Roommates

Roommates is a 1994 American television film written by Robert W. Lenski and directed by Alan Metzger. The film stars Randy Quaid, Eric Stoltz, Charles Durning, Elizabeth Peña, Frank Buxton and Jill Teed. It aired on NBC on May 30, 1994. The film was inspired by a true story of two men dying from AIDS. Plot 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 for people with AIDS. Initially full of mutual disdain, the roommates regard one another with cultural snobbery and stereotypical intolerance. One reads Moby Dick and wears neckties, and the other smokes, drinks and watches sports on a blaring TV. The relationship gradually develops into a durable friendship. Cast Randy Quaid as Jim Flynn Eric Stoltz as Bill Thomas Charles Durning as Barney Elizabeth Peña as Lisa Frank Buxton as Mr. Thomas Jill Teed as Barbara Thomas Babz Chula as Norma Philip Maurice Hayes as Mickey Kenn Hooker as Eldon Production 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 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.