"Dallas Buyers Club" is a socially-relevant film that discusses important issues of government regulation.It is set in the 1980s, when the world did not know a lot about HIV/AIDS. In fact, when Ron Woodruff (Matthew McConaghey) -- a white piece of trailer trash addicted to sex and drugs -- finds out he has it, he does not believe the doctors. He is under the impression that only homosexuals had it, and so are his neighbors.
When Woodruff is told he has HIV, the doctor says he only has 30 days to live. Desperate to prolong his life, he illegally buys a medication known as AZT, which is being tested by the FDA. It is successful, but it takes a toll on his overall health. In fact, the administration's study proves that it does work, but it never measured long-term effects. Based on this evidence alone, the drug is approved, and it is what doctors recommend for their patients.
Woodruff finds medication that does not have those long-term effects. They are not illegal drugs. They are mostly vitamins, but they are not approved by the FDA, which means they cannot be sold in the United States. He knows a lot of people like him who would pay a lot to have this medication. He figures out a loophole to get rich in exchange for the product. He has AIDS victims pay $400 a month to be in a club. These people in turn get all the medication they need for free.
The conflict of the film comes from the FDA finding ways to shut down his business. The audience never gets to see the administration's side of the story, but it is implied that the power it has is too much. It only regulates what it wants to. If a pharmaceutical company wants to sell a drug legally within the United States, it must go through the FDA. In order for this to happen, the company must pay the administration.
The film points this out by asking the question "If the product is beneficial, why is the FDA not willing to approve it?" It also addresses the fact that while important drugs are being tested, people are dying from not having access to them.
Another important issue this film discusses is that of acceptance towards homosexuals. There is a gay transgender person named Rayon (Jared Leto), who is also diagnosed with AIDS. At first, Woodruff meets the man with hostility. He does not want anything to do with Rayon. However, as the story progresses, they develop a friendship.
The thing I like about this subplot is that it is done very tastefully. It refuses to be polarizing by addressing gay marriage or featuring homoerotic scenes. However, it shows that homosexuals are people. They need to be treated with respect, friendship and love.
Matthew McConaghey does an excellent job at playing Ron Woodruff. It is amazing how great he has done in 2013. He played the title-character in the critically acclaimed "Mud," and he was my favorite thing about "The Wolf of Wall Street." In this film, he believably portrays a very colorful character, who is being killed slowly by AIDS.
I give this film five out of five stars. It is well-acted and very informative about issues that should be discussed more.
Content: Rated R. There is quite a bit of language including F-words. A few scenes feature topless nudity and/or scantily clad women. One scene near the beginning shows people about to engage in a three-way. There are a couple other scenes that either show intercourse happening or imply it.
For more details on how I rate films, visit http://criticalchristopher.blogspot.com/2014/01/defining-rating-criteria.html
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