And the Band Played On
- Director: Roger Spottiswoode
- Writer: Randy Shilts; Arnold Schulman
- Producer: Marcia Basichis; Omneya 'Nini' Mazen
CGiii Comment
Oh the heartbreak.
Important. Still.
Scientists vying to be the first to discover the first pieces of the AIDS puzzle - and, cheating and lying...for fame and fortune.
Let the researchers hang their heads in a resolute shame...for they hindered the cause that they should have helped.
So long Hippocrates.
An important film.
Trailer...
The(ir) Blurb...
This is the story of the first years of the AIDS epidemic in the United States and focuses on three key elements. Dr. Don Francis, an immunologist with experience in eradicating smallpox and containing the Ebola virus, joins the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) to try and understand just what this disease is. They also have deal with bureaucracy and a government that doesn't seem to care. The gay community in San Francisco is divided on the nature of the disease but also what should be done about it. Finally, the film deals with the rivalry between Dr. Robert Gallo, the American virologist who previously discovered the first retrovirus and his French counterpart at the Pasteur Institute, Dr. Luc Montagnier, that led to disputed claims about who was first to identify the AIDS virus.
Cast & Characters
Matthew Modine as Dr. Don Francis;
Alan Alda as Dr. Robert Gallo;
Patrick Bauchau as Dr. Luc Montagnier;
Nathalie Baye as Dr. Françoise Barre;
Christian Clemenson as Dr. Dale Lawrence;
David Clennon as Mr. Johnstone;
Phil Collins as Eddie Papasano;
Bud Cort as Antique shop owner;
Alex Courtney as Dr. Mika Popovic;
David Dukes as Dr. Mervyn Silverman;
Richard Gere as The Choreographer;
David Marshall Grant as Dennis Seeley;
Ronald Guttman as Dr. Jean-Claude Chermann;
Glenne Headly as Dr. Mary Guinan;
Anjelica Huston as Dr. Betsy Reisz