European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 6, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Make serious move to see by Frank Rich the new York times to sooner had Hollywood been rocked by natures special effects three weeks ago than it was shaken by a second quake delivered by the Public. Box offices nationwide reported that More americans bought tickets to Philadelphia than any other film that weekend. . Fields you May recall found Philadelphia preferable Only to death. Hollywood assumed that the audience would feel the same about Philadelphia. _ the movie is about a Gay Man with aids a subject considered so abhorrent to the masses that no major studio has previously touched it. The Industry has busied itself instead churning out sure things like Wayne s world 2, Addams family values and Beethoven a 2nd. But the audience yawned at those sequels Over the holidays Only to embrace a dying Tom Hanks blistered with the lesions of Kaposi a Sarcoma after new years. So secure is Hollywood a Faith in mindless sequels and so severe is its fear of Gravity that no one foresaw this strange reversal not even those who made Philadelphia. The films studio tristan hedged its bets by blanketing the nation with posters and newspaper and Magazine ads promoting a vague courtroom drama. While a few Philadelphia trailers showed an aids stricken Hanks the characters homosexuality stayed in the closet lest any customers be frightened  a a a As the film was released Mike Medavoy then the Tri Star chairman declared on nigh line a the film Isnit about aids. It Isnit an examination of somebody who has aids. We re not sending the Public in to look at people who have  whom were we supposed to believe a Medavoy tristan Tom Hanks and Denzel Washington team up in the drama Philadelphia one of the top stateside movies or our eyes eventually so Many pieces appeared on television and in print about the sly Philadelphia marketing Campaign that a moviegoer would have to be comatose not to know the cinematic subject that dare not speak its name. Surely the stateside audiences who Are piling into Philadelphia do not think they would see a film about the Legal travails of Lenny Dykstra. The film they do see at times underestimates their intelligence As much As Medavoy did. Its har amp to fathom that Philadelphia was  Demme Brilliant auteur of the  the lambs and married to the mob. In this cautious Effort the Grays of human nature Are erased. The Gay characters arc uniformly saintly. With the Strong exception of the conflicted lawyer played by Denzel Washington too Many of the straight characters Are either deified the heroes uniformly supportive family or demonized the heroes monstrously bigoted former Legal colleagues. Give Demme some credit for breaking the aids taboo a though As a hot director his career risk was minimal and for making a film infinitely More realistic than Hbous toothless and the band played a in a a a a a a a a a a but if he had a higher opinion of his audience perhaps the director would have Given his Best and created a movie As sociologically sophisticated As a television series with Gay characters like Roseanne or As artistically ambitious As Broadways Angels in America. Even so Philadelphia has produced two real he Rocs. A a a a a a the first is Hanks who became the fist front line movie Star to play a leading Gay role in a major studio film thereby a stigmatizing such an assignment. Better still his performance is not an obligatory Rcd ribbon appearance in an aids movie a like the perfunctory cameos contributed by Richard Gere and Steve Martin to and the band played on but a full throttle Effort that gives Philadelphia Power As a High Grade tear Jerker. Because Hanks also was the highly appealing hero of i993�?Ts most successful heterosexual Hollywood tear Jerker. Sleepless in Seattle hts presence in Philadelphia has a double Impact. The other hero is the open minded audience that has spent $36 million plus so far to Sec Philadelphia and that also has crowded in to Sec Schindler s list a and in the name of the father other Hollywood films about serious subjects the holocaust and Ira terrorism. Should the Public keep voting with its dollars for grown up movies the Shock to Hollywood a cynical conventional Wisdom could Register even higher than 6.6. Cafes say Philadelphia could Roach its Mojo circuit by party  you hate when Andy Rooney i Hope i done to have to listen to someone else in the room suggest what i ought to be saying to the person in a talking to on the other end of the phone. When that happens i can to hear what either one of them is saying or think what it is i want to say. Find myself driving behind someone who makes a sudden right Tum and then puts on his right turn signal. By then i already know he a turning. Read an interesting Story in Section a of the news paper at breakfast saturday morning and come to the line that says Quot continued on Page b34, col. 5,�?� which is in the Section someone else is Reading. Break a Shoelace when in a in a hurry. Forget to get Gas until in a in the part of town where Gas is 8 cents More a gallon than where i usually buy it. Pay $6 to go to a movie that a so bad we leave before its half Over. Get Poison Ivy or Lyme disease get stung by a Bee or get the flu even though in be had a shot for that. Take a Shower and find i forgot to bring a Towel into the bathroom. Forget to put the garbage out until i hear the truck pulling off Down the Street without ours. Argue with anyone about president Clinton abortion the Pope How to pronounce Quot harass Quot or capital punishment. In a quite Clear where i stand on All those things and no amount of loud talk by anyone will convince me otherwise. Never mind where i stand. A leave the lights on in the basement by mistake when we go away. Have to Call a plumber for anything. I done to mind trying to fix something that a broken As Long As it does no to involve plumbing. Gain any More weight. Have to pay More than $20,000 when i buy a new car next Spring. In a willing to Roll up my windows by hand. Find out that the Best things in life Are not free a but Are actually expensive just As they were in 1993. Lose one of my Good new gloves. If i have to lose anything id rather lose both of them than just one. One is nothing but a bitter reminder that you used to have two. Get behind someone at a checkout counter who turns out to have a hand full of coupons to redeem or someone who wants to pay by Check that has to be oked by the store  to get anything done to my Teeth but cleaned. Stand at an airline ticket counter watching the clerk poke endlessly at the keys on a computer when All i want to do is buy a ticket from Here to there. Get All dressed any morning and discover that the Collar Button on my shirt is missing. Trip Over anything. Find my window broken and my car radio gone 7 again after parking All night on the Street in new York. _ forget anyone a name in a trying to introduce to someone. Drive Halfway from Home to the office and discover in be forgotten something i have to go Back and get. Finish a column and forget to hit save before turning off the computer. Tribune Media services Andy Rooney is a torpor stars and strips Rop Ortor. February 6. 1994 sunday. Page 9