Rock Hudson was a virile screen idol who was the epitome of clean-cut masculinity. He was one of the first Hollywood celebrities to die of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, providing the killer virus with a famous face amidst the American AIDS paranoia of 1985. 2010 is not only the 25th anniversary of his death but would also have been his 85 birthday. The film investigates the many film roles Rock Hudson played, against the more intimate and private world of Roy Fitzgerald.
Reviews
This is a sad, touching and sweet film about a sad, touching sweet man. He had a very unhappy childhood, and his mean father belittled him. He always wanted to be an actor and became, of course, very successful, but those times demanded that he wear 2 masks: himself and a bland, heterosexual Everyman.His agent persuaded him to change his name, a decision he always regretted as yet another way he lived a lie.It was interesting to see Elizabeth Taylor in the film too. A child actor, she also had a demanding childhood. She had many young, gay and otherwise marginalized friends. Also an animal lover, the love she is permeated with shone out. I felt glad that she was there for Roy. (Rock).Roy says much the same thing in the film: she loves everyone.
