Genres
Biographical drama
Milk (2008): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Milk is a 2008 biographical drama directed by Gus Van Sant, starring Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch. It runs 2 hours 8 minutes and earned $54.7 million worldwide on a $20 million budget. It won 2 Oscars, including Actor in a Leading Role and Writing (Original Screenplay), and 6 awards in all. Critics gave it 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 8m (128 min)
- Director
- Gus Van Sant
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Focus Features
- Budget
- $20M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Milk About?
The premise of Milk without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In 1977, Harvey Milk's election as San Francisco's first openly gay supervisor marked a pivotal moment, igniting a movement for equality and forging unexpected alliances across the political landscape. As a passionate advocate for human rights, he championed inclusivity and challenged societal norms. His courageous fight for justice and his unprecedented victory left a lasting legacy, continuing to inspire generations and demonstrating the power of leadership dedicated to equality.
Milk Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- gay activist
- gay politician
- gay protagonist
- gay american
- gay
- homosexual
- homosexuality
- homo
- gay rights
- california
- gay pickup
- gay love
+38 more Show fewer
- homosexual history
- homophobia
- based on true story
- gay history
- white briefs
- gay man
- gay scene
- gay hero
- gay cinema
- gay title character
- christian fundamentalism
- gay parade
- discrimination
- anger
- city government
- bigotry
- gay bashing
- gay slur
- gay bar
- catholic church
- gay relationship
- gay couple
- san francisco california
- gay sex
- gay kiss
- city hall
- narration from the grave
- gay activism
- civil rights
- murder
- politics
- assassination
- year 1977
- year 1973
- year 1975
- year 1972
- year 1970
- year 1976
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Cast & crew
Milk Cast
Sean Penn leads the cast, with Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch. Directed by Gus Van Sant.
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Director Gus Van Sant
From the director
More from Gus Van Sant
More films directed by Gus Van Sant, best-rated first: Dead Man's Wire, To Die For, Good Will Hunting and Paranoid Park.
Ratings
Milk Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Milk 93% on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10.
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IMDb 7.5 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 93% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 89%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 83 Metascore
User score 7.7
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 72% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Milk Plot Summary
What happens in Milk from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
As the film unfolds, the opening credits are accompanied by old black and white newsreel clips from the 1950s and early 1960s, showcasing scenes of men being rounded up by police during raids on gay bars. Headlines proclaim the crackdown on homosexual establishments, with captions such as “Crackdown of Homosexual Bars” and “Men Charged in Taverns.” These well-dressed men, clearly humiliated, cover their faces with their hands while paddy wagons await to haul them away, displaying a chilling glimpse into a life tarnished by shame and aggression.
Full summary
The whole story of Milk, scene by scene
Box office
Milk Box Office & Budget
Milk grossed $54.7 million worldwide on a $20 million budget, 2.7 times what it cost. $31.8 million came from the US and Canada and $22.7 million (42%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$54.7M
2.7× its budget
- US & Canada
- $31.8M
- International
- $22.7M
- Budget
- $20M
US & Canada 58%
Rest of the world 42%
Awards
Milk Awards & Nominations
Milk won 2 Oscars, including Actor in a Leading Role and Writing (Original Screenplay), and 6 awards in all. Its biggest night was the Oscars 2009, with 2 wins from 8 nominations.
6 wins28 nominations7 ceremonies
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Oscars 2009 2 wins · 8 nominations- Won Actor in a Leading Role – Sean Penn
- Won Writing (Original Screenplay)
- Nominated Actor in a Supporting Role – Josh Brolin
- Nominated Best Picture
- Nominated Costume Design
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Critics' Choice 2009 2 wins · 7 nominations- Won Best Actor – Sean Penn
- Won Best Cast
- Nominated Best Composer
- Nominated Best Director – Gus Van Sant
- Nominated Best Picture
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Spirit Awards 2009 1 win · 4 nominations- Won Best Supporting Male – James Franco
- Nominated Best Cinematography
- Nominated Best Male Lead – Sean Penn
- Nominated Best Screenplay
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Actor Awards (SAG) 2009 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role – Sean Penn
- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
- Nominated Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role – Josh Brolin
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BAFTA 2009 4 nominations- Nominated Best Actor in a Leading Role – Sean Penn
- Nominated Best Film
- Nominated Best Makeup and Hair
- Nominated Best Original Screenplay
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DGA Awards 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Gus Van Sant
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Golden Globes 2009 1 nomination- Nominated Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama – Sean Penn
Videos
Milk Trailers & Videos
19 videos: 4 trailers, 2 teasers, 11 clips and 2 featurettes.
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Trailer Trailer
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Teaser Zeitgeist
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Milk?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
In what year does the film 'Milk' take place?
Cars
Cars in Milk
23 cars on screen, including the 1972 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Brougham and the 1974 BMW 2002.
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1972 Cadillac Fleetwood 60 Special Brougham Minor role -
1974 BMW 2002 Background role -
1973 Cadillac Fleetwood 75 Background role -
1969 Chevrolet El Camino Background role
Details
Milk Also Known As
20 alternative titles, including “Milk - A Voz da Igualdade” and “Obywatel Milk”.
- Also known as
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- Milk - A Voz da Igualdade
- Obywatel Milk
- 自由大道
- 밀크
- Гарві Мілк
- Milk: un hombre, una revolución, una esperanza
- Harvey Milk
- Харви Милк
- 米尔克
- Mi nombre es Harvey Milk
- מילק
- Milk: Prețul curajului
+8 more Show fewer
- Милк
- Milk: A Voz da Igualdade
- ミルク
- Мілк
- Milkas
- 夏菲米克的時代
- Chính Trị Gia Đồng Tính, ჰარვი მილკი
- ฮาร์วีย์ มิลค์ ผู้ชายฉาวโลก
Seen Milk?
More like this
Movies Like Milk
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including The Times of Harvey Milk, 575 Castro St. and The Color of Milk.
From the blog
Articles About Milk
Our article about Milk: “Breaking Down the Biopic: Anatomy of a Genre”.
FAQ
Milk FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Milk, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Milk?
Milk runs 2 hours 8 minutes (128 minutes).
When was Milk released?
Milk was released on November 26, 2008.
Who directed Milk?
Milk was directed by Gus Van Sant.
More films by Gus Van Sant Who is in the cast of Milk?
Milk stars Sean Penn, Josh Brolin and Emile Hirsch.
How much did Milk make at the box office?
Milk grossed $54.7 million worldwide ($31.8 million domestic, $22.7 million international) on a budget of $20 million.
How is Milk rated?
Milk has 7.5/10 on IMDb, 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 on Metacritic and 72% on TMDB.
What awards did Milk win?
Milk won 6 awards from 28 nominations, including Actor in a Leading Role at the Oscars 2009.
Does Milk have a post-credit scene?
No. Milk has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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