History Film / ILoveYouPhillipMorris

* ChekhovsGun: Phillip's diabetes.
* ChekhovsGunman: Steven's first boyfriend, Jimmy.

* CoitusEnsues: [[spoiler:The sudden jump cut to Steven having sex with a man.]] Doubles as HilarityEnsues.

* GetBackInTheCloset: The reason for the film's DevelopmentHell.

* LoveAtFirstSight: Steven for Phillip.

* SexyDiscretionShot: {{Subverted}}.

* VillainProtagonist: Steven, at least until near the end of the film.
* WasItAllALie: Phillip ends up asking this question eventually.

* AluminumChristmasTrees: Yes, there really was a Steven Jay Russell in love with Phillip Morris - and all of his convoluted and ridiculous escape methods - including [[spoiler: ''faking his own death from AIDS'']] [[RealityIsUnrealistic happened in real life.]]

* RefugeInAudacity: Steven's prison-break record ''runs'' on this. [[AluminumChristmasTrees And it's not even as crazy as some of Steven Jay Russell's actual escapes]].

* ArmorPiercingSlap: A male-on-male variation. Phillip gives Steven a mighty big slap after [[spoiler: Steven fakes his own death to break out of prison (again) and returns to get Phillip out while posing as his lawyer (again). Phillip was never supposed to find out but he did and had an agonising phone call with Steven while he was "dying"]]. Steven admits it was completely justified.

->"''Love sure is a funny thing. Makes you happy. Makes you sad. Makes you do all sorts of things you never thought you'd do before. In fact, love's the reason I'm laying here dying.''"

* IGaveMyWord: If you pay Clevon to play a song, '''he will play it'''. His word is his muthafuckin' bond, bitch.

* BatmanGambit: Steven runs several of these to con people in extraordinary ways. [[spoiler: Such as managing to convince medical staff he was dying from AIDS. Steven admits that the only reason he got away with it is because it never occurred to '''''anybody''''' to check if Steven actually had AIDS. He was ''that'' convincing.]] Absurdly enough, [[RealityIsUnrealistic all of these happened in real life.]]

* DidNotGetTheGuy: [[spoiler:An odd variation at least technically Steven does get Phillip but they aren't allowed to be together due to Steven getting an extremely long prison sentence.]]

->"''Love sure is a funny thing. Makes you happy. Makes you fact. Makes you do all sorts of things you never thought you'd do before. In fact, love's the reason I'm laying here dying.''"

->"''Love sure is a funny. Makes you happy. Makes you fact. Makes you do all sorts of things you never thought you'd do before. In fact, love's the reason I'm laying here dying.''"

* BatmanGambit: Steven runs several of these to con people in extraordinary ways. [[spoiler: Such as managing to convince medical staff he was dying from AIDS. Steven admits that the only reason he got away with it is because it never occurred to '''''anybody''''' to check if Steven actually had AIDS.]] Absurdly enough, [[RealityIsUnrealistic all of these happened in real life.]]

* BatmanGambit: Steven runs several of these to con people in extraordinary ways. [[spoiler: Such as managing to convince medical staff he was dying from AIDS. Steven admits that the only reason he got away with it is because [[ForWantOfANail it never occurred to]] '''''[[ForWantOfANail anybody]]''''' [[ForWantOfANail to check if Steven actually had AIDS.]]]] Absurdly enough, [[RealityIsUnrealistic all of these happened in real life.]]

* BatmanGambit: Steven runs several of these to con people in extraordinary ways. [[spoiler: Such as managing to convince medical staff he was dying from AIDS. Steven himself muses the only reason he got away with this is because it never occurred to '''''anybody''''' to give Steven an AIDS test.]] Absurdly enough, [[RealityIsUnrealistic all of these happened in real life.]]

** ChekhovsGunman: Steven's first boyfriend, Jimmy.

* BatmanGambit: Steven runs several of these to con people in extraordinary ways. [[spoiler: Such as managing to convince medical staff he was dying from AIDS. Steven himself muses the only reason he got away with this is because it never occurred to '''''anybody''''' to give Steven an AIDS test.]]