Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)

User Rating:

7.3/10   

Director:

John Badham

Writers:

Brian Clark (play)
Brian Clark (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

12 March 1982 (Australia)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

You'll have a lot of laughs.....before you cry.

Plot:

Ken Harrison is an artist that makes sculptures. One day he is involved in a car accident, and is paralyzed from his neck...

Plot Keywords:

Car Accident | Hospital | Sculptor | Habeas Corpus | Wheelchair

Cast

Richard Dreyfuss	...	Ken Harrison
John Cassavetes	...	Dr. Michael Emerson
Christine Lahti	...	Dr. Clare Scott
Bob Balaban	...	Carter Hill
Kenneth McMillan	...	Judge Wyler
Kaki Hunter	...	Mary Jo Sadler
Thomas Carter	...	Orderly John
Alba Oms	...	Nurse Rodriguez
Janet Eilber	...	Pat
Kathryn Grody	...	Mrs. Boyle
George Wyner	...	Dr. Jacobs
Mel Stewart	...	Dr. Barr
Ward Costello	...	Mr. Eden
Alston Ahern	...	Day Nurse
Betty Cole	...	ICU Nurse

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:18A (Ontario) | Iceland:L | West Germany:12 | UK:15 | Australia:M | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

Columbus Park, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

'John Cassavetes' is an improvisational actor/director, and he at times got fed up with having to be precise in his dialogue and was quoted as saying to Director John Badham, "Kid you're getting more out of me, than anyone has in a lifetime."

Quotes:

Ken Harrison: Hello, I was just practicing lying here.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Murphy Brown: Whose Garbage Is It Anyway? (#2.7)" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Hospital Ladies

Thought provoking

This thought provoking and philosophically painful. Most people have an opinion on euthanasia and how they would react should they end up helplessly crippled and so does Ken Harrison in this movie. But do we really mean what we say? What is really special about this movie is that it does not take a stand at the end. It lets us wonder. Does he actually change his mind as the good doctor suggests he might?

I for one, dread a decision like this one.