Films involving AIDS

AIDS Major

TITLE

Go to the Light (1988) (TV Film)

ALT__TITLE

Go Toward the Light

DISABILITY

AIDS Haemophilia Hemophilia

COUNTRY

USA

LENGTH

100

GENRE

True story

DIRECTOR

Mike Robe

CAST

Linda Hamilton

Richard Thomas

Piper Laurie

Ned Beatty

Brian Bonsall

Joshua Harris

NOTES

There are next to no films about haemophilia, the only ones I

know involve AIDS. The condition also deserves much better

treatment than this film gives it.

A young boy has AIDS from the use of Factor8. While the

mother accepts the situation the father refuses to telling her to be more positive. She is pregnant with another child, his

school is ready to kick the child out and he may live only

another year.

See also "The Cure"

My notes:

Both sons in a family have haemophilia. One Ben is not well

at school (he sits next to girl who's had chemo) He has

stomach pain and diarrhoea and pills don't work. Hospital

orders brain scan, spinal tap and bone marrow test. Results

show he has a parasite, has yeast infection in his throat called Thrush. And he has AIDS. He could have been infected (from blood or Factor 8?) anytime before 1981.

85% of AIDS patients die within a year.

Dad "I don't believe Ben is going to die."

His school no longer wants him to attend though in fact he is

too ill to go to school. His friend, Jessica, (the one with

cancer) dies.

This film and others like it don't convey just how difficult it is

for parents and children in this situation. The film tells the

story not shows it. But how to talk to Ben about dying is

handled well. Dad still goes on about a miracle cure but

mother says they have to help him to die.

It turns out they are Mormons and dad goes to see Bishop

who also suggests getting Ben ready for death. This is let

down by the illustration used of the spirit slipping into the body like a hand into a glove. Ben can't keep food down, his veins are collapsing because of I.V.s so he's starving to death. A Hickman catheter is inserted in his chest which allow feeding. He has to stay in hospital for 5-6 weeks but his mother is pregnant and the baby due in 3 weeks and they want him home.

The new baby is born and doesn't have haemophilia. Ben gets pancrytitis and may not go home again. They have problems with the hospital bills. Dad has a severe anxiety attack -- looks just like a heart attack. In Ben's final weeks a volunteer hospital visitor spends time with him.

Watching this moving and don't compare it to "The
Cure" (1995), by Peter Horton, is almost impossible.
However, "Go To The Light" (also called "Go Toward The
Light") is based on the truth story and book by Chris
Oyler and was made seven years before "The Cure".
Featuring Linda Hamilton in the major role and a
brilliant performance by the young actor Joshua
Harris, the movie tells the storie of a family having
to face one of their hemophilic children getting AIDS
in a blood transfusion in a time where AIDS was almost
like a death sentece.
It's incredibly sad the way as the family has to
prepare his young child to die and the way the kid
deals with it.
The real story of Ben Oyler (in the movie the last
names where changed) is perfectly told in a movie full
of lessons about the life and death, belief and
disbelief...
It's a must see for every human being...

I hope this may help.

Sincerely.

Marco Alan Rotta

Notes

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