 |
Cancer Major 
|
|
|
TITLE |
Greatest Thing That Almost Happened, The (1977) (TV Film) |
|
DISABILITY |
Cancer
Leukemia |
|
NOTES |
A 17 year
old High School basketball player has great |
|
aspirations
but then he collapses during a game. In hospital |
|
he is told
he has shortness of breath, rectal bleeding, nose |
|
and gum
bleeds. His "blood isn't what it should be." In fact he |
|
He goes home
thinking he is going to die, puts on a brave face but ignores
doctor's orders. Soon he is back in hospital and resolves to
follow the doctor's advice because he wants "five minutes
more." |
|
He slowly
declines and there's no happy ending and there is |
|
not a lot of
medical detail. This is a film about coming to |
|
terms with
dying. In fact it's a gem of film which I'd never |
|
remotely
heard of. The acting is strong, the creation of |
|
normal
family life affected by this event is interestingly |
|
presented
without sentimentality. |
|
This is also
a story about a black family. While the story is |
|
mainly about
the black characters there are shown genuine |
|
relationships with white friends, teacher and doctor.. But his
|
|
father is
humiliated in front of son by white employer. |
|
Very natural
progession in the film even though later there is |
|
Notes
|
|
