The Normal Heart (film)

The Normal Heart is a 2014 American drama television film directed by Ryan Murphy and written by Larry Kramer, based on his own 1985 play of same name. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff, and Julia Roberts.

It is summer of 1981. Ned Weeks Mark Ruffalo is an openly gay writer from New York City who travels to Fire Island Pines on Long Island to celebrate the birthday of his friend Craig Donner Jonathan Groff at a house on the beach. Other friends in attendance include Mickey Marcus Joe Mantello and the charismatic Bruce Niles Taylor Kitsch, who has recently begun dating Craig. Craig is young and appears to be in good health. While walking on the beach, however, Craig feels dizzy and collapses. Later, when blowing out the candles on his birthday cake, Craig begins to cough repeatedly.While traveling back to New York City, Ned reads an article in The New York Times titled Rare Cancer Diagnosed in 41 Homosexuals. Back in the city, he visits the offices of Dr. Emma Brookner Julia Roberts, a physician who has seen many patients unexpectedly afflicted with the symptoms of rare diseases that normally wouldnt harm people unless their immune systems have been compromised. All of these cases seem to be appearing in gay men. In the waiting room, Ned meets Sanford Stephen Spinella, a patient whose face and hands are marked with skin lesions caused by Kaposis sarcoma, a rare cancer. Brookner examines Ned, but finds that he does not have the symptoms of this disease. She asks Ned to help her raise awareness of this disease within the gay community. ........

Source: Wikipedia