In 1985, advertising agent Adrian Lester returns home to Dallas to visit his conservative family for Christmas after several years of living in New York City.

[5] Writer and director Yen Tan said the basis for the films were his experiences of interacting with people who were living with HIV and AIDS at his first job after graduating from college.

[6] The original short film, which starred Lindsay Pulsipher and Robert Sella, centered on a young man with AIDS preparing to move back in with his estranged mother.

The site’s critics consensus reads, "1985 pays tribute to a generation of lost lives with a powerfully made look at how HIV and the social attitudes surrounding homosexuality affect one man's choices.

"[11] Glenn Kenny of The New York Times wrote, "Cory Michael Smith’s performance as Adrian is a quiet marvel in a movie that’s superbly acted all around.

"[12] ABC News also reviewed the film positively, writing, "Most of the scenes are staged between Adrian and one other person, and this decision to draw out the intimacy of the pair in the frame accentuates the poignancy of things not said.