Brief Screening Report

1.Describe in detail one important scene from the film.

2.Explain why you think the scene is important.

3.Indicate at what specific point in the film the scene occurs.  You can reference DVD chapter numbers or you can use timing numbers for a streaming video.

Milk (2008) Written by Dustin Lance Black—Scene 10 (11:40-12:35)

The scene opens with Harvey’s and his partner, Scoot, in their apartment. Harvey is preparing food in the kitchen.  

HARVEY MILK: We'll form our own business association! Start with the gay-owned businesses... We'll take down the addresses of every customer that comes in for a roll of film. We'll ask them what they want to see done here... what they want changed... We'll get money rolling into this neighborhood. Revitalize it...           

SCOTT SMITH: Can I come in now?            

HARVEY MILK: One more minute! (Harvey goes back to his new scheme) I'll go to the neighborhood banks. They must have some gay customers.            

SCOTT SMITH: Harvey. What's with all this political activist crap? I thought you were a goddamn Republican.

      [Harvey walks into the small dining room holding two plates of food. He sets them out on a small dining room table, still rambling on to Scott in the bedroom.]            

HARVEY MILK: I'm a businessman, Scott. I think businesses ought to treat their customers right. Even their gay customers. For God's sake, this is San Francisco!            

SCOTT SMITH: Harvey. It's just like every other city in this country. People hate us. Big surprise.

HARVEY MILK: We should have at least one block in one city right? Start there and take over the neighborhood. (Harvey smiles) Okay, you can come in now!

      [Scott heads toward the kitchen. The table is LAID OUT with a home-cooked meal, CANDLES and a huge bouquet of FLOWERS.]            

SCOTT SMITH: Wow. This is--

            To me, this scene is one of, if not the most important scene, in the entire movie.  The scene comes really early in the movie but one of the reasons why I think that this scene is vital to the movie is because it puts the homosexual men and women during the gay-rights movement into two distinct groups. One group is willing to take the time to demand their legal rights as citizens and the right to be treated like any other human being without being discriminated for their sexual orientation. While the other group chooses to just sit by and do nothing, excepting the world the way it is, no matter how unjust.  As the movie progresses you witness more and more gay men and women embrace their homosexuality and fully commit to the gay-rights movement.

            Another reason why I find this scene so important to the movie is the setting of the scene what they’re doing while this conversation takes place.  During the scene Harvey is preparing a romantic birthday dinner for Scott. The apartment is small with a wide variety of things decorating their dining room. The way the scene is laid out, I think that the scene was used to make Harvey seem like your average person. Cooking dinner for a loved on, coming home and telling someone about your day, these are things that people do around the world every day. Homosexual or heterosexual, Harvey was just an everyday man doing everyday things. 

            The very beginning of Harvey Milk's political career begins in this scene. He didn’t just become a gay-rights activist overnight. Like any other person, Harvey wanted to live in a world where his sexuality wouldn't effect what he can do and how he is treated. He started out as a just your average man with idea about how he thinks the world should be and how we all should treat each other in it.