--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I always thought that the film would be…" description: "\"I always thought that the film would be successful if we captured Harvey Milk, like the way Harvey really was-the personality, the humor, the corny bad..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/dustin-lance-black-4536_bad_i-always-thought-that-the-film-would-be_2448159.png" --- # I always thought that the film would be successful if we… ![“I always thought that the film would be successful if we captured Harvey Milk, like the way Harvey really was-the personality, the humor, the corny bad jokes, all of it.” quote by Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/dustin-lance-black-4536_bad_i-always-thought-that-the-film-would-be_2448159.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/dustin-lance-black-4536_bad_i-always-thought-that-the-film-would-be_2448159.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/34f/dustin-lance-black-4536_bad_i-always-thought-that-the-film-would-be_2448159.png) > “I always thought that the film would be successful if we captured Harvey Milk, like the way Harvey really was-the personality, the humor, the corny bad jokes, all of it.” [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote reflects a belief that authentic portrayal of Harvey Milk’s true personality would guarantee the film’s success. **In simple terms:** Authentic portrayal ensures success. Key Takeaway Capture true character. Themes authenticity representation film making Mood reflective hopeful Type analytical inspirational When to use this quote - documentary filmmaking - biographical drama - casting decisions Key Concepts biography identity humor Questions to Reflect On - How does authenticity affect audience connection? - What other factors influence a film’s success? A Different Perspective Success also depends on storytelling, direction, and audience reception. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Bad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad/) [Bad jokes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bad-jokes/) [Captured Harvey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/captured-harvey-547601/) [Film Successful](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film-successful-547599/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harvey-milk/) [Harvey Really](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/harvey-really-547600/) [Humor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/humor/) [Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milk/) [Milk Like](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/milk-like-386412/) [Personality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/personality/) [Way](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/way/) ## Related quotes > [I watched Sean Penn, you know, bring Harvey Milk to life. I was on the set every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-watched-sean-penn-you-know-bring-harvey-milk-to-life-i-was-on-the/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I am hopeful that there are three or four Harvey Milks. It would be nice to have one in California and one in New…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-am-hopeful-that-there-are-three-or-four-harvey-milks-it-would-be/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [“When I was 13 years old, my beautiful mother and my father moved me from a conservative Mormon home in San Antonio, Texas, to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/when-i-was-13-years-old-my-beautiful-mother-and-my-father-moved-me/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I was very lucky to hear the story of Harvey Milk, it was life-saving for me. I wanted to share it in case it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-was-very-lucky-to-hear-the-story-of-harvey-milk-it-was-life-saving/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [“Human milk is like ice cream, penicillin, and the drug ecstasy all wrapped up in two pretty packages.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florence-williams/human-milk-is-like-ice-cream-penicillin-and-the-drug-ecstasy-all/) [Florence Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florence-williams/) > [“Breast milk is like the well that never stops giving.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/titilayo-medunoye/breast-milk-is-like-the-well-that-never-stops-giving/) [Titilayo Medunoye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/titilayo-medunoye/) > [“The term ‘infant formula’ was a stroke of marketing genius, it made a recipe based on ordinary old cows’ milk seem like something special.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/the-term-infant-formula-was-a-stroke-of-marketing-genius-it-made-a/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) > [I like milk. I like drinking milk.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/florian-munteanu/i-like-milk-i-like-drinking-milk/) [Florian Munteanu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/florian-munteanu/) > [I went to a very progressive elementary school where I was heavily educated in civil rights. I remember learning about Harvey Milk when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/olivia-wilde/i-went-to-a-very-progressive-elementary-school-where-i-was-heavily/) [Olivia Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/olivia-wilde/) > [In New York now, they have Harvey Milk High School for gay students. They don't have much of a football team, but the half-time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-maher/in-new-york-now-they-have-harvey-milk-high-school-for-gay-students/) [Bill Maher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-maher/) > [My name is Harvey Milk and I'm here to recruit you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harvey-milk/my-name-is-harvey-milk-and-i-m-here-to-recruit-you/) [Harvey Milk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harvey-milk/) > [I think film can change lives. Doing 'Milk' changed mine, for sure. When I see that someone like Harvey Milk changed his life and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diego-luna/i-think-film-can-change-lives-doing-milk-changed-mine-for-sure-when-i/) [Diego Luna](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diego-luna/) > [Nancy Pelosi says the angry opposition to health care reform is like the angry opposition to gay rights that led to Harvey Milk being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/p-j-o-rourke/nancy-pelosi-says-the-angry-opposition-to-health-care-reform-is-like/) [P. J. O'Rourke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/p-j-o-rourke/) > [I grew up a witness to gay politics in its early days. I remember seeing Harvey Milk and been moved by him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/i-grew-up-a-witness-to-gay-politics-in-its-early-days-i-remember/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [Harvey Milk was a friend of mine, an important gay leader in San Francisco in the '70s, and he carried a really important message…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gilbert-baker/harvey-milk-was-a-friend-of-mine-an-important-gay-leader-in-san/) [Gilbert Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gilbert-baker/) ## More by Dustin Lance Black > [That's what I learned most about directing on my own - you've got to build a family, a filmmaking family.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/that-s-what-i-learned-most-about-directing-on-my-own-you-ve-got-to/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I watched Sean Penn, you know, bring Harvey Milk to life. I was on the set every day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-watched-sean-penn-you-know-bring-harvey-milk-to-life-i-was-on-the/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [I love the true life stories and the biopics - people say I'm pigeonholed, but it's a fantastic kind of pigeonhole - but it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/i-love-the-true-life-stories-and-the-biopics-people-say-i-m/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) > [Gay people are more powerful when they work with lesbians. 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If someone is saying that they're right about the future, that's a claim only a fool would make.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dustin-lance-black/being-right-is-overrated-if-someone-is-saying-that-they-re-right/) [Dustin Lance Black](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) [Explore all 109 Dustin Lance Black quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dustin-lance-black/) ## More Bad quotes > [If I am going to be phased out by whatever powers, then I want people to know that it is not because I am…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/parvathy/if-i-am-going-to-be-phased-out-by-whatever-powers-then-i-want-people/) [Parvathy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/parvathy/) > [Sometimes I'm in a bad mood, sometimes I'm in a good mood. 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