Matthew McConaughey gives a stunning performance in this film as the character Ron Woodruff who is a rabble-rousing, shit-kicking, rodeo cowboy and a drunk philanderer. During the 1980's Woodruff becomes HIV positive from having unprotected sex with a slutty woman who is an intravenous drug user. Given less than 60 days to live, when he is diagnosed by a doctor in the local hospital, he goes on a life-saving adventure to get the medicines and supplements he needs that will prolong his life.
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He fights bureaucracy and has to overcome his own homophobia to deal with the disease of AIDS and the consequences that threaten his life. He befriends a transsexual in the hospital that is a character called Rayon (played by Jared Leto) and the two of them make an odd-couple bonding together to fight their common disease.
The Woodruff character is exploitative of the situation, wanting to make a buck off of the solutions he has discovered. But he also cares about the people he is helping. He goes up against all the powers of the legal system and the FDA in his fight to continue providing the things he knows from firsthand experience that are helpful to HIV/Aids patients and have prolonged his life.
Best part of story, including ending:
There is no way, unless you know in advance, that you can tell that Jared Leto is the drag queen "Rayon" in this movie. His performance is Oscar-winning level.
Best scene in story:
The best scene is, when Woodruff tells his doctor in the hospital to "F" off and walks out with his ass showing from the back of the hospital gown.
Opinion about the main character:
There is immense courage in the face of overwhelming odds against him and he never gives in and never gives up.
In 1985, Ron Woodruff is just a rodeo rider and electrician, having a good time with his buddies. For him that means lots of sex, drugs, and booze. He is unashamedly racist and homophobic and considers HIV/AIDS a disease for homosexuals. Until he finds out that he has HIV himself.
At first he refuses to believe that he could really only have 30 days to live but when he gets sicker and sicker he goes to the doctor only to be told that there's not much they can do for him because the only treatment that is available is only being tested now and the trial test is full. So, he takes matters into his own hands to get the drug, AZT, from a person that works at the hospital. He overdoeses on it and that just makes his condition worse.
Finally, in Mexico, he learns that there are alternative, and often unapproved ways to treat HIV. He brings these methods back to Dallas and starts a buyers club with a transexual named Rayon, to help people that want real treatment. When he lives much longer than his 30 day diagnosis, people flock to him to get treated from the hotel room he works from.
Best part of story, including ending:
I love that Woodruff is forced to change his thinking about homosexuals and other minorities. He changes on the inside. He becomes very passionate about saving lives and making people's lives better and in turn becomes a better person.
Best scene in story:
I loved the scene where Woodruff runs into his ex-best friend in a grocery story while he is with Rayvon. His ex-best friend ditched him when he found out that Woodruff had HIV and Woodruff acts like nothing happened but he shows solidarity with Rayvon and sends his friend running.
