The award was created in 2012 to honor producer and director Stanley Kramer who created some of the most influential movies in cinema history including "Inherit the Wind," "On the Beach," and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner."
The Stanley Kramer Award celebrates a "production, producer or other individual whose achievement or contribution illuminates and raises public awareness of important social issues", reports Deadline.com. The recipient is chosen by a seven-person committee selected by PGA’s Board of Directors. Past award winners include "Fruitvale Station," "Hotel Rwanda," and "An Inconvenient Truth."
National Executive Director of the Producers Guild, Vance Van Petten stated, "The film is both a moving narrative that lends a human face to the crucial early struggles against HIV/AIDS, and a compelling call to uphold the activist legacy of its creators and inspiration."
The award will be received by executive producers on January 24, 2015 at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza at the 26th Annual Producers Guild Awards.
Read: Larry Kramer Nearing Completion on Sequel to "The Normal Heart"; Details Revealed Directed by Emmy winner Murphy (“American Horror Story,” “Glee”), Kramer adapted his landmark stage production for the screen. The 9 PM premiere on May 25 was watched by nearly 1 million viewers, with an additional 435,000 viewers tuning in for a second airing at 11:15 PM.
Ratings for "The Normal Heart" placed the film fifth in viewership among the 17 HBO films to have premiered on the network since 2010.
Academy Award winner Roberts is cast as Dr. Emma Brookner, with Bomer as Felix Turner, Ruffalo as Ned Weeks, Taylor Kitsch as Bruce Niles, and Parsons reprising the role of Tommy Boatwright that he played on Broadway. Tony Award winner Joe Mantello, who portrayed Ned Weeks in the 2011 Broadway premiere of Kramer's play, plays Mickey Marcus.
Read: Normal Heart's Jim Parsons on Coming Out and Why Larry Kramer Scared the Hell Out of Him
The cast also features Jonathan Groff (Spring Awakening), Stephen Spinella (Angels in America), Normal Heart Broadway co-director Joel Grey (Cabaret), Denis O'Hare (Take Me Out), BD Wong (M. Butterfly), Alfred Molina (Red), Corey Stoll (A View from the Bridge) and Finn Wittrock (Death of a Salesman).
Accoding to HBO: "Ruffalo portrays Ned Weeks, who witnesses first-hand a mysterious disease that has begun to claim the lives of many in his gay community and starts to seek answers. Bomer plays Felix Turner, a reporter who becomes Ned’s lover. Kitsch plays Bruce Niles, a closeted investment banker who becomes a prominent AIDS activist. Parsons plays gay activist Tommy Boatwright... Roberts plays physician Dr. Emma Brookner, a survivor of childhood polio who treats several of the earliest victims of HIV-AIDS.
"Molina plays Ned’s older brother, Ben, who is a successful attorney. Mantello plays Mickey Marcus, who is an instrumental member of the Gay Men’s Health Crisis. Groff plays Craig, Bruce’s lover, an early victim of HIV-AIDS. O’Hare portrays Hiram Keebler, Mayor Koch's gay aide. Spinella plays Sanford, one of Dr. Brookner’s first patients. Stoll portrays presidential senior advisor John Bower. Wittrock plays Albert, a male model. Wong portrays Buzzy, a nurse who works with Dr. Brookner."
Executive-produced by Murphy, Jason Blum, Dede Gardner and Dante Di Loreto, "The Normal Heart," according to press notes, "tells the story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation’s sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fought to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city in denial."
The creative team for the film includes production designer Shane Valentino, director of photography Danny Moder, editor Adam Penn, costume designer Daniel Orlandi and composer Cliff Martinez.
Kramer’s play debuted at New York’s Public Theater in 1985. The 2011 Broadway revival garnered five Tony nominations, winning for Best Revival, Best Featured Actor and Best Featured Actress.
