Justin Kirk and Emma Thompson in “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches" at the Figge Art Museum -- June 25.
Thursday, June 25, 6 p.m.
Figge Art Museum, 225 West Second Street, Davenport IA
Presented as the fourth and final event in a month-long series of screenings held in celebration of Pride Month, the first half of author Tony Kushner's, director Mike Nichols' and HBO's Emmy-dominating miniseries Angels in America, Millennium Approaches, enjoys a June 25 screening at the Figge Art Museum, this special series made possible by the Art Bridges Foundation in conjunction with the Felix Gonzalez-Torres exhibition now on view at the Davenport venue.
As Angels in America opens, the year is 1985, Ronald Reagan is in the White House, and AIDS is causing mass death in the Americas. In Manhattan, Prior Walter (Justin Kirk) tells Louis (Ben Shenkman), his lover of four years, that he has AIDS; Louis, unable to handle the news, leaves him. As disease and loneliness ravage Prior, guilt invades Louis. At the same time, Joe Pitt (Patrick Wilson), a Mormon and Republican attorney, is pushed by right-wing fixer Roy Cohn (Al Pacino) toward a job at the US Department of Justice. Both Pitt and Cohn are in the closet: Pitt out of shame and religious turmoil, Cohn to preserve his power and image. Meanwhile, Pitt's wife Harper (Mary-Louise Parker) is strung out on Valium, causing her to hallucinate constantly, while Louis' mother (Meryl Streep) prepares a trip from Utah, Prior is tended to be his best friend Belize (Jeffrey Wright) ... and an angel with ulterior motives (Emma Thompson) commands Prior to become a prophet.
Angels in America was the most-watched made-for-cable film in 2003, and earned much critical acclaim and numerous accolades: at the 56th Primetime Emmy Awards, it became the first of only three programs in Emmy history (along with Schitt's Creek in 2020, and The Crown in 2021) to sweep every major eligible category and win all four acting categories. It also won in all five eligible categories at the 61st Golden Globe Awards. In 2006, The Seattle Times listed the series among "Best of the filmed AIDS portrayals" on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of AIDS. On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, Angels in America holds a 92-percent "freshness" rating, the critical consensus reading: "In Angels of America, writer Tony Kushner and director Mike Nichols imaginatively and artistically deliver heavy, vital subject matter, colorfully imparted by a stellar cast."
The film's 6 p.m. screening will be held in conjunction with live music by Angela Meyer in the Figge Cafe from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. A country-music artist who calls the Quad Cities home, Meyer delivers a live show that explores many genres of music through acoustic covers, as well as her own country/western originals. She has played professionally around the QC area for more than 10 years and has traveled far beyond to play shows anywhere from New Mexico to New York. Along the way, Meyer has graced stages of all sizes, including the National Finals Rodeo events in Las Vegas, delighting fans of such artists as Kacey Musgraves, Johnny Cash, The Eagles, Lizzo, and Bob Seger.
Angels in America: Millennium Approaches will be screened in Davenport's John Deere Auditorium on June 25, and the 6 p.m. event will be preceded by the CLOCK, Inc Silent Auction that starts at 4 p.m. Admission is free, and more information is available by calling (563)326-7804 and visiting FiggeArtMuseum.org.
