The makers of "Philadelphia" have acknowledged that the hit movie was partly based on a man who was fired from a law firm after developing AIDS.
The admission Tuesday ended a five-day trial and settled a $10 million lawsuit brought by the man's family.The Medford, Mass., family said TriStar Pictures Inc. made the movie based on the life of Geoffrey Francis Bowers, a 33-year-old lawyer who died of AIDS. The Bowers family said it was paid nothing.
"It was one of those rare cases in which settlement was in the best interests of everyone," U.S. District Judge Sonia Sotomayor.
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
During the trial, the studio said the movie was fictitious and unrelated to Bowers, who was fired in 1986 by the world's largest law firm, Baker & McKenzie. Bowers sued the firm, claiming AIDS discrimination, and died weeks after testifying against Baker & McKenzie's Manhattan office.