ANGELS IN AMERICA: PERESTROIKA, CHAPTER 5: BEYOND NELLY (TV)
Summary
The fifth installment in this six-hour miniseries based on the stage play by Tony Kushner, focusing on themes of religion, sexuality, death and self-discovery in late 20th-century America.
The program begins at the Mormons Visitors' Center, where Hannah is working and Harper is camped out, studying the diorama of the first Mormons, though Hannah tells her that she should leave. As Harper watches, the Mormon mother figurine comes to life and gives her some harsh advice about God's vengeful nature. Elsewhere, Joe and Louis walk on the wintry beach and Louis admits that he still has issues with Joe's religion and political views; Joe tells him that he must accept the "unperfectability" of the world and says that choosing to leave Prior was a brave act. Louis marvels at Joe's lack of guilt over leaving Harper, saying that he wants to see Prior again. In desperation, Joe strips down and vows to give up anything Louis asks. Back at home, Hannah counsels Harper on the "disappointing" nature of life. Joe visits with Roy as he receives treatment for his "cancer," and Roy tells him that life is "brutal and short," wondering if he, too, has seen Ethel Rosenberg. He then gives Joe a fatherly blessing, drawing a comparison to Jacob tricking Isaac into blessing him.
Louis calls Prior and they meet in Washington Square Park, though Prior is still furious with him and immediately guesses that he is seeing someone new. He is baffled when Louis admits that his lover is a gay Republican. Louis tries to make amends, but Prior tells him not to bother until he is "bruised on the outside" as well. Joe admits to Roy that he is now staying with a man, and a dazed Roy orders him to go back to Harper. He pulls out his IV, and Joe is alarmed when Belize tells him to avoid touching the blood. Roy muses to Belize, who reveals that his real name is Norman, that he has lost everything and hopes to die before he is officially disbarred, noticing that Ethel has returned. Later, Prior and Belize inspect Prior's "replacement" and head to the courts to find Joe. Prior is exasperated to see that he is a clean-cut law clerk. Belize is shocked to recognize Joe from Roy's hospital room, and they run out. Louis meets Belize at Bethesda Fountain in Central Park, horrified to learn that he is involved with Roy Cohn's underling and stunned at his own recent actions. Belize offers his bleak opinions on the nature of America and freedom and departs. Prior follows Joe to the Mormon Visitors' Center, where Joe asks Hannah about Harper and says that Hannah should not have moved to New York after his fateful late-night phone call. Hannah questions why Joe ran from Salt Lake City in the first place, reminding him of his responsibility to Harper.
Prior barges into the center and talks to Hannah, warning her about Louis' unreliability. When he collapses with a fever, she accompanies him to the hospital. Joe finds Harper on the roof, talking about Judgment Day and asking if he missed her, and he takes her inside. At the hospital, Roy, strung out on morphine, tells Belize that he is ready to die and wonders about the afterlife. Belize offers him an unusual description of heaven. Joe and Harper have passionless sex, but Harper forces him to finally admit that he sees "nothing" when he looks at her. Joe then leaves again.
Details
- NETWORK: HBO
- DATE: December 14, 2003 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 1:03:10
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: B:83744
- GENRE: Drama
- SUBJECT HEADING: Drama; Miniseries; HIV/AIDS; LGBT Collection
- SERIES RUN: HBO - TV series, 2003
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Mike Nichols … Executive Producer, Director
- Cary Brokaw … Executive Producer
- Mike Haley … Co-Executive Producer
- Celia Costas … Producer
- Paul A. Levin … Associate Producer
- Liz Ralston … Visual Effects Producer
- Tony Kushner … Writer
- Thomas Newman … Music by
- Al Pacino … Cast, Roy Cohn
- Justin Kirk … Cast, Prior Walter
- Ben Shenkman … Cast, Louis Ironson
- Patrick Wilson … Cast, Joe Pitt
- Mary-Louise Parker … Cast, Harper Pitt
- Meryl Streep … Cast, Hannah Pitt / Ethel Rosenberg
- Jeffrey Wright … Cast, Belize
- Robin Weigert … Cast, Mormon Mother
- Sterling Brown … Cast, Orderly
- Lisa Leguillou … Cast, Nurse