh'me, the opera about struggling artists in 19th-century Paris, inspired Jonathan Larson's Pulitzer Prize'winning musical about creative 20-somethings trying to avoid eviction in New York's East Village. The beloved characters are a diverse mix of races and HIV statuses.
Gia (TV movie, 1998): This artful and sexy HBO film rocketed Angelina Jolie to stardom and won her a Golden Globe. Jolie plays Gia Carangi, a lesbian supermodel of the 1970s and '80s who succumbed to both heroin addiction and AIDS.
The Hours (film, 2002): This Oscar-winning film, based on a novel by Michael Cunningham, focuses on three women in three different eras. The modern-day character of Clarissa Vaughan (Meryl Streep) spends a pivotal day planning a party for Richard (Ed Harris), a past love now dying of AIDS. Richard's struggle with the disease brings Clarissa's story line and the entire film to a startling end.
Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire (film, 2009): Produced by none other than Oprah Winfrey, Precious is an unflinching study of a poor and abused black teen in 1980s Harlem. Raped repeatedly by her father, Precious Jones gives birth to two children and contracts HIV. The movie manages to be uplifting in spite of its very dark premise, a quality that endeared it to critics and the public.
From our Sponsors
Most Popular
Lexi Love comes out as HIV+ after Trump deletes federal resources
January 23 2025 11:23 AM
Grindr is reminding us why jockstraps are so sexy and iconic
May 02 2025 5:36 PM
BREAKING NEWS: Trump admin moves to end federal HIV prevention programs
March 18 2025 6:10 PM
Trump's orders prompt CDC to erase HIV resources
January 31 2025 5:29 PM
This long-term HIV survivor says testosterone therapy helped save his life.
December 16 2024 8:00 PM
Celebrating Black History Month with our annual African American issue
February 01 2025 3:28 PM
Discover the power of Wellness in your life
March 26 2025 12:41 PM
Tyler TerMeer vows to continue to fight for health care for all
January 28 2025 3:00 PM
Plus: Featured Video
Latest Stories
Trump admin guts $258 million in funding for HIV vaccine research
June 03 2025 3:47 PM
HRC holds 'die-in' to protest Trump health care cuts
April 28 2025 2:11 PM
Two right-wing Supreme Court justices signal they may uphold access to PrEP and more
April 21 2025 4:10 PM
500,000 Children at Risk: PEPFAR Funding Crisis
April 08 2025 3:51 PM
Broadway's best raise over $1 million for LGBTQ+ and HIV causes
April 03 2025 7:15 PM
The Talk Season 5 premieres this spring with HIV guidance for the newly diagnosed
March 26 2025 1:00 PM
Season 4 of The Switch on resilience & radical self-love returns this spring
March 26 2025 12:20 PM
Jess King is here to help you live your happiest, healthiest life yet
March 24 2025 4:35 PM
Gerald Garth is keeping people of color happy and healthy through trying times
March 11 2025 3:38 PM
Plus nominated for 2025 GLAAD Media Award
January 22 2025 12:42 PM
A camp for HIV-positive kids is for sale. Here's why its founder is celebrating
January 02 2025 12:21 PM
'RuPaul's Drag Race' star Trinity K Bonet quietly comes out trans
December 15 2024 6:27 PM
Ricky Martin delivers showstopping performance for 2024 World AIDS Day
December 05 2024 12:08 PM
AIDS Memorial Quilt displayed at White House for the first time
December 02 2024 1:21 PM
Decades of progress, uniting to fight HIV/AIDS
December 01 2024 12:30 PM
Hollywood must do better on HIV representation
December 01 2024 9:00 AM
Climate change is disrupting access to HIV treatment
November 25 2024 11:05 AM
California confirms first case of even more deadly mpox strain
November 18 2024 3:02 PM