'Philadelphia'

This is OK movie. Let's face it: It was a movie that had to be made.

By the early 1990s, there was no escaping the shadow of HIV and AIDS in our country or the world. With the hysteria was a cavalcade of misinformation and prejudice. Mixed with the truth were a bevy of mistruthes that seemingly overshadow what was real.

"Philadelphia," for all intents and purposes, is an after school special for the United States so we don't act all disgusted with AIDS patients.

The interesting part of AIDS (how insensitive that sounds!) is how the disease is not just about life, death, medicine and healthcare, but about a lifestyle. Understanding AIDS is understanding homosexuality even though you could contract HIV through blood transfusions, sharing needles or heterosexual intercourse.

However, for better or for worse, AIDS and homosexuality are linked. And I think it's for the better. I think that as AIDS has become more understood and "tolerated" (we'd like to think we're accepting of all people ... and their diseases) so has alternative lifestyles.

With all that said, Denzel Washington's mustache should've been nominated for best supporting actor. I'm glad we can finally laugh at AIDS.