Found this movie again - buried in my Dvd collection.
Tommy Lee was just superb. As much as any bio drama can, this movie portrays the man, H. R. Hughes pretty well. I won't even compare the other bio-drama so many here mention because they're simply two completely different movies movies made in two completely different eras.
Why must people's opinions be so rooted in comparing same-subject movies?
This is a strong and unique movie.
The character is in fact developed enough psychologically that we fully understand his drive; a common enough story; never able to please his father, Howard drives himself to utter perfection in everything. Sets the highest goals, and achieves them. Unfortunately, the cost of that is one's sanity.
As Albert Einstein said, 'the only difference between genius and insanity is that genius has its limits.'
I believe his OCD behaviours were with him all his life, easier to dismiss or call 'ecentric' and somewhat more controllable in his youth, but obviously, culminated into total loss of control because the mind (& body following along) can only control just so much. It is utterly overwhelming to realize one is losing control, or even if they are in denial of that, the fallout exists - either way they will suffer the collateral damage - and then the mind turns on itself - to control what it thinks is controllable. The same paradoxical idea, for example bulemics exhibit - controlling their weight in destructive ways - is about feeling in control, yet it's out of control behaviour.
For Howard, it was germs. It was trying to grasp at anything he thought he had left in the realm of control, like the care of his own body.
Yet, the controller is denying the obvious out of control results, obsessively repeating the steps to give himself the illusion of control.
Hughes exhibited quite paradoxical behaviour throughout his life. This, combined with his genius, and as portrayed here, rather inappropriate social behaviours, leads me to strongly believe he was on the spectrum for Aspergers.
Just a fascinating & brilliant man. Regardless of his tragic end.
