Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Grim, intense movie tells a powerful, relevant true story.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dallas Buyers Club
What's the Story?
In the 1980s, Dallas good ol' boy Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) is a rodeo cowboy and an electrician who loves to party and sleep with lots of women. A trip to the hospital after an accident at work reveals that he has the HIV virus. He learns that only an early, experimental drug is available. He obtains some illegally, but his source dries up. He finds an outcast doctor in Mexico who helps him learn about the benefits of simple proteins and vitamins. He also forms a friendship with a sick drag queen, Rayon (Jared Leto), who helps him overcome his homophobia. Together, they form a "buyers club," wherein other AIDS patients buy memberships to receive helpful medicines. But, the big drug companies are not happy about this.
Is It Any Good?
Many will be impressed by Matthew McConaughey's performance; the actor lost a great amount of weight and appears totally different. Likewise, Jared Leto clearly worked equally hard on his role as a drag queen. And the story they're telling is a powerful one; viewers of a younger generation may be interested -- and shocked -- to see how slowly drug companies reacted to the AIDS crisis and what ordinary people did to help themselves in that situation. Director Jean-Marc Vallee, whose last movie was the bland costume epic The Young Victoria, films DALLAS BUYERS CLUB in a kind of grungy, muddy haze, perhaps trying to recall the look of 1980s home video. But this approach doesn't help the grim, queasy story about sickness go down any easier. The movie also takes many shortcuts, compressing and compacting its story down to manageable size. This technique squashes any potential moments of life, as well as making the main character's transformation seem too clean and abrupt.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the actions of the drug companies and the FDA as portrayed in this movie. Were they doing the best they could? Or was business (and profits) getting in the way of helping people?
Even though Ron Woodroof more or less broke the law, is he still a hero?
How does Ron Woodroof's bad behavior (drinking, smoking, unsafe sex, etc.) in the movie's first half affect his character overall? How does the Ron Woodroof character overcome his homophobia? How does the "Rayon" character help this?
What's the movie's position on AIDS treatment? Does the movie advocate healthy living over hospitals and prescription drugs? Where do the two meet?
Movie Details
- In theaters : November 1, 2013
- On DVD or streaming : February 4, 2014
- Cast : Jared Leto , Jennifer Garner , Matthew McConaughey
- Director : Jean-Marc Vallee
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Focus Features
- Genre : Drama
- Run time : 117 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : pervasive language, some strong sexual content, nudity and drug use
- Award : NAACP Image Award - NAACP Image Award Nominee
- Last updated : September 27, 2024
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