You Don't Know Jack is a 2010 American made-for-television biopic written by Adam Mazer and directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Al Pacino, John Goodman, Danny Huston, Susan Sarandon, and Brenda Vaccaro.
| You Don't Know Jack | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Written by | Adam Mazer |
| Directed by | Barry Levinson |
| Starring | Al Pacino Danny Huston Susan Sarandon John Goodman Brenda Vaccaro |
| Theme music composer | Marcelo Zarvos |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| Production | |
| Producers | Scott Ferguson Lydia Dean Steve Lee Jones[1] |
| Cinematography | Eigil Bryld |
| Editor | Aaron Yanes |
| Running time | 134 minutes |
| Production company | Bee Holder Productions[2] |
| Budget | $18 million |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | April 24, 2010 |
The film dramatizes the efforts of former Oakland County, Michigan, pathologist Jack Kevorkian (Pacino) to help the terminally ill and the profoundly disabled end their lives. The outspoken Kevorkian becomes a polarizing figure and he is often referred to as "Dr. Death" in the press. He is assisted by his sister Margo Janus (Vaccaro), his longtime friend and medical technician Neal Nicol (Goodman), and Janet Good (Sarandon), who founded the eastern Michigan chapter of the Hemlock Society.[3] By accepted accounts, he aided 130 people to die.
Kevorkian is unsuccessfully tried four times, but after taking an unprecedented direct role in the August 1998 death of his final patient, Thomas Youk, he is convicted of second degree murder and is sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.[4] He serves over eight years and is released in June 2007.
You Don't Know Jack's screenplay was based largely on the book Between the Dying and the Dead by Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie. The film received numerous award nominations. Al Pacino won Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild awards for his performance as Kevorkian.[5] It received largely positive reviews and currently has an 83% rating at the aggregate film review website Rotten Tomatoes.[6]
Plot
editPrompted by the plight of David Rivlin, a quadriplegic who litigated to be removed from his respirator so he can die,[7] the sight of a dying woman in a hospital bed, and the memory of his mother Satenig's death over two decades earlier, Jack Kevorkian builds his first "Mercitron".[8] out of parts bought at a flea market. He meets with Rivlin and presents his device. Kevorkian explains that through an intravenous line, Rivlin can self-administer first a harmless saline solution, followed by thiopental that will cause him to fall into a coma, and then potassium chloride that will stop his heart, thus causing death. Due to the expense and the difficulty of obtaining the drugs, Kevorkian later develops a less expensive method using tanks of carbon monoxide. Rivlin, however, becomes agitated and Kevorkian is forced to leave. Rivlin is later removed from his respirator and food and water are withheld. In an interview with reporter Jack Lessenberry, Kevorkian denounces what he sees as the cruelty of his unnecessarily painful death, comparing it to the Holocaust. He believes that his "death machine" would've brought about a quicker and easier death, and begins offering his services as a "death counselor". His first patient is Janet Adkins, a 53 -year-old woman from Portland, Oregon who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The disease is in its early stages, but Adkins is increasingly suffering from memory loss and confusion. With Kevorkian's help, she dies on June 4, 1990.[9] Soon after Kevorkian begins aiding people in earnest.
As Kevorkian's notoriety increases, he provokes polarizing public opinion. His supporters believe he is performing a public service and that the government has no right to interfere with the decisions of competent individuals who want to die. He insists that he gives his patients a means to end their suffering; they alone made the decision and initiated the process. He also claims to have turned down 97 or 98 percent of the people asking for his help. His critics, however, believe he is playing God. Conservative Oakland County prosecutor Richard Thompson considers Kevorkian a murderer, but can't gain a conviction; he attributes his failures to Michigan's weak laws regarding assisted suicide and advocates stronger laws. In 1998, Thompson loses an election to a more liberal assistant prosecutor, David Gorcyca, who has no interest in wasting money (a major criticism of Thompson) prosecuting Jack Kevorkian as long as he only assists in suicides.
However, Thomas Youk's September 16, 1998 death is different. Youk, reputed to be Kevorkian's final patient, is so crippled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) so he cannot self-administer the drugs. Kevorkian administers it personally. A video of Youk's death is presented as part of Kevorkian's interview with reporter Mike Wallace of the CBS news program 60 Minutes. It leads to him being indicted. Despite the intervention of Youk's widow Melody and his brother Terry, he is convicted of second degree murder. Kevorkian represents himself while in previous cases, he was represented by attorney Geoffrey Fieger. He is sentenced to 10 to 25 years in prison.[10] He wants his case to be heard by the United States Supreme Court so that the issue of assisted suicide can be decided. The Court declined to do so, however. Kevorkian is released in June 2007 after serving over eight years.
Cast
edit- Al Pacino as Jack Kevorkian
- Danny Huston as Geoffrey Fieger, Kevorkian's attorney
- Susan Sarandon as Janet Good, a right-to-die advocate and patient
- Brenda Vaccaro as Margaret "Margo" Janus, Kevorkian's sister and assistant until her death in 1994
- John Goodman as Neal Nicol, Kevorkian's longtime friend and medical technician
- James Urbaniak as Jack Lessenberry, a reporter
- Eric Lange as John Skrzynski, an assistant prosecutor
- John Engler as himself (stock footage), Michigan governor from 1991 to 2003
- Richard E. Council as Judge David Breck
- Sandra Seacat as Janet Adkins, Kevorkian's first patient
- Adam Driver as Glen Stetson, a fictitious character who is a paraplegic who tried to immolate himself and is turned down by Kevorkian and Janet Good
- Cotter Smith as Dick Thompson, Oakland County prosecutor from 1989 to 1996
- David Wilson Barnes as David Gorcyca, Dick Thompson's successor as Oakland County prosecutor. Successfully prosecutes Kevorkian in the death of Thomas Youk
Awards and nominations
editNotes
edit- ^ Also for The Pacific, The Special Relationship and Temple Grandin.
References
edit- ^ Ferrell, David (April 23, 2010), "Trying to get to the heart of Jack Kevorkian", Los Angeles Times
- ^ Srawgow, Michael (August 27, 2010), "Steve Lee Jones knows 'Jack'", Baltimore Sun
- ^ Janet Good, 73; Advocated the Right to Die
- ^ Stanley, Alessandra (April 22, 2010), "A Doctor With a Prescription for Headlines", The New York Times, retrieved 10 July 2012
- ^ You Don't Know Jack Awards [better source needed]
- ^ Page at Rotten Tomatoes.com
- ^ "Judge Rules Quadriplegic Can Be Allowed to End Life (Published 1989)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05.
- ^ The Thanatron, Jack Kevorkian&'s Death Machine
- ^ "Doctor Tells of First Death Using His Suicide Device (Published 1990)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2023-04-05.
- ^ Kevorkian Case: Video of killing shown to jury
- ^ "2010 Artios Awards". www.castingsociety.com. Retrieved November 1, 2010.
- ^ "2010 Gold Derby TV Awards". Gold Derby. 7 March 2016. Retrieved March 7, 2016.
- ^ "14th Annual TV Awards (2009-10)". Online Film & Television Association. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
- ^ "You Don't Know Jack". Emmys.com. Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Retrieved July 13, 2017.
- ^ "2010 Satellite Awards". Satellite Awards. International Press Academy. Retrieved July 10, 2021.
- ^ "The Television Critics Association Announces 2010 TCA Awards Nominees". Television Critics Association. June 4, 2010. Archived from the original on June 13, 2011. Retrieved June 15, 2013.
- ^ "Glee, Claire Danes, Sally Hawkins, Jane Lynch, Susan Sarandon, Maggie Smith et al. Receive WIN Nominations". TheaterMania.com. Retrieved 2015-12-08.
- ^ Finke, Nikki (12 January 2010). "Nominees For Editors' ACE Eddie Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
- ^ "13th Costume Designers Guild Awards". Costume Designers Guild. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ Knox, David (January 16, 2011). "The Pacific wins at Critic's Choice Awards". TV Tonight. Retrieved January 16, 2011.
- ^ "63rd DGA Awards". Directors Guild of America Awards. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ "You Don't Know Jack – Golden Globes". HFPA. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
- ^ Goldberg, Matt (January 4, 2011). "Producers Guild Award Nominees Announced". Collider. Retrieved August 27, 2017.
- ^ "The 17th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards". Screen Actors Guild Awards. Retrieved May 21, 2016.
- ^ "Previous Nominees & Winners: 2011 Awards Winners". Writers Guild Awards. Archived from the original on 2015-05-12. Retrieved 2014-05-07.