Rodney's life really isn't all that pathetic. Yeah, so he seems to have had a kind of screwed up childhood: who hasn't? He has also hung out with some of the greatest stars which seems to have been his lifes ambition. He has experienced more than moderate success in his chosen field of the entertainment industry. And let us not forget that he seems to have had his share and more of nubile young women. In short he seems to have accomplished many of the goals he has set for himself and would be marked as at least a 'moderate success' in most peoples books.
Yet somehow even after you see the film evidence of a fairly sucessful and interesting life you end up feeling sorry for the guy. I think you feel sorry for him becouse he seems to feel sorry for himself for some reason. That perpetual lack of confidence that he seems to have. He seems to be the poster child for how ones attitude determines ones life.
