...First Do No Harm (1997) (TV)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Jim Abrahams

Writer (WGA):

Ann Beckett (written by)

Release Date:

16 February 1997 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Plot:

The true story of one woman's struggle against a narrow-minded medical establishment.

Plot Keywords:

Hospital | Medical Profession | Epilepsy | Child | Family Relationships

Awards:

Nominated for Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Meryl Streep	...	Lori Reimuller
Fred Ward	...	Dave Reimuller
Seth Adkins	...	Robbie Reimuller
Allison Janney	...	Dr. Melanie Abbasac
Margo Martindale	...	Marjean
Oni Faida Lampley	...	Marsha Williams
Leo Burmester	...	Bob Purdue
Tom Butler	...	Jim Peterson
Mairon Bennett	...	Lynne Reimuller
Michael Yarmush	...	Mark Reimuller
Millicent Kelly	...	Herself
Diana Belshaw	...	Business Rep.
Lorraine Brockway	...	Lili's Grandmother
Dick Callahan	...	Gene Falconetti
Hugo Dann	...	Priest

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for intense emotional and physical depiction of a child's illness.

Runtime:

USA:120 min (including commercials) | 94 min (DVD)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Certification:

Iceland:L | Australia:M | UK:PG

Filming Locations:

Orono, Ontario, Canada

Company:

Pebblehut Productions

Trivia:

"Ketogenic" means causing ketosis, a state where the urine is high in ketone because the body is burning fat. The Atkins diet produces a mild state of ketosis, while the ketogenic diet depicted in the film involves a severe state of ketosis. Recently, Johns Hopkins researchers have reported that a milder, Atkins-like ketogenic diet may also reduce the symptoms of epilepsy.

Movie Connections:

References The Wizard of Oz (1939)

Soundtrack:

Over the Rainbow

excellent realistic, heart wrenching story

Meryl Streep took a break from feature films for a rare TV movie role, while Jim (Airplane!) Abrahams took a break from wacky comedies, to tell this extraordinary story of a family that must take its health care into its own hands when the medical complex is failing them - after losing almost everything. Their son seems to have a variety of epilepsy that's tragically difficult to diagnose and treat.

Many have lost family members because they didn't have the strength and courage to challenge their doctors' biases before it was too late. So this true story is an important vaccine for people who need to take back responsibility for their families' health. It's a stark contrast and partial antidote to thousands of made-up movie and TV medical stories.

Streep, Fred Ward and the rest of the cast are superb. Allison Janney is perfectly cast as the doctor, because in real life the 'bad guys' are often smart, attractive, and certain they're doing the right thing.