339:. In an interview with TV critics in January, Quaid said he didn't know why the airdate was put off; the movie "may not be the most popular thing to look at, or the most entertaining or exciting action piece, but it has real issues and deals with them realistically". Stoltz said he was "befuddled" about the airdate and also opined that "maybe NBC feels they have much better movies to show...or maybe they're afraid." The film eventually received an airdate of May 30, five days after the sweeps period ended.
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Eric Stoltz were cast in the lead roles. Stoltz said he wanted to do the movie for a couple of reasons: "I liked the script and I knew Randy was doing it...and I respect him tremendously." Before production began on the film, Stoltz and Quaid visited various hospices in Los
Angeles and Vancouver, where the film was shot. Stoltz said that the majority of the hospice residents were open about talking about their illnesses. Several patients worked as extras in the film.
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Executive producer
Michael Filerman and NBC knew the movie was going to be a hard sell to advertisers, and NBC felt like the controversial subject matter would require having feature actors in it who normally don't do television, to "give it a sense of more import". So feature actors Randy Quaid and
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wrote that "Robert Lenski’s teleplay and Alan
Metzger’s direction avoid land mines of sentimentality with a narrative full of surprises and candid emotions...and aside from its strong acting and technical polish, the production’s thematic achievement is twofold: (1) it demolishes the myth that AIDS
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wrote that "for all its relentless predictability, it frequently manages to be remarkably affecting, thanks to two extraordinarily fine performances...by Mr. Stoltz...who brings to the reserved, finicky Bill an enormous reservoir of strength...and Mr. Quaid who manages to convey the loneliness and
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The movie is inspired by a true story and deals with a heterosexual ex-convict on parole for bank robbery Jim Flynn, who contracted AIDS from a blood transfusion and Bill Thomas, a gay wealthy
Harvard-educated professional, also dealing with the disease. They become unlikely roommates at a hospice
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gave accolades to the actors saying, "Quaid and Stoltz perform at high standards...and
Elizabeth Pena turns in a strong supporting performance as a social worker" They also complimented the director for keeping things running smoothly and capitalizing on witty situations.
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wasn't impressed with the film writing: "it seems contrived and antiseptic...the producers deserve credit for doing an AIDS awareness film, and probably for making a statement on behalf of compassion, but the movie comes off as compromised and flat".
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for people with AIDS. Initially full of mutual disdain, the roommates regard one another with cultural snobbery and stereotypical intolerance. One reads
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and wears neckties, and the other smokes, drinks and watches sports on a blaring TV. The relationship gradually develops into a durable friendship.
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is a gay disease and (2) it refreshingly punctures holes in the prejudices of both straights and gays." TV critic
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255:. It aired on NBC on May 30, 1994. The film was inspired by a true story of two men dying from AIDS.
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submerged tenderness of Bill as he acerbically flails away at the world in general."
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The movie was shot in just 18 days, but NBC was hesitant to give it an airdate
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is a 1994 American television film written by Robert W. Lenski and directed by
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529:"Review/Television; Eric Stoltz and Randy Quaid As Patients Gaining Insight"
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List of made-for-television films with LGBT characters
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Black Widow
Murders: The Blanche Taylor Moore Story
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801:American LGBT-related television films
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180:Pacific Motion Picture Productions
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747:Michael Jordan: An American Hero
484:Knight-Ridder (March 18, 1994).
460:Shister, Gail (March 22, 1994).
816:Films directed by Alan Metzger
567:Everett, Todd (May 31, 1994).
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360:Tom Shales, TV critic for the
319:Philip Maurice Hayes as Mickey
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492:. Knight-Ridder News Service.
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821:1990s English-language films
548:Shales, Tom (May 30, 1994).
436:King, Susan (May 29, 1994).
183:Michael Filerman Productions
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667:Kojak: The Price of Justice
503:Loynd, Ray (May 30, 1994).
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806:HIV/AIDS in American films
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796:1994 LGBTQ-related films
723:For My Daughter's Honor
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811:HIV/AIDS in television
675:The China Lake Murders
337:during a sweeps period
209:May 30, 1994
786:1994 television films
763:The Familiar Stranger
739:A Father for Brittany
21:Roommates (1995 film)
826:1990s American films
322:Kenn Hooker as Eldon
174:Production companies
99:Theme music composer
707:A Dangerous Affair
653:Films directed by
534:The New York Times
343:Critical reception
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525:O'Connor, John J.
510:Los Angeles Times
442:Los Angeles Times
414:"A & E Scene"
349:Los Angeles Times
310:as Barbara Thomas
231:. The film stars
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117:Original language
109:Country of origin
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731:Circle of Deceit
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527:(May 30, 1994).
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166:Running time
153:Geoffrey Erb
62:Alan Metzger
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569:"Roommates"
284:Eric Stoltz
278:Randy Quaid
237:Eric Stoltz
233:Randy Quaid
169:100 minutes
80:Eric Stoltz
75:Randy Quaid
58:Directed by
791:1994 films
780:Categories
400:References
327:Production
314:Babz Chula
213:1994-05-30
161:Seth Flaum
125:Production
50:Written by
699:Roommates
613:Roommates
602:Roommates
591:Roommates
308:Jill Teed
292:as Barney
266:Moby Dick
253:Jill Teed
224:Roommates
130:Producers
44:DVD cover
32:Roommates
374:See also
316:as Norma
142:Tom Rowe
68:Starring
573:Variety
367:Variety
298:as Lisa
211: (
206:Release
196:Network
120:English
766:(2001)
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158:Editor
596:IMDb
347:The
272:Cast
259:Plot
251:and
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607:BFI
605:at
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200:NBC
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
