Film Screening of 'The Normal Heart' set for Dec. 1 at Wilkes-Barre campus

LEHMAN, Pa. — On Thursday, Dec. 1, Penn State Wilkes-Barre will host a free screening of the film “The Normal Heart” in honor of AIDS Awareness Day.

Directed by Ryan Murphy and written by Larry Kramer, the 2014 American drama “The Normal Heart” is based on Kramer's 1985 play of the same name. The film stars Mark Ruffalo, Matt Bomer, Taylor Kitsch, Jim Parsons, Alfred Molina, Joe Mantello, Jonathan Groff, and Julia Roberts. The film depicts the rise of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City between 1981 and 1984, as seen through the eyes of writer/activist Ned Weeks (Ruffalo), the founder of a prominent HIV advocacy group. Weeks prefers public confrontations to the calmer, more private strategies favored by his associates, friends, and closet lover Felix Turner (Bomer). Their differences of opinion lead to arguments that threaten to undermine their shared goals.

“The Normal Heart” screening will begin promptly at 7 p.m. on Dec. 1, with registration starting at 6:30 p.m. in the Bierly Auditorium (S101) in the Science Center located on the Penn State Wilkes-Barre campus. Caring Communities for AIDS Wilkes-Barre will be in attendance at this event. Caring Communities is a nonprofit, community-based AIDS service organization. 

This program, which is free and open to the public, contains content or language that may be sexually explicit or graphic and is intended for a mature (over age 18) audience.