Unfortunately, I missed the Tony-winning production of The Normal Heart a couple of years back. In the movie adaptation, Jim Parsons reprises his role, while Mark Ruffalo takes over the lead from Joe Mantello, demoted from his Tony-nominated performance as Ned Weeks to a supporting role. Julia Roberts plays the role that won Ellen Barkin a Tony, and Matt Bomer plays the role that won John Benjain Hickey a Tony. As with all of HBO's annual Emmy contenders, the acting is superb, scoring six well-deserved acting nominations.
The Normal Heart tells a very important story about the lack of attention the AIDS epidemic was receiving in the early eighties and I am surprised it had not been adapted for film earlier. In any case, the issues are still relevant today.
The transition from stage to screen is evident. There is a lot of grandstanding, soapbox speeches, and furious monologues. It is very theatrical and though I did not see the play, I'm sure it worked well on stage. But these theatrical elements are slightly awkward on screen.
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