Filmed on location in its namesake city, it tells the story of attorney Andrew Beckett (Hanks) who comes to ask a personal injury attorney, Joe Miller (Washington), to help him sue his former employer, who fired him after discovering he was gay and that he had AIDS.

Philadelphia: Directed by Jonathan Demme. With Tom Hanks, Denzel Washington, Roberta Maxwell, Buzz Kilman. When a man with HIV is fired by his law firm because of his condition, he hires a homophobic small-time lawyer as the only willing advocate for a wrongful dismissal suit.

When a gay Philadelphia lawyer is fired, he suspects AIDS is the reason and takes his fight to court - even as he is losing his battle against the disease.

Jan 14, 1994 · It’s a ground-breaker like “ Guess Who's Coming to Dinner ” (1967), the first major film about an interracial romance; it uses the chemistry of popular stars in a reliable genre to sidestep what looks like controversy. The story involves Hanks as Andrew Beckett, a skillful lawyer in a big, old-line Philadelphia law firm.

As their unlikely friendship develops their courage overcomes the prejudice and corruption of their powerful adversaries. Find out how and where to watch "Philadelphia" online on Netflix, Prime …

Fearing compromise to his career, lawyer Andrew Beckett hides his homosexuality and HIV status at a powerful Philadelphia law firm, but his secret is exposed when a colleague spots the illness' telltale lesions.

Dec 10, 1993 · Hailed as a landmark film that dazzles with deep emotion and exceptional acting, PHILADELPHIA stars Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington as two competing lawyers who join forces to sue a prestigious law firm for AIDS discrimination.