HBO took a break from the Game of Thrones and aired a 1985 adaptation of Larry Kramer’s "The Normal Heart" on Sunday at 9 PM ET on HBO.

The Normal Heart, directed by Glee creator Ryan Murphy, took viewers to a time when AIDS hit a community in New York in the early 1980s, a time when the illness was barely understood. The play is now around 30 years old but still drives viewers to think that it is indeed useful for the next generations to come, according to a review from People.com.

Like Us on Facebook

The Normal Heart is set in Manhattan where HIV/AIDS hit a terrifying progress among the gay population. Kramer said the hectoring play suggested control and policy that were absent during those times. This was after the medical, political and even gay organizations did not succeed to act after the urgency of the virus was raised.

The story involved Ned Weeks played by Mark Rufallo, a Jewish-American gay writer, who tried to warn the gay community and its officials regarding the outbreak. Ned was confronted with a lot of accusations and violent arguments after revealing the news of the “gay cancer”.

Matt Bomer portrayed the role of a New York Times’ reporter and Ned’s love interest while Julia Roberts played the role of a doctor who wanted to research treatment and other information about the disease.

The Normal Heart shows strong arguments supported by details. The cast also included Joe Mantello, Jim Parsons, Denis O’Hare, Alfred Molina, Taylor Kitsch and Johnathan Groff.

The key scene that Julia Roberts played was when she denied a research funding for desperate patients stricken with the virus. The review from People.com said that Julia has been a daring actress when it came to depicting hostility and surliness.

The Normal Heart ended with characters not owning their anger, but their anger owning them.

TagsJulia Roberts, Jim Parsons, The Normal Heart, Larry Kramer, Ryan Murphy