A comedy about Aids isn't a contradiction in terms. Paul Rudnick, adapting his off-Broadway hit, deftly blends uproarious fun and touching gravity. Jeffrey (Steven Weber) waits tables and looks for acting jobs. He's off sex now that it kills. Then he meets hot, HIV-positive Steve (Michael T. Weiss), who is eager to talk him into bed and a relationship.

The film is a series of vignettes that show Jeffrey trying to overcome his fear with help that includes a televangelist (Sigourney Weaver) and a sex-crazed priest (Nathan Lane). As Jeffrey's designer friend Sterling, Patrick Stewart delights with put-downs, mostly at the expense of his dancer lover, Darius (Bryan Batt). Stewart's remarkable performance deepens when tragedy lowers his defenses. Director Christopher Ashley, who staged the play, shows no subtlety with the camera, but the film's embrace of life comes through. "There's only one blasphemy," says the priest, "and that's the refusal of joy." Jeffrey, lifted by Rudnick's artful wit and a priceless cast, digs right in.

“More Than a Feeling”

Boston mastermind Tom Scholz was as surprised by anyone when he sent his unsolicited demo to record labels and got back a positive response. Scholz said, “I couldn’t believe it. Nobody knew who we were, so I wouldn’t even say we were struggling. It was groveling.” Part of the credit for the interest must go to the anthemic rock number "More Than a Feeling." Inspired by the Left Banke's 1966 hit "Walk Away Renee," Scholz worked on the song for five years in his basement studio before it was released on this album.