Now three years ago when I bought Boys On The Side because Mary Louise Parker stars in it. All I remembered was it's a tale of three women (Whoppi, Drew and Mary Louise) who go on a trip together, Mary has AIDS, Whoppi's a Lesbian and Drew kills her drug dealing boyfriend. Yet, they overcome and are triumphant, even Mary who dies. I remembered laughing and enjoying the movie...
Three years ago.
Watching it last night, all I can say is. What the hell what I thinking! This movie was not only one of the most depressing movies I'd ever seen. It was also a propaganda movie in a way. How do I articulate this? It was made in 1995 and seems to address every issue of the time. Lesbianism, AIDs, Drugs, etc. The Tall Man paused the movie at one point and asked, "How is it possible that two women who have lived in NYC in the mid-90s. One who is a Lesbian and one who has AIDS both spend an entire movie amazed at each other?"
Basically Whoppi can't get over that Mary has AIDS and Mary has (apparently) never met a Lesbian before. Same for Drew. They spend a long time together and cannot seem to get over these facts. Meanwhile, Mary's health gets worse. Drew gets pregnant and sent to jail. Whoppi doesn't get anything really. This movie just kept getting worse and worse.
The Tall Man put it best when he said, "I bet when you first saw this movie. You were all 'Mary Louise Parker!' and watched the movie that way. Tonight you actually WATCHED the movie and saw what it was really about." He hit the nail on the head. I kept telling them (Tall Man and his roommate, who spent half the movie making me laugh, so I didn't cry) that we could turn it off. Yet, they insisted we watch all the horror happen. Despite that, the Tall Man still cares about me it seems as he didn't kick me out after the suffering was over.
I ask you now to experience my night and watch this clip as AIDS stricken Mary Louise sings to Whoppi right before she dies in the next scene. Try not to have to much fun:
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