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Whose Life Is It Anyway?
Ken Harrison is an artist that lives to make sculptures. One day he is involved in a car accident, and is paralyzed from his neck down. All he can do is talk and move his head, and he wants to die. Whilst he is in hospital he makes friends with some of the staff, and they support him when he goes to trial to be allowed to die.
Release : | 1981 |
Rating : | 7.3 |
Studio : | Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, SLM Production Group, Cooney/Schute Productions, |
Crew : | Stunt Coordinator, Director, |
Cast : | Richard Dreyfuss John Cassavetes Christine Lahti Bob Balaban Kenneth McMillan |
Genre : | Drama |
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A Masterpiece!
The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.
It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
Boston sculptor Ken Harrison (Richard Dreyfuss) is paralyzed by a car accident. He is left a quadriplegic. It's six months later and there is no improvement. Mary Jo Sadler is the young, inexperienced, new nurse and Rodriguez is the veteran. John is a friendly orderly. Dr. Clare Scott (Christine Lahti) is concerned about Ken and Dr. Michael Emerson (John Cassavetes) is the hard-nosed supervisor who insists that he knows what's best. Ken drives away his supportive dancer girlfriend Pat. He hires lawyer Carter Hill (Bob Balaban) to sue for his right to die.This is an amazing character played by an icon. It's as simple as that. The emotions are all on display despite the character's limitations. It is a compelling performance and very human.
Events in your life can shape and change you...sometimes radically. Before my heart attack and triple bypass I rated this 8*. Now, it is a most resounding 10*! In "Whose Life" the life-altering event for sculptor Ken Harrison (Richard Dreyfuss in an outstanding performance) was a traffic accident that left him quadriplegic.About 6 months after the fact, Harrison begins to to realize that not only his sculptures, but his perception of the world, its interpretation and his own self-image had been shaped through the use of his hands. Of course, his hands "died" on the day of the accident, and therefore, Harrison concludes, so did he.The film focuses on both his day to day struggle to cope with his unbearable condition and his confrontation with the hospital administration, or at least with its decision-making chief medical officer, Dr. Emerson (John Cassavetes-turning in a fine performance), who is intent on keeping Harrison in the hospital and under its care, against his will, even if that means declaring Harrison incompetent.Christine Lahti also has a supporting role. The film is highly effective but not pretentious or preachy in the least. 10*STARS*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA! Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome!
This film is among the best of all time. I've seldom seen a movie in which all actors -- from the star to the smallest bit player -- deliver such forceful, realistic performances. I felt as if I were actually in that hospital room with Ken Harrison et al. While the film, which is about a sculpture who becomes a quadriplegic in a car accident and then decides to die rather than live life in that condition, has a seemingly depressing plot line, it is actually uplifting. Richard Dreyfus has the remarkable ability to infuse the main character with humor as well as sadness. It is a tribute to the director, writers, and actors that this movie, which could have easily been a maudlin weepy, turned out to be a paean to the indomitable human spirit.
I would say that this movie is very interesting.May doctors let a patient die? Is it right to keep a person who wants to die alive?These are two questions which this movie handles, and you have the possibility to agree or not. But wether you like the idea of letting a patient die or not, the movie really makes you think about all the angles in this case.I would rate it 8/10.