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everything you have heard about this movie is true.

The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

Actress is magnificent and exudes a hypnotic screen presence in this affecting drama.

By the time the dramatic fireworks start popping off, each one feels earned.

Whilst I found the film interesting it is a pity that Jaclyn Smith did not take the trouble to perfect her English accent as very often her pronunciation of vowels was American rather than English. Especially for somebody like Florence Nightingale who would have had a very English accent! Movie makers spend so much money on these productions and very often ignore details like this which are very important. Meryl Streep is the only American actress who can perfect any accent according to the role she is playing.

In 1951, the legendary actress ANNA NEAGLE as Florence Nightingle in THE LADY WITH A LAMP, This was a British film that had a short run in the USA. Mis Neagle's performance was the only reason to see the movie.In 1985, NBC TV made this 2 part film. Why it was not at least nominated for awards is beyond belief.I feel it should have been released to the theatres For those who do not know, Modern nursing as we now now it is because of her & her dedication to saving wounded soldiers lives during the tragic Crimean war (1854-55).,We modern viewers may not realize back then women were never allowed to be nurses & to serve on the battle lines in a war was unheard of. The conditions in all hospitals not only battlefield ones were pitiful until this Victorian Lady with a Lamp came & changed things.. I do not know how accurate this film is historically, BUT due to the excellent script by Ivan Moffat & excellent direction by Daryl Duke it seems accurate to meYes many of the actors speak rather stiffly at times. BUT this was Victorian England & proper Ladies & Gentlemen spoke that way then, even the servant spoke in this very proper,respectful tine.Jacklyn Smith is Florence & she does a superb job. ably assisting here is a first rate cast, including, Claire Bloom & Jeremy Brett as her parents, Timothy Dalton as a suitor, as well as Timothy West & many other fine actors.The entire production is first rate. There are no extras on the DVD, I wish there were some. The running time is 140 minutes BUT it does move as the film is interesting all the way.Rent this it is a good evening at the movies for the entire family.It may be too mature for the little ones tho, there is very little humour. I highly recommend it.Ratings: **** (out of 4) 98 points (out of 100) IMDb 10 (out of 100

This is one of the better TV movies of the 1980s definitely.I watched this movie knowing practically nothing about Florence Nightingale and I came away realizing what an important person she was in the world of medicine and patient care.What I recall of the movie was this captain (or an army doctor, I can't recall exactly) in the makeshift hospital was yelling at his badly wounded soldier. It was a terrible way to treat these badly wounded men in a very dirty environment. Soldiers died quickly of their wounds due from infection and bad care before Florence Nightingale entered the picture. Florence Nightingale bought a whole bunch of women to the war zone and trained them to be nurses. Together, they cleaned up the "hospital" and revolutionized the care of patients.Jacklyn Smith is very lovely. In whatever role she's in, she's always the elegant Jacklyn Smith. I don't buy her as Florence Nightingale, but she puts on some decent acting. I believed her compassion for people and she had me rooting for her throughout the movie.It's a nice introduction to Florence Nightingale and I think it is a good movie to show to high school students who are interested in the nursing profession. It's a good drama and it doesn't hit you over the head with too much moralizing.I don't know if this movie will ever come out on DVD, but it's a good movie for people who like costume dramas, Jacklyn Smith, or interested in Florence Nightingale.

A plot SPOILER follows. Of course, it is based on historic fact.As Florence Nightingale is portrayed in this film, she achieved through confrontation with her family, her friends, the medical profession, and the British military authorities. Whether such conflicts were at the root of her success I cannot say. It is clear, however, that she is responsible for several very important revolutions in health care. First, she introduced cleanliness as of primary importance. Then, she raised the duties and the perception of nurses to the level of a profession. Lastly, she established formal education for nurses.The British television production clearly shows conditions as they were when Florence arrived at adulthood. She was of the gentry, but her heart was with the sick and injured of whatever class. Rejecting a worthy suitor, she set off to Kaiserswerth in Germany to get nursing training, such as it was at the time.Upon her return, she shocked her family by entering and then working in a hospital, the type of institution where ladies just didn't set foot. Hospitals were filthy, like prisons, where the attendants treated patients with utter distain and where the environment was vile indeed.Miss Nightingale came into her own during 1854, in the Crimean War. This film does an excellent job of portraying that. She took a group of nurses to a military hospital and revolutionized it over the constant objections of the military commanders and the doctors. She did gain some support as word of her changes began to be reported back home in Britain.Anyone with a background or interest in health care, especially in nursing or hospital administration will enjoy this film for its subject matter. The filmmaking is a bit uneven and episodic, which you might expect from a television series.Jaclyn Smith portrays Florence with sensitivity, thereby creating a believable and engaging character.