A Stirring Journey

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2014)

For the first few minutes of this movie you may not really like McConaughey's Ron Woodroofe. He is a prejudiced and homophobic person who squanders his money on drugs, prostitutes, and alcohol. He seems to lead a life with little real substance. When diagnosed with AIDs though Ron instinct for survival leads him on a path of self discovery that leads him to open up and begin a touching transformation. Like the moth's emerged from caterpillars we witness in one scene, Ron transforms into a person who can surmount his former prejudices and accept others as valued human beings. This film is about the basic human needs we have in our lives, and we gives us a unique opportunity to watch months pass by in someone life. During this journey we witness the big changes that being diagnosed with a life threatening disease can spur. The questions like why do we live and what have given to the world arise. The performances are believable and by the end you probably will have formed a bond with them. Effective symbology is used throughout to indicate this transformation and the good things that result from an unprejudiced attitude towards others. The film shines a light on another kind of disease and that is judging other human beings without knowing them.