When We Rise

I am 5 years younger than Cleve Jones, so I don't have his experiences but I do remember a lot of what this project recreates (a young Sylvester!). It's bringing back memories, nostalgia & emotion, the latter also because of the young talent involved. The casting, writing & performances all are bringing characters to life in effective, brief moments, as must happen when you telescope decades of history into the lives of a few characters. The 1st episode hooked me, I will be watching the rest of this retelling of what is epic, living history - maybe survivor history is more apt. Some of the misguided criticism validates this project: "Hasn't this story been told?", "This is just identity politics", "Not a fit subject for primetime network television". NONE of these are valid. Bring it on, ABC!

The production is super. I am a 68 year old GWM and have lived through most of this drama. I must say that I have never seen so many commercials in a TV show. I had to stop watching after the first hour. Really, 4 minutes of program and then 2 minutes of commercials is hard to take. But I give them credit for making a major effort.

The story is one that's important to tell, but the quality is NO WHERE near "And the Band Played On" or "Milk." The dialogue is trite and forced, and when the "bad guys" (homophobes) speak, they sound like villains straight out of Dragnet. The bad dialogue then prevents these talented actors from giving strong performances. I almost wondered if George Lucas had written the screenplay...

DO watch it; it's important for kids and younger adults today to know this story. But I have to recommend "And the Band Played On" as the better film on the same topic.It was made for HBO with better acting and more believable dialogue, and actually tells you much more about the early days of the AIDS crisis.

I'm very disappointed to see how "network" ABC made this thing; it feels low budget and heavily watered down.

I watched the first episode with my tween/teen grandkids. They were amazed at how people were treated. We need to remember and tell our kids this kind of hate and power behavior can happen again. It was so refreshing to see this reality in light of the current political climate. EVERYONE is different in some way and we are all so alike in so many ways. Tolerance and acceptance is essential for humans to survive, so making sure our kids KNOW the history and how easy it could be to go back to that is so needed. Can't wait to see the upcoming episodes!

This may not be high on your list of "Must See" television but it should be. Even if you are not part of the LGBT community you know someone who is. Watching this may bring you a little understanding.

This film is based on several real life people who were part the gay rights movement. Mostly set with the people that lived in the San Francisco from the beginning of the "Gay Rights Movement". This film is informative and we learn there is still modern day heroes.

If you are gay then you will find this at times "hard to watch" but that is what makes this worth watching. It tells the truth. The "Up's & Downs".

My favorite episode is the last one. There is a scene where near the very end that shows 2 people (An African American and an Asian American) hugging and embarrassing. No they are not lovers. They are two pioneers and survivors who share a genuine friendship and a deep love for each other that will bring a tear to your eye.