In a prologue set in 1976, American
epidemiologist Don Francis from the
World Health Organization arrives in a village on the banks of the
Ebola River in
Zaire and discovers many of the residents and the doctor working with them have died from a mysterious illness later identified as the
Ebola hemorrhagic fever. It is his first exposure to such an
epidemic, and the images of the dead he helps
cremate will haunt him when he later becomes involved with
HIV/AIDS research at the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1981, Francis becomes aware of a growing number of deaths among
gay men in
Los Angeles,
New York City and
San Francisco due to a rare lung condition,
pneumocystis pneumonia, which only afflicts people with weakened immune systems. He moves to
Atlanta, where CDC Administrator Dr.
James Curran asks him to begin an in-depth investigation into this new immune disorder. Because of the Reagan Administration's clampdown on public spending, he is forced to work with little money, limited space, and outdated equipment. He clashes with numerous members of the medical community, many of whom resent his involvement because of their personal agendas. Francis comes into contact with the gay community after he and his colleagues find strong evidence that the disease is spread through sex. Some gay men, such as San Francisco activist
Bill Kraus, support him, while others express anger at what they see as unwanted interference in their lives, especially in his attempts to close the local
gay bathhouses. Kraus works to try to save the gay community from the virus, to the point that it costs his own relationship with boyfriend Kico Govantes. Francis and other CDC staff are further astonished that representatives of the blood industry are unwilling to do anything to try to curb the epidemic because of potential financial losses. Additionally, while Francis pursues his theory that AIDS is caused by a
sexually transmitted virus, he finds his efforts are stymied due to competition between
French scientists from the
Pasteur Institute and American scientists, particularly
Robert Gallo of the National Institutes of Health, who becomes enraged when he finds out that Francis collaborated with the French scientists. These researchers squabble over who should receive credit for discovering the virus and for development of a blood test. Meanwhile, the death toll climbs rapidly. One day in 1984, while exercising at a local gym, Kraus notices a spot on his ankle and worries that it might be
Kaposi's sarcoma, an AIDS-defining illness. Kraus visits his doctor and is devastated upon learning that he has AIDS. Govantes returns to Kraus after finding out he is sick. After discovery of the AIDS virus is announced, Francis submits a plan for prevention and eventual cure despite Curran telling him that it will never be approved. The CDC rejects the proposal for being too expensive and transfers Francis to San Francisco. In November 1985, Kraus and Govantes are walking in the San Francisco candlelight parade when Kraus suddenly starts coughing and becomes too weak to stand. He is taken to a local hospital where he experiences difficulty with his vision and is only able to speak gibberish much of the time. Francis arrives, and within a few minutes, the symptoms pass. Francis laments that they could have stopped the virus from spreading but fears it might be too late. Kraus remarks that he used to be afraid of dying but now is afraid for those who live. Kraus passes away in January 1986. Francis stays at the CDC until 1992 when he leaves to work on the creation of an AIDS vaccine. The film ends with a playing of
Elton John's "The Last Song" showing a photo and video montage of a number of famous people who are victims of HIV/AIDS. ==Principal cast==