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Cancer Major 
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TITLE |
Last
Wish (1992) (TV Film) |
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DISABILITY |
Ovarian
Cancer Euthanasia |
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NOTES |
Once again
it is TV which tackles the vital issues of the day . |
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Here a dying
woman wants her daughter to help her commit |
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suicide. The
daughter being a TV journalist wrote a book |
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about it.
The problem with such films is that they have only |
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one issue
and it takes a very good film to fill the rest of the 90 |
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minutes or
so with something entertaining or meaningful. |
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Patty Duke
has clearly cornered the TV market in 'angst' |
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This is the
story of Betty Rollin (based on her book) who died |
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The film
starts with her saying she has stomach ache. But |
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it's more
and she has to have surgery (women's problems |
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she says)
which is in fact a malignant tumour that is |
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spreading.
The fact is she doesn't want her new boyfriend or |
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daughter
(Duke) to know how serious things are. However |
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when she has
chemo it leaves her nauseous. The daughter |
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wants a
second opinion. After a recurrence the doc |
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suggests
more chemo. Then the daughter brings in another |
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specialist
(woman), a chemist. But mum turns her |
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suggestions
down. Things get so bad she wants her |
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daughter to
help her die. So the daughter goes to the chemist |
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asking her
how many pills necessary for this but chemist |
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refuses to
advise her. A friend helps out and mum is helped |
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to die
though cause of death given as cancer until book about her
published. |
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While the
subject is important and there is some important |
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detail the
film fails to engage. |
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See the book
'First You Cry' which is about Betty Rollin's fight |
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Notes
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