For those who may not be clear on the point, Larry Kramer’s life is up on the screen in the HBO Films presentation of THE NORMAL HEART. Mark Ruffalo’s character in the movie is basically Mr. Kramer. The axiom to write about what you know about is also clear here as Larry Kramer was the man behind the advocacy group depicted in the film. He took his life and wrote the play for which this movie is based. But it has been a challenge getting to Tony award winning play to screen.
Barbra Streisand held the rights for the longest time, but Kramer and she conflicted so much over the topic that it never got made. When Ryan Murphy became interested everything started to click and the playwright and the producer worked out the specifics even while Mr. Kramer was hospitalized. Larry Kramer is quoted as saying to The New York Times that “I came close to dying twice since the beginning of the year; it has been awful. I fought to hang on to get to this moment. There were so many times I never thought I would.”
He has nothing but praise for Mr. Murphy and his work on converting the play to film and said “It’s by far his best work. I said, ‘You’ve really got to stop with the horror movies [American Horror Story] and become a serious director, because you are one.’
Larry Kramer has also stated that he will be crafting a sequel to THE NORMAL HEART for Ryan Murphy to produce. So, evidently there is more Kramer has to say about his life as a gay individual and the history of gay rights & health as a whole. The HBO Films presentation THE NORMAL HEART airs Sunday, 05.25 at 9:00pm and airs across the HBO platforms into June and will available on HBOonDemand and on HBOGo.
Bomer, Murphy, Roberts, Kramer & Ruffalo.
