Death - as a concept, stark reality, and political issue - is the true star of Barry Levinson's new film.
Baltimore's favorite native-born filmmaker focuses on Dr. Jack Kevorkian in his new movie, You Don't Know Jack. The full-length drama premiers on HBO Saturday (April 24) at 9 p.m.
The legendary Al Pachino plays Kevorkian, and Susan Sarandon and John Goodman also are in the all-star cast. The movie is getting great reviews, including one from The Sun's David Zurawik.
I can't wait to see it. Levinson's films almost always are thought-provoking, and in his blog entry, Zurawik promises that the performance Pachino gives harkens back to the days when he was one of the most compelling, intense actors on the planet (think Godfather, not Devil's Advocate).
After its debut, the movie will be rebroadcast several times and be available on HBO On Demand. I'll be interested to hear people's reactions to it, so feel free to post your thoughts here.
Photo: Barry Levinson's new film premiers Saturday at 9 p.m. on HBO. (Kris Connor/Getty Images Entertainment)
Comments
God bless this man for doing a movie that is long overdue ! Because I do know Jack, I earnestly await this film. I know Dr. Kevorkian because he helped my son, Nick Loving, in 1995! Nick was dying of Lou Gehrig’s syndrome and I had to fly him from AZ to Mich to receive help!
I sincerely hope the next film about Good Death is a film of My Son, My Sorrow: The Tragic Tale of Dr. Kevorkian’s Youngest Patient . . . the last film offer was by Castle Rock Entertainment, in 2001. Now, the time has come!
You Don’t Know Jack will help the public learn the truth about a man on his path of destiny. My Son, My Sorrow will show you the intimate human compassion of a loving mother helping her dying son with his last wish: to have a Good Death through the help of Dr. Kevorkian.
I was disappointed in this movie. Although the acting seemed to be good it is inaccurate in it’s depiction of my mother, Lois Hawes, who was Dr. Kevorkian’s 5th patient. Approximately 1 hour and 35 minutes into the movie it shows a woman with no hair sitting in a chair with my mother’s name printed on the screen and stating that she is patient No. 78. At no point in her life was she ever hairless and she was patient No. 5. This woman says “God had his chance to come and take me; I’ll go to Him instead”. My mother did not say those words. So, I have to wonder how much more of this is inaccurate? Obviously, someone didn’t do their homework.