Discrimination has been and always will be a major problem in society.

  There are many different types

of discrimination; some examples are racial, sexuality, gender, religion, health, and social status.  An
individual cannot get through difficult times without family support, and being able to openly talk about
things.

In this film, Tom Hank’s character Andrew Becket was faced with a difficult situation. He was diagnosed
with a very infectious disease known as HIV or AIDS. Andy worked in a very successful law company,
and did not want the disease to cause him to be discriminated against by customers, or other people in
his office. The thought of losing his job was very scary for Andy, so he kept the information about his
health private. Eventually people within the company started to notice things about Andy change.
Things that they saw change were his personality, weight, motivation, and the quality of his work. They
were also noticing marks on his body that were over time increasing in number. Not too long after he
was fired from the law firm. The reason’s his boss’s gave for being fired did not make since to Andy.
Andy was faced with a difficult situation, would he fight for his rights against his old company, or would
he let it go. He decided to speak up and defend himself and other people faced with a similar situation.
In the beginning while trying to get the case started Andy was again faced with discrimination. He went
to a friend, Joe Miller, who was also a lawyer and asked him to represent him. After telling him why he
was fired Joe did not want to have any contact with him either. As soon as Andy found out about his
disease his partner and family were with him, supporting him.

Having a support system is important when dealing with serious illness or disease. As discussed in the
book there are two main categories of social support. The first category is action-facilitating, this is
performing tasks and favors for the sick in order to make it easier for them. The second is nurturing
support; this builds the patients self-esteem and allows them to talk about their illness. It allows them
to express their emotions and lets them know you are aware that they are dealing with something.
There are several ways to support an individual with a disease, talking to them, allowing them to vent,
support them in treatments, and talk about the bigger picture with them. The worst thing someone
dealing with a serious illness is to be alone, constant support is important.

In the film, Andy did not know how to approach his employers about his illness. This was
discussed in one of the articles for our small group discussions. In this article one of the women had a
disease that was only affecting her inner self. She had trouble dealing with this, because she did not
want to be discriminated against by colleagues or even her students. People in the public were
discriminating her against. She was using a handicap sticker; to other people she looked perfectly
healthy. In this situation her family was not supporting her, but a woman she works with told her about
a support group. These support groups allowed her to hear of other situations people are dealing with,
with their health and how to deal with her own.

Being discriminated against for diseases and other things is very emotionally draining for most
people. One cannot get through a difficult situation without emotional support. Being able to
understand your own situation and understand how to tell others is difficult. Talking to other people
with a similar disease or illness might be the only way to fully understand their own situation.

Movie Lessons in Law

“Philadelphia” is based on the story of an attorney named Geoffrey Bowers. In the 1980s, Geoffrey
Bowers was suddenly dismissed from his position at a prominent law firm. Bowers suspected that he
had been fired because he had been diagnosed with AIDS. He took the law firm to court and eventually
won the case in one of the first major AIDS-discrimination lawsuits.

This film is especially fascinating because it takes a dramatic look at a groundbreaking legal case. There
are some interesting lessons about the practice of law woven into the film’s powerful story.

1) Social Justice Issues Are Explored in Courtrooms

In the 1980s, the epidemic of HIV and AIDS was both catastrophic and mysterious. Doctors did not fully
understand these conditions and effective treatments had not yet been developed. Additionally, the
public view of HIV/AIDS was filled with misinformation and stereotypes.

Just as civil rights issues were debated in courtrooms in the 1960s, the social justice issue of AIDS-based
discrimination came to light in courtrooms in the 1980s. These court cases were partly responsible for
exposing the issue of discrimination.

2) Lawyers Must Find Objective Truth

One of the central concerns of “Philadelphia” is the way in which the truth can be portrayed. The law
firm insists that Andrew Beckett was fired because of his job performance. Beckett maintains that this is
merely an excuse to fire him because of his medical condition.
It is the job of Beckett’s lawyer, Joe Miller, to find solid evidence of his client’s claim. Without evidence,
Beckett’s claim would have been quickly tossed out of court. Miller must work to find a thread of
objective truth behind the subjective reasoning of the law firm.

3) Justice Is More Important than Personal Opinions

At first, Beckett’s lawyer doesn’t want to take the case. Miller doesn’t agree with Beckett’s lifestyle and
has several major misconceptions about Beckett’s condition.

Eventually, Miller is able to overcome his incorrect ideas and see the importance of finding justice for
Beckett. Skilled attorneys can set aside personal opinions so that they can focus on the needs of the
client.