Deadly Care (TV 1987)

True story about a nurse's descent into the nightmarish world of substance abuse which endangers her life and the lives of her patients.

Director:

David Anspaugh

Writer:

Lane Slate

Stars:

Cheryl Ladd, Jason Miller, Jennifer Salt

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cheryl Ladd	...	Anne Halloran
Jason Miller	...	Dr. Miles Keefer
Jennifer Salt	...	Carol
Belinda Balaski	...	Terry
Joe Dorsey	...	Mr. Halloran
Richard Evans
Silvana Gallardo
Ann Hearn
Peggy McCay	...	Mrs. Halloran
Terrence E. McNally	...	(as Terrence McNally)
Chris Mulkey	...	Richard Halloran
Laurie O'Brien
Willard E. Pugh	...	Male Nurse (as Willard Pugh)
John Hammond	...	Larry
Arthur Taxier	...	Dr. Davidson

Storyline

True story about a nurse's descent into the nightmarish world of substance abuse which endangers her life and the lives of her patients.

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Plot Keywords:

nurse | drugs

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 March 1987 (USA)

Also Known As:

Engel des Todes

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal TV

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

User Reviews

Wonderful performance by Cheryl Ladd...

The main attraction of this film for someone would be if they're a fan of Cheryl Ladd, like me. Or if you identify with the subject matter.

Cheryl puts in a fantastic performance. Be warned though, the film has a rather depressing tone to it. Things get worse and worse for Cheryl's character. She begins with a mild dependance on drugs from the hospital she works in as a nurse. But when her sister dies and she loses her job, she battles with alcoholism and relies on drugs more and more. She really hits rock bottom before realising she needs help, and is not accepting of the help she gets when she ends up in a hospital. Things are wrapped are rather quickly, and so you are not left with a good feeling that she turned things around for herself. We are told through a voice over. A "Five Years Later" scene would have been more effective in terms of how you feel when the film ends. But this is no major flaw for the film.

Cheryl Ladd is at her best her, with heavy going material. In other roles she has had she has not had to be so rude to her friends and people who are trying to help her. She plays a woman who relies on drugs, and when her life stops becoming manageable, it completely takes over. As I said at the start, a film for Cheryl fans, and an excellent one at that.