Andrew Beckett (Tom Hanks) was the main character in the first mainstream film to really touch on the topic of AIDS. A successful businessman, Beckett masks his sexual orientation and the fact that he is living with AIDS from his co-workers and employers. When his condition is discovered, he's abruptly dismissed from his job and made to look incompetent as grounds for dismissal. Despite becoming increasingly ill, Beckett refuses to be a victim and decides to sue his former employer. Even after he's turned away by lawyers who don't wish to pursue his case, Becket is determined to see justice carried out and eventually wins his case with the help of attorney Joe Miller (Denzel Washington) just before he dies of complications from the virus. Beckett proves to be a real hero, taking matters into his own hands when everyone else is too afraid to fight on his behalf. He also has the difficult task of revealing how he contracted AIDS, leaving himself open for judgment and ridicule during his court room testimony, all for the sake of proving that no matter what actions he made in his personal life, it should not have affected his standing with his employer and definitely did not reflect his competency as a professional. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wHSH-NpCQOw
Tommy Bobby Watanabe is an aspiring American novelist, stage actor, playwright, former LGBT rights activist, and has three years of independent professional wrestling experience and has been a big fan since 1998. An avid horror movie buff and comic book aficionado, TBW is honored to be featured on WhatCulture with some of the Internet's most talented writers and looks to spread his own knowledge and wit to WhatCulture's loyal readers.
