David and Lisa (1998 TV Movie) User Reviews

Nice film, great acting!

[Sebastian-20 · 8/10 · 1 May 2002]

This is a very nice movie about two teens in a mental institution. David (played by Lucas Haas) is afraid to be touched by other people, and Lisa (brilliantly played by Brittany Murphy) says everything in rhymes, and seems to have a split personality. The two become friends, and unconsciously help each others overcome their fears... Also with Sidney Poitier as the head of the mental institution.

If you like this film, maybe you also like "Her last chance" with Kellie Martin! Rating: 9/10

"I see a girl... who looks like a pearl." The movie's quite appealing as well.

[Victor Field · 8/10 · 20 July 2002]

This may have come about under the aegis of Oprah Winfrey, but don't let that put you off; "David and Lisa" is far more watchable than her self-titled opus. (Another British viewer complained that She Who Thinks She's God appears in an intro before the movie starts; this is the case on video and on its US screenings, but I watched the movie on BBC2 and her appearance was removed, for which much thanks. Less justifiably, the Harpo logo was also absent - I don't like Oprah, but I like end credits.)

Though Sidney Poitier is top-billed, Lukas Haas is the real star of the movie; he plays an articulate and intelligent young man who's very disturbed - he suffers from a recurring nightmare involving "clock executions," and has a severe phobia about being touched, all of which accounts for his widowed mother (Allison Janney from "The West Wing") sending him to a special institution.

This movie is basically a love story, and the object of his affections - though it takes him a while to realise it - is a fellow patient played by Brittany Murphy (anyone seeing this after "Girl, Interrupted" and "Don't Say A Word" will probably not be surprised). Given to speaking in rhyme to make her internal demons go away, his interest is at first clinical, but eventually...

Compared to "The Bell Jar" (the book, that is - I haven't seen the movie version), this isn't particularly wrenching, but it isn't meant to be. Blessedly non-sick-making, sensitively told and generally well-performed (some of the freakouts may seem overacted, but how far is too far in cases like this?), "David and Lisa" is an involving story right up to its final scene - there's no real miracle cure, instead a suggestion that they're heading in the right direction. (And unusually for a love story, the two never kiss.)

And to the person who complained about Marco Beltrami's music; in addition to being above-average for TV, it must have been a refreshing change for him to score a movie not about serial killings. Fans of him (and Haas and Murphy) should tune in.

What do YOU see??

[ladylemon2006 · 8/10 · 7 April 2005]

I had to watch this movie in Psychology class, and I thought it was amazing! It was a movie that I actually enjoyed watching at school, which is a rarity. The actors played their roles expertly. I am so glad they chose Brittany Murphy for the role of Lisa. She had all of the emotions needed for this part. WOW! It was truly a touching story, and I'm glad this movie was remade...I would like to get a copy...My teacher taped it off of TV, and she can't find a copy ANYWHERE! If anyone can help me out I would greatly appreciate it. Please email me at ladylemon2006@aol or [e-mail]. thanks a lot, and everyone should see this movie. You wouldn't regret it. There is never a dull moment!

Brilliant!

[safyre · 21 October 2001]

I stumbled upon this movie one night at 1 am and I kept me away from the bed! The story is beautiful and sensitive, and the characters beautifully portrayed by talented actors. The complicated, yet wonderful psychology of these 2 persons can equal 2 dozens of explosions in any blockbuster movie. Too bad the movie isn't longer. I have a little gripe against the end, maybe a bit too mushy, but still, wonderful piece of cinema. Bravo.

Decent but somehow awkward and dated.

[Devotchka · 6/10 · 26 September 2004]

This isn't a terrible movie, but to be honest, I'm baffled by all the praise it's received. The dialogue seems artificial and somewhat dated--David in particular has an extremely stilted manner that I'm not sure is actually intentional. In the first half of the movie he stands up abruptly and then turns away at least once a scene, and his various panic attacks are weirdly awkward and artificial. I'm not sure that this is Haas's fault--when I first read the original play about 8 years ago, I was instantly annoyed by David's character. I personally have a good deal of experience with mental illness, etc, and something about him didn't quite click. Once David was allowed to develop a little (and once he wasn't forced into these constant, over-the-top breakdowns), Haas's acting ability shows. I really would have liked to see more insight--more introspection--but because the director insisted on sticking directly to the play, this wasn't possible. The plot is decent; why couldn't they use that as the framework?

He changes as a result of Lisa, but we don't really see how or why. As a result, we end up with this sappy, unrealistic sort of "love conquers mental illness" story. What, is David cured now? He and Lisa haven't even had a real conversation when the movie ends; we're left with the idea that perhaps their relationship will develop into something fascinating...

...and then the movie ends. Damn it.

Murphy does decently as Lisa, considering what she's given to work with. And Poitier does wonderfully despite the dialogue, of course, but everybody else in the film seems vaguely out of place. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that there's still something very 1962 about the thing, and mental illness research has come a long way in 40 years. David and Lisa has its great moments--especially as it progresses--and I suspect that Haas in particular could do better in a different movie.

Even this one could be really good, but it just falls short somehow...probably as a result of the dialogue, which still seems straight out of a 60's play that was revolutionary in its time but has since become distractingly dated. (I am aware that they have made some changes to the slang, but there's more to speech than that.) Anyway, with some modifications in regards to the telling of the story and especially the character development, I think that it could be a much better movie. As it is, it's pretty unremarkable.

Really worth seeing.

[Caroline-7 · 10/10 · 2 November 1998]

The second I saw the article in the Sunday paper about this film, I knew it was going to be a keeper. Unable to watch it as it was aired (and, after all, I like to tape everything anyway just in case) I saw it the following day. It's truly beautiful. I was in tears when David lets 'Lisa' hold his hand. It's touching, and just crazy enough for us 'artsy' types. *smile* Get a hold of a copy of it somehow. You've got to. Really, truly watch it. Listen to the dialogue. Watch the actor's eyes. Keep tissues handy for the end.

A Star is Born

[MrSpoons · 9/10 · 1 November 1998]

"David and Lisa," is one of those rare productions that remind us how good television can be. Portrayals of people with mental illnesses are always difficult. That there was room for reality and subtlety is a tribute to the creators and performers. Brittany Murphy's performance as Lisa will be on my mind for a long time. I can only hope that it will bring her more and more important roles, along with her first Emmy nomination. Thanks to Oprah for bringing this wonderful story to a new generation.

We're not worthy, we're not worthy!

[The_Movie_Cat · 5/10 · 9 January 2000]

In hindsight, the death of Sidney Poitier's film career probably began in 1989 with "Driving Miss Daisy". A huge "sleeper" hit for Morgan Freeman, which he capitalised on with later roles in "The Shawshank Redemption" and "Se7en".

As a result, the rare role of "elderly black man" in cinema (matched for obscurity only by the roles of Asian or disabled actors in Hollywood circles) has fallen in favour of Freeman. Not that that's a bad thing, Morgan is a fine actor, but to waste one of the major talents of the cinema (one of the fifty greatest film actors of all time? Twenty? Ten?) on tv movies is a sad waste. Sidney has starred in just eleven films in the last two decades, only five of them for the big screen.

And so, being a huge Poitier fan I rented out "David and Lisa", a love story between two patients at a home for the mentally ill. Lukas Haas and Brittany Murphy do well as the titular characters, while Sidney is, as expected, the greatest performer in the piece.

Yet while Haas gets to do all the real "acting", Sidney is required here to do nothing more than go through the motions, with no material to get his teeth into. Instead, he is called upon to deliver such saccharine lines as "If you don't fall in love with life then you are more dead than alive". His attempts to wade through what is essentially a treacly, self-consciously "heart-warming" story are blighted at every turn. His swift body language and familiar-yet-well-mannered facial array are slowed by the sentimental incidental music that punctuates any "touching" plot development.

For a film that professes to be about mental illness, it can be occasionally sloppy in it's presentation of said theme. The movie is guilty of perpetuating the widely-held myth that "Schizophrenia" refers to multiple personality disorders, while the notion of illnesses than can be cured by love is just too easy an option for a satisfactory resolution.

Ultimately, this is not a bad film, but then neither is it a particularly good one. I gave it average (5) marks, as, like the majority of tv movies, it is a sanitised work, content to sit there and occupy the attention for 85 minutes then go away again leaving no real lasting impression. It's not horrible, it's not bad for your health, but then neither will it alter your life in any great way. The film's undercurrent is the sort of self-aggrandising, pious worthiness that gives liberalism a bad name. In fact, the whole movie walks a tightrope between decent entertainment and preachy sentiment. The only thing it needs to take it over the edge into a swarfegic glob of overstated emotion is a introduction by Oprah Winfrey, where she talks about the film being a "timeless love story" and "love gives us the power to live".

Oh, wait a minute. She does do that, doesn't she? Damn.

Beautiful Update

[Meeyum · 8/10 · 1 November 1998]

"David and Lisa" is a beautifully updated version of this love story by Theodore Isaac Rubin. It shows careful research into modern psychiatry.

Sorry, but no cigar.

[robert-259-28954 · 3/10 · 4 October 2013]

The trouble with a re-make is that it will inevitably be compared with the first. In this case, that would be the superb 1962 film version. It's been nearly 40-years since I saw it, but it left a powerful, indelible impression on me. Unfortunately, this one looked like a Hallmark TV movie against the classic 60's version, which I sincerely hope that anyone who enjoyed this version will take the time to see. As much as I dearly love Sidney Poitier, none of the cast of this psychological pot boiler can hold a candle to the original, which featured the best actors from the Broadway stage—not movie actors—particularly a superb Howard Da Silva as the doctor and Keir Dullea as David, in the role that I personally feel is his best (you may remember him as the marooned astronaut in Stanley Kubrick's classic, "2001"). Do yourself a favor and watch this one, too.

It's the quality of the acting and direction that shines!

[raymond-15 · 3 January 2000]

This is a film that haunts you for hours, even days, after the credits roll. The story is simple enough, It's about a distraught mother who boards her son David (Lukas Haas) in a psychiatric school for observation under the care of a top psychiatrist (Sidney Poitier), His problem is undiagnosed and all previous treatments have proved futile. At the school he lives very much as a recluse and has an abiding fear that he may die if anyone as much as touches him. This phobia does not prevent him from keeping pace with the latest medical literature. He also has an obsession with clocks and that time is all important. Lukas Haas's portrayal of the mentally sick David is great to watch, really compelling acting- the furtive eye movements, the frightened glances, the rebellious moods, the shambling walk - he is a totally believable psychiatric case. Balancing David's explosive outbursts, we have the cool, calm, unruffled doctor making every attempt to get through to the young patient, but never forcibly, never over-stepping the mark. There are a number of scenes that really excite me. An outburst of anger by David who is crazed with the idea that "time" is uncontrollable, unstoppable. Another crazy outburst about medicos who use medical jargon to show off their superiority. In another scene David tells of his recurring dream where he executes those who oppose him with a large (razor-sharp) hand of an enormous clock. "Perhaps you'll be next" he says to the doctor. The doctor's gentle but persuasive manner finally plants in David's mind the seed of a thought that people who have feelings may be more important than clocks which have none. Into the picture come Lisa (Brittany Murphy) a rather pretty young psychiatric patient who speaks only in rhyming words and sentences, such as "Hello...Kid-o" and "Look at me! What do you see?" David admits he is interested in her merely as a case study, but his expressive eyes and facial expressions indicate to us that that he is slowly but surely moved by her presence, her naivety and her trust. The final scene of the film suggests that though it may take some time there is genuine hope for both of them. This is a "must-see" film, both for the great acting and for its message of hope.

Superb acting and entrancing direction

[Nikwolf · 10/10 · 5 November 1998]

There have been many movies about mentally disturbed teens. Some have been quite effective such as the excellent performance by Shawn Cassidy in Like Normal People. Of course Ordinary People remains the standard. However, David and Lisa was a revelation. The performance by Lukas Haas was especially gripping - Emmy quality. It should lead to better roles for him in the future. Likewise Brittany Murphy was totally convincing with surprisingly subtle changes in her appearance during key lines. It was a joy to see Sidney Poitier in an understated but effortless performance. The photography was captivating, with occasional flashes of grainy documentary-type black and white frames. An altogether excellent production.

Oprah Winfrey's version of this 1968 movie takes our understanding of the disturbed to a new level.

[alister · 10/10 · 7 November 1998]

Oprah Winfrey has done it again as she produces a compelling new version of the 1968 classic. Two mentally ill teenagers fall in love and conquer their illnesses with the help of the school's director, played by Sidney Poitier. I found Lukas Haas and Brittany Murphy excellent in their respective roles as David and Lisa. This film reaches out people of all ages at many different levels. It is fundamentaly a teenage romance with a unique twist. I would recommend "David and Lisa" to anyone and everyone!

a movie worth watching again. and the original

[pammyjo · 9/10 · 22 July 2005]

I loved the movie, and have since been searching for it, I have never seen the original movie but am NOW curious, I have been searching for the movie with Brittney Murphy for some time now to purchase and share with my 15 year old, who I know would love it as much as I.

Is this version available ? I would love to find it and add it to my collection of favorite movies that I have recently purchased so my daughter and I can share together , and I can recap my feelings through her first experiencing it as I did. Thanks again for letting me share my thought and review on this movie, hope you all enjoyed it as much as I.

I cannot compare this to the 1962 version, as I have yet to see it. But I did enjoy it.

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 9 August 2022]

"David and Lisa" is a made for TV remake of the 1962 film by the same name. I read in another review that the original film was better, but as I haven't seen it I have no way to compare the two. What I do know is that I liked the film...possibly due, in part, to my history working in the mental health field.

When the story begins, David (Lucas Haas) is brought to a residential treatment program for the mentally ill. It's not a hospital per se, but more of a residential home. Why is David there? Well, he's extremely depressed and obsessed with death...to the point where he's practically non-functional.

At first, David is extremely hostile and guarded. It's obvious he's afraid to have close contact with others...both physical and emotional. Because of this, therapy is difficult for him. However, after he develops a friendship with a disturbed patient who only talks in rhymes, slowly he begins to allow others near him...and he appears to have excellent insight into her problems, though not of his own. Where is this friendship going and do either stand a chance of living a normal life?

Seeing two sick people learn to help each other is very touching. Both seem to have a lot to offer the other. I also appreciate the writing and performances, as I was a social worker and psychotherapist and appreciate the film and its message. Not an easy film to see...but worth your time if you allow it.

WOW! Kimiko Gelman

[AppleAsylum · 10/10 · 19 November 2001]

I don't think I would have ever even heard of this film if one of my favorite actresses was not in it. Kimiko Gelman that is. Thank you Kimiko for having me watch such an incredible story. If this movie ever airs, my advice is "WATCH IT!!" 1-10 (10)