Matthew McConaughey’s critically acclaimed movie ‘Dallas Buyers Club‘ portrays the story of an electrician and rodeo cowboy, Ron Woodroof, who was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS in the 1980s. The film depicts his fight against the pharmaceutical industry and his efforts to access alternative treatments for his condition.
McConaughey’s portrayal of the character was so realistic and gut-wrenching that most viewers have wondered if the story is true. So, here’s putting an end to all the fans’ queries: ‘Dallas Buyers Club‘ is based on a true story. So, the question is how much of the movie is fact and how much of it is fiction? Apart from a few creative licenses, most of the movie is true including the character, Ron Woodroof.
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The Real Ron Woodroof And The Story Behind ‘Dallas Buyers Club’
Ron Woodroof’s life took a dramatic turn in 1985 when he was diagnosed with AIDS and the doctors informed him that he had only 30 days to live. Despite this harrowing diagnosis, he went on to survive for another seven years. Mainstream medical institutions offered little help, leaving him to rely on experimental drugs that he smuggled into the United States.
He started the Dallas Buyers Club to provide other HIV/AIDS patients access to unapproved medications by the FDA, supplements and vitamins which were obtained from countries such as Mexico and Japan. During this time, the club was one of the several distribution organizations operating throughout the US, providing access to alternative treatments for those living with AIDS.
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The Accuracy Of Matthew McConaughey’s Film
While ‘Dallas Buyers Club‘ is based on a true story, some artistic liberties were taken in the film’s portrayal of events. For example, the movie depicts Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey) as initially being homophobic, whereas in reality, he had been friends with members of the LGBTQ+ community for years. The character of Ron in the movie is depicted as a part-time rodeo cowboy and electrician before his diagnosis. While Ron was an independent contractor who worked as an electrician, he was not a rodeo rider himself. He just had an interest in rodeos.
According to the screenwriter Borten, the rodeo setting was used metaphorically to symbolize Ron’s struggle and his remarkable ability to survive well beyond his initial prognosis from the doctors. Additionally, the timeline of events in the film is compressed to fit within the movie’s runtime, and some characters in the movie are composites of several real-life people. The film effectively depicts the social stigmas, and government inefficiency that led to the emergence of a close-knit black market for experimental drugs which ultimately made the difference between life and death for many.
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