Philadelphia (1993)

Tom Hanks plays a gay lawyer fighting the case of his life after being fired in this Oscar-winning film. The movie not only ushered in a political discussion about homophobia and AIDS, but also a human approach to real-life rights cases being forged all over the country. Bonus: Antonio Banderas plays the boyfriend. Double bonus: The soundtrack, featuringNeil Young, Bruce Springsteen and The Indigo Girls, is still a winner.