Problems? No, not here.
Boys on the Side poses interesting relationships, bringing up seldom discussed topics; however, it would be easy to say that they don’t actually discuss the topics and that they only present them. Bring in a curious friendship, which is never truly explained, between Jane (a black lesbian nightclub singer) and Robin (a white real estate agent). While the explanation of their road trip is explained by the fact that they both need to get to California, it is obvious that this is not their first encounter with one another. To add insult to injury: introduce Holly, a young (especially in comparison to both Jane and Robin) drug addicted abused pregnant woman (+ some), whom they randomly pick up on Jane’s whim (?).
OK. So you have a lesbian, a woman who it ultimately is discovered has AIDS, and a pregnant drug addict (walk into a bar…). At first it seems as though Robin, despite her ‘straightness’, is going to fall for Jane. However, that never fully realizes itself. Ultimately, although the notion is still in force, Robin falls in love with a man. The lesbian thing comes out (into the open) along with the AIDS thing. The two both have their own struggles… and both of them will be there for one another. Good.
Then Jane tells the man Robin is falling for, that Robin has AIDS. He doesn’t care, because AIDS is so well accepted, especially at that time? Robin struggles with being OK with Jane…
In the end: everything turns out just fine. Robin, while ultimately isn’t getting better, didn’t face much aversion to the AIDS, which seems implicitly unrealistic. The issue is never dealt with. Robin, who is a lesbian in 1995 in a small town, doesn’t face any real issues either. The issue is never dealt with. Holly, while she goes to jail, has her baby and marries the cop (who put her in jail) and lives happily ever after. No more drugs, no more lifestyle? Her issues are never actually dealt with.
Everybody is happy in the end (figuratively so).