The movie inspired by a Tom Hanks Oscars speech: “It’s been quite a feather in my cap”
Inspiration can strike anywhere, but it’s truly ridiculous to imagine that the acceptance speech during an awards ceremony proved more instrumental in the creation of a movie than the film that was being awarded. Well, that’s exactly what happened to Tom Hanks when he picked up the coveted ‘Best Actor’ prize at the Academy Awards.
For his performance in Jonathan Demme’s 1993 masterpiece Philadelphia, Hanks received widespread critical acclaim and was a significant influence to the evolution of mainstream queer cinema. However, his acceptance speech at the Oscars also had a completely unpredictable consequence due to the chain of events that it set off.
Demme’s powerfully crafted film played a pivotal role in bringing about a positive change to the public perception of homosexuality and AIDS in the US, told through the story of a man who decides to launch a legal battle against the corporate discrimination he faced. While most are familiar with the film’s narrative and its impact, there’s also a secondary story that many fans don’t know, all stemming from Hanks’ acknowledgements at the Oscars.
While receiving the accolade, Hanks said: “I would not be standing here if it weren’t for two very important men in my life… Mr Rawley Farnsworth, who was my high school drama teacher, who taught me that ‘act well the part, there all the glory lies,’ and one of my classmates under Mr Farnsworth, Mr John Gilkerson. I mention their names because they are two of the finest gay Americans, two wonderful men that I had the good fortune to be associated with, to fall under their inspiration at such a young age.”
It was obviously a token of thanks by Hanks that was intended to shed some light on how his own ideas about the subject were shaped by his experiences and the people around him, but the New York Post ran with yet another sensationalised headline: “OUTED AT THE OSCARS!”, aimed at Hanks’ teacher, Rawley Farnsworth. Although it was implied that Hanks had revealed details about his former teacher’s sexual orientation against his consent, that wasn’t really the case.
In preparation for the awards ceremony, Hanks had telephoned Farnsworth in advance and asked for permission to talk about his sexuality onstage, in case he picked up the ‘Best Actor’ award. While Farnsworth didn’t know the exact content of the speech, he agreed to it because he was already retired at that point.
He said: “I don’t mind going public now… I didn’t think I had anything to lose… If I was still in professional life, I don’t know how I would have reacted… It’s been quite a feather in my cap.”
Farnsworth later became an advocate for the LGBTQ+ community and their rights, but that sensationalised story run by the New York Post ended up inspiring writer Paul Rudnick, who penned the script for In & Out, imagining a parallel reality where the Post was right and the subsequent fallout. Although it didn’t really have the kind of influence that Philadelphia enjoys to this day, it’s still notable for being one of the most notable gay Hollywood comedies of its time.
