It goes without saying that Streep & Pacino were brilliant in Angels, but Jeffrey Wright's performance was the whole heart of this production. Amazing.
I always found the heart of the play to be the story of Joe Pitt. The climax isn't the death of Roy Cohn or when Prior Walter visits Heaven, it's when Louis confronts Joe about all the legal opinions he helped author and they devolve into a fist-fight.
I agree that Joe Pitt's story was the climax. But the love and humanity came from Belize. He hated Roy Cohn, yet still found the decency and compassion from deep inside to provide him with care during his final days. He also stood by Prior during his illness, while Louis abandoned him.
yorktown99 I didn't like Joe the first times I watched the movie/miniserie. But now I love him... he is the most desperate and in need of empathy of all the characters (because despite everything, every other or have their shit kinda together or at least have a support group - even Harper has a loving Hannah looking over her). He is so in need for someone to understand and help him, and yet the three characters with whom he has interactions in the series are either the equivalent of human garbage (Roy), a fucking self-centered narcisistic piece of shit that only do more damage than help (Louis) or his mother who when confronted by her son's sexuality decides to ignore and shut him down. I love Hanna, but the empathy and understanding she showed Prior should extend to her son too.
This scene won Jeffrey Wright an Emmy and a Golden Globe! One of the best series ever put on television. Those who aspire to be an actor, should watch this scene, study it, and use it as a barometer with which they measure their success.
Oh no, you cut off the cherry on top at the end. When he says the sky looks purple and Jeffrey Wright looks at it and says, "boy, what kinda homosexual are you, anyway. The color isn't purple... that color is mauve." Beautiful.
A-men!! This movie scene is a CLASSIC. Thanks for posting.. I could nevr get enough of this scene.. OMG.. Jeffrey Wright is so underrated! I am glad he is around. I just more people would RECOGNIZE REAL TALENT when they see it. THANK YOU, Hollywood Foreign Press and Emmy award members for giving the recognition where it is DUE.
Louis is one of the great villains in American cinema. He is intelligent yet completely selfish and cowardly and I feel like I know him, people like him anyway. I hate him and am simultaneously fascinated by him.
villain? does this look like a comic book adaptation? he's a realistically drawn character. and of course you have conflicting feelings towards him, because despite what he says, every real connection _is_ ambivalent.
It's a great example how easy it is for us to not be aware of our somewhat passive racism. While we may not be racists, in the strictest of meanings, we all sometimes say things and think things that may be a little racist, without realizing it. I also just love how the scene plays out. Belize is such an interesting character.
+cocogomez1987 - probably because, it's not the end of the scene. They just cut it down. The whole idea is that Louis is trying so hard to convince Belize that the problem is NOT him walking out on Prior and that racism is merely a political tool for the masses, and not an ongoing series of micro aggressions, occurring on a daily basis in the lives of millions. And, Belize is having NONE of it.
Am I the only one who does not hate Louis? He‘s pretty authentic and human. He suffers from deep insecurities, he clearly battles with anxiety/depression. Many folks judge his character, but his reactions aren‘t really unusual.
A fair question, to which I would say: Louis does suffer from guilt and his own demons. But walking out on Pryor instead of helping him was unforgivable. Even if he broke up with him he could still live with him and help support him through his sickness.
This was the performance that really made me take notice of Jeffrey Wright. Such a brilliant and phenomenal actor. He's now getting a lot of Oscar buzz for his performance in American Fiction. Even though I haven't seen the movie yet, I'm already hoping he gets an Oscar nomination and wins. It sucks it took 20 years since this series was released for Wright to get his potential Oscar nom, but better late than never.
It really pisses me off that Jeffrey Wright isn’t an Academy Award winning actor at this point of his career. His range is simply incredible. From his performance as Basquiat, to the villain in Shaft, Belize, Martin Luther King Jr. Commissioner Jim Gordon?? He’s amazing.
He's finally getting a lot of Oscar buzz for his performance in American Fiction. It hasn't been released yet, but I'm really hoping he gets the nomination and wins the Oscar. He's such a phenomenal actor. I consider him up there with Robert DeNiro, AL Pacino, and Jack Nicholson. He deserves so much more material and leading roles.
First scene of the series I ever tuned into. Needless to say I then watched the whole lot. Was on repeat, years ago. Have looked out for Jeffrey Wright ever since. Pity that Broken City doesn't have what it takes to be a big hit. But he's young and will have plenty of opportunity! Not all actors become big hits when they're in their thirties...
This is the scene that got me into Angels in America. I came across it totally at random on TV here in Australia, and was completely astonished. It reminded me of Seinfeld crossed with Philip K Dick. I bet Kushner read Valis at some stage; Prior Walter reminds me strongly of Horselover Fat. I saw a terrific production here in Sydney in 2013. Despite Belize's evident contempt for Louis's political rant in this scene I expect both Louis and Prior, for all their differences, eventually come to similar conclusions about the nature of the universe. They both decide at the end that it is better for human beings to proceed bit by bit, on a human scale and by their own accord, rather than rely on either ideology (the "world's oldest Bolshevik" scene), ethnicity ("dutch people are dutch") or even divine sanction (the Angel of America). Remember that in the Old Testament some of the angels are called "principalities" because they are literally angels of the existing countries of that era. At one stage the angel of the LORD claims to have been delayed by the Prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13). Such an attitude means that all earthly kingdoms back then were regarded as being backed by the sanction of divine imprimatur (and for those who believe in such things today, there must logically be a literal Angel of America as in this play - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_spirit#Daniel_10). An attitude like this tends to discourage political innovation by ossifying the way things are into some sort of divine order. This I think is also the point of the "show me the theory" intro to the second play; where Bolshevism is also a muzzle on political innovation. As Belize himself says in the final scene, politics is faster than thought, faster than ideology and much, much faster than two thousand year old theology.
Oh, yeah. Either it's massive trolling on burtonrules123's part, or its massive unintended irony. Either way, derision is the only possible response. Once you're faced with a certain level of stupid, you can't argue with it and just have to mock it until it goes away. By the way, this scene shows off just how well rehearsed the actors in this production were. That they're able to get this very complicated dialogue off this fast and with this much emotion is amazing.
This is the content you would expect from current Hollywood with the whole woke trend, but they always miss the point. Instead, they go straight to making something that appeals to the demograph (race swapping/ gender bending), but not what propagates it. Angels in America is one of the best miniseries for the focus on how people actually feel.
It goes without saying that Streep & Pacino were brilliant in Angels, but Jeffrey Wright's performance was the whole heart of this production. Amazing.
I always found the heart of the play to be the story of Joe Pitt. The climax isn't the death of Roy Cohn or when Prior Walter visits Heaven, it's when Louis confronts Joe about all the legal opinions he helped author and they devolve into a fist-fight.
Jeffrey's performance floored me, and also Mary-Louise Parker's!
I agree that Joe Pitt's story was the climax. But the love and humanity came from Belize. He hated Roy Cohn, yet still found the decency and compassion from deep inside to provide him with care during his final days. He also stood by Prior during his illness, while Louis abandoned him.
+Hammerton32 me too!
One of my favorites movies.
yorktown99 I didn't like Joe the first times I watched the movie/miniserie. But now I love him... he is the most desperate and in need of empathy of all the characters (because despite everything, every other or have their shit kinda together or at least have a support group - even Harper has a loving Hannah looking over her).
He is so in need for someone to understand and help him, and yet the three characters with whom he has interactions in the series are either the equivalent of human garbage (Roy), a fucking self-centered narcisistic piece of shit that only do more damage than help (Louis) or his mother who when confronted by her son's sexuality decides to ignore and shut him down. I love Hanna, but the empathy and understanding she showed Prior should extend to her son too.
This scene won Jeffrey Wright an Emmy and a Golden Globe! One of the best series ever put on television. Those who aspire to be an actor, should watch this scene, study it, and use it as a barometer with which they measure their success.
YOU"RE right I read this play and finally saw it come to life...this scene is aamzing
Writers, too, should watch and learn.
"Power to the people, amen; my goodness would you look at the time-"
Lol..classic!
Jeffrey Wright is simply MAJESTIC!
Jeffrey Wright is a brilliant actor.
Oh no, you cut off the cherry on top at the end. When he says the sky looks purple and Jeffrey Wright looks at it and says, "boy, what kinda homosexual are you, anyway. The color isn't purple... that color is mauve." Beautiful.
This is the best piece of back and forth dialogue I've seen definitely going to check the series out
Jeffery Wright played this role masterfully!!
The writing is just incredible!!
A-men!! This movie scene is a CLASSIC. Thanks for posting.. I could nevr get enough of this scene.. OMG.. Jeffrey Wright is so underrated! I am glad he is around. I just more people would RECOGNIZE REAL TALENT when they see it. THANK YOU, Hollywood Foreign Press and Emmy award members for giving the recognition where it is DUE.
Louis is one of the great villains in American cinema. He is intelligent yet completely selfish and cowardly and I feel like I know him, people like him anyway. I hate him and am simultaneously fascinated by him.
sorry but he is a fucking idiot
villain? does this look like a comic book adaptation? he's a realistically drawn character.
and of course you have conflicting feelings towards him, because despite what he says, every real connection _is_ ambivalent.
great villains in American *theater*
Hes no villain. He's certainly flawed. Everyone is.
As one of the actors said, "We want to be Prior, or Belize, but we are all actually Harper, or Louis."
This is a scene in American cinema that should NEVER be overlooked. Once again for the dull of mind. It should NEVER be overlooked.
Think about it Joe. Just listen to what they are saying.
+David Fahey I love this movie. But I have to admit I kinda don't understand the end of this scene. Explain ?
It's a great example how easy it is for us to not be aware of our somewhat passive racism. While we may not be racists, in the strictest of meanings, we all sometimes say things and think things that may be a little racist, without realizing it.
I also just love how the scene plays out. Belize is such an interesting character.
+cocogomez1987 - probably because, it's not the end of the scene. They just cut it down.
The whole idea is that Louis is trying so hard to convince Belize that the problem is NOT him walking out on Prior and that racism is merely a political tool for the masses, and not an ongoing series of micro aggressions, occurring on a daily basis in the lives of millions.
And, Belize is having NONE of it.
Thank you Paula. That was a very good summation of the scene.
Am I the only one who does not hate Louis?
He‘s pretty authentic and human. He suffers from deep insecurities, he clearly battles with anxiety/depression.
Many folks judge his character, but his reactions aren‘t really unusual.
A fair question, to which I would say:
Louis does suffer from guilt and his own demons. But walking out on Pryor instead of helping him was unforgivable. Even if he broke up with him he could still live with him and help support him through his sickness.
This was the performance that really made me take notice of Jeffrey Wright. Such a brilliant and phenomenal actor.
He's now getting a lot of Oscar buzz for his performance in American Fiction. Even though I haven't seen the movie yet, I'm already hoping he gets an Oscar nomination and wins.
It sucks it took 20 years since this series was released for Wright to get his potential Oscar nom, but better late than never.
"power to the people"...A-men.. LOL.. I LOVE THIS SCENE. Jeffrey Wright STOLE this scene hands down, baby....wow
It really pisses me off that Jeffrey Wright isn’t an Academy Award winning actor at this point of his career. His range is simply incredible. From his performance as Basquiat, to the villain in Shaft, Belize, Martin Luther King Jr. Commissioner Jim Gordon??
He’s amazing.
He's finally getting a lot of Oscar buzz for his performance in American Fiction. It hasn't been released yet, but I'm really hoping he gets the nomination and wins the Oscar. He's such a phenomenal actor. I consider him up there with Robert DeNiro, AL Pacino, and Jack Nicholson.
He deserves so much more material and leading roles.
Jeffrey Wright is an amazing actor.
relevant in the 80s, and relevant in 2020
Honorary citizen of the Twilight Zone.....that summed up the guy so well no more words needed to be wasted on him anyway
Now that is some kick ass acting.
In Love With the Night Mysterious ~ GREAT title!
Jeffrey Wright is underrated. That right there is one of THE MOST TALENTED actors who ever lived.
First scene of the series I ever tuned into. Needless to say I then watched the whole lot. Was on repeat, years ago. Have looked out for Jeffrey Wright ever since. Pity that Broken City doesn't have what it takes to be a big hit.
But he's young and will have plenty of opportunity! Not all actors become big hits when they're in their thirties...
I adore Jeffrey Wright✨✨✨✨
This is the scene that got me into Angels in America. I came across it totally at random on TV here in Australia, and was completely astonished. It reminded me of Seinfeld crossed with Philip K Dick. I bet Kushner read Valis at some stage; Prior Walter reminds me strongly of Horselover Fat. I saw a terrific production here in Sydney in 2013.
Despite Belize's evident contempt for Louis's political rant in this scene I expect both Louis and Prior, for all their differences, eventually come to similar conclusions about the nature of the universe. They both decide at the end that it is better for human beings to proceed bit by bit, on a human scale and by their own accord, rather than rely on either ideology (the "world's oldest Bolshevik" scene), ethnicity ("dutch people are dutch") or even divine sanction (the Angel of America).
Remember that in the Old Testament some of the angels are called "principalities" because they are literally angels of the existing countries of that era. At one stage the angel of the LORD claims to have been delayed by the Prince of Persia (Daniel 10:13). Such an attitude means that all earthly kingdoms back then were regarded as being backed by the sanction of divine imprimatur (and for those who believe in such things today, there must logically be a literal Angel of America as in this play - see en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Territorial_spirit#Daniel_10).
An attitude like this tends to discourage political innovation by ossifying the way things are into some sort of divine order. This I think is also the point of the "show me the theory" intro to the second play; where Bolshevism is also a muzzle on political innovation. As Belize himself says in the final scene, politics is faster than thought, faster than ideology and much, much faster than two thousand year old theology.
Who would've thought Jeffrey Wright would someday play Gordon in The Batman. Thespian!
omfg if they added Jeffrey Wright to "Pose"...*hearteyes*
Jeffrey Wright is the God of Acting. Best thing I have EVER watched on Television and I am a 63yr old man!
I love this scene. I've tried to memorize it many times, but I cen't get it all for some reason.
Loved Jeffrey Wright in this. He stole the show from Streep and Pacino.
Amazing how people can say offensive things and still be offended themselves when people take offense.
OKAY BUT I WAS TODAY YEARS OLD WHEN I REALIZED BELIZE IS TALKING ABOUT MOTHERFUCKING TONI MORRISON’S BELOVED
what do you mean by this? i never would have thought there's a connection between the two
Oh, yeah. Either it's massive trolling on burtonrules123's part, or its massive unintended irony. Either way, derision is the only possible response. Once you're faced with a certain level of stupid, you can't argue with it and just have to mock it until it goes away.
By the way, this scene shows off just how well rehearsed the actors in this production were. That they're able to get this very complicated dialogue off this fast and with this much emotion is amazing.
And also it doesn't hurt that the dialog they're doing was this fluid because it's not very far off from the reality it's addressing here.
... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
Best comeback I've ever seen on TH-cam.
Jeffrey wright
Brilliant
Jeffrey Wright... el puto amo
omg is that not the guy from hunger games
It’s probably bc I’m very used to the revival’s proshot, but I really feel like they’re talking too fast and with very little emotion ://
This is how realistic arguments go. On film it needed to look less 'stagey'.
And that's the word.
This is the content you would expect from current Hollywood with the whole woke trend, but they always miss the point. Instead, they go straight to making something that appeals to the demograph (race swapping/ gender bending), but not what propagates it. Angels in America is one of the best miniseries for the focus on how people actually feel.
And what propagates it is the fact that they don't Even Know they are, as you can take note from this scene. What do you mean by Woke?
you just know Belize had been waiting literal years for the prime moment to bring up this trashy book with Louis just to see his reaction lol
Honestly lol
0:18 roll credits
How is this the same guy who played Bernard Lowe and Jim Gordon? 🤯
He's Cajun.
2020 👀
0:11 all I hear is Ben Shapiro lol
OMG YES that ANNOOOYING screech of a voice....WHHHHY ?? LoL
Super!
Are we suppose to hate Lewis because I HATE him.
He hates himself. I think we're supposed to hate what he does...he is certainly a jerk.
What about my husband
?
Lots of bad cuts--watch where Shenkman's hands are each time the shot changes. Surprising in a film this well-produced...
Miniseries, not film
I prefer the National Theatre version.
just shut up and kiss...him
they are not a couple, he is his former partners partner
Super thank you, it's true.