I'm Ann Jillian's manager & husband. I must take exception with reviewer from Australia - as a co-producer of this film I can assure him that the singing by Ann Jillian was in fact her singing voice and just because I as Ann's manager was not able to land a recording contract that would have given her the singing success her voice truly deserved (as pointed out by our good Aussie friend) it should not have him thinking that was not Ann Jillian's great voice - as it surely was. The great Steve Allen loved Ann's voice so much that he produced a CD "In The Middle Of Love" with Ann singing 11 of his song compositions - to listen to it you will hear her terrific voice. The script is true, I know, I'm Ann's husband and I was there. Both Ann and I are so happy that every time this movie of hers airs it has the ability to save another womens life from breast cancer - and doing so while being inspired and well entertained. We paid for this with our privacy but it was indeed a price well spent. Ann continues to speak out against breast cancer and will not stop until there is a cure for all. Sincerely, Andy Murcia.
6 Reviews
The Ann Jillian Story
sissykap17 July 2017
I thought the movie was wonderful. It took a lot of courage for Ann to put herself out there like that. I was pregnant with my second child, a girl, when I saw the movie in 1988. I already had her middle name picked out, but was having a hard time finding a good first name that I LOVED to go with the middle name. Long story short, my daughter's name is Jillian, because in this story of Ann Jillian's life, she showed such courage and strength. I feel Ann is a wonderful actor and wish she would return to TV.
This movie was good
angelalyn1461218 November 2002
This movie was excellent. It kept me interested in a fantastic, beautiful family who comes together at Ann Jillian's side. This is a beautiful picture of Love, Courage, and Determination! I have had people in my family with cancer and it is a great portrayal of this situation.
It's a great movie about a loving couple and a monster.
rfgphoto24 September 2020
My wife is the same age as Ann; I'm one year older. I just saw this movie for the first time in September 2020. When it came out in 1988, our children were small and we were busy! I wish nothing but God's blessings to Ann and and her loving husband.
Not a vanity project. A sanity project.
mark.waltz5 January 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Throughout the 1980s, Ann Jillian was everywhere. If it wasn't a Broadway show or a TV series, it was a TV movie or mini-series, a musical special or on a talk show or in a concert. So when she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she was already prepared to deal with it maybe not fully emotionally, but in a way that would help other women. That made her a hero to many, and when she did this TV movie, nobody thought it was anything but that. Playing yourself as a celebrity in the publicity game is difficult enough in real life, but when you expose it all in a TV movie, people are going to have various reactions, but that was not the case with Ann Jillian play the real crisis of her life. The admiration was real, and she got rewarded with more than just nominations for the Emmy and Golden Globe.
It's easy to have trepidation in going into this TV movie with someone playing themself, especially in the vanity filled world of the entertainment industry. But Jillian does it with courage and humor and on occasion a self deprecating manner that makes her all the more admirable. The first part of the movie is slightly flawed by the rushed start of her relationship with her future husband (Tony Lo Bianco), but once they're together, you know they are together for life. She's also got her Ukrainian born parents around her for support, beautifully played by Viveca Lindfors and George Touliatos.
I got to meet Ms. Jillian once (at a benefit for a friend dealing with an HIV diagnosis), and I can confirm that the singing voice you hear is indeed hers. She is also as delightful in person as she is on her TV shows and movies, and having admired her work in her sitcoms and the movies "Mae West" and "Ellis Island", was delighted to find out how real person she is, certainly not "Grand" (thus phony) like other celebrities and public appearances.
Ironically, that one time I met her also had Ann Miller present, the female star of the musical revue "Sugar Babies", dealt with here very briefly but not mentioning Miller or Mickey Rooney. This only really briefly deals with her career highlights, but it does show her performing. Mostly it's about her personal life, the relationship with her husband and family, diagnosis of breast cancer and recovery. The motive of the film is that life goes on if you're one of the lucky survivors, and the unconditional support of the people you love certainly aides in that recovery time.
It's easy to have trepidation in going into this TV movie with someone playing themself, especially in the vanity filled world of the entertainment industry. But Jillian does it with courage and humor and on occasion a self deprecating manner that makes her all the more admirable. The first part of the movie is slightly flawed by the rushed start of her relationship with her future husband (Tony Lo Bianco), but once they're together, you know they are together for life. She's also got her Ukrainian born parents around her for support, beautifully played by Viveca Lindfors and George Touliatos.
I got to meet Ms. Jillian once (at a benefit for a friend dealing with an HIV diagnosis), and I can confirm that the singing voice you hear is indeed hers. She is also as delightful in person as she is on her TV shows and movies, and having admired her work in her sitcoms and the movies "Mae West" and "Ellis Island", was delighted to find out how real person she is, certainly not "Grand" (thus phony) like other celebrities and public appearances.
Ironically, that one time I met her also had Ann Miller present, the female star of the musical revue "Sugar Babies", dealt with here very briefly but not mentioning Miller or Mickey Rooney. This only really briefly deals with her career highlights, but it does show her performing. Mostly it's about her personal life, the relationship with her husband and family, diagnosis of breast cancer and recovery. The motive of the film is that life goes on if you're one of the lucky survivors, and the unconditional support of the people you love certainly aides in that recovery time.
Jillian plays herself
petershelleyau18 December 2002
The focus of the treatment is Jillian's battle with breast cancer, and although it shouldn't matter whether the person with cancer is a celebrity or not, the context here is what the business would lose if Jillian dies or stops entertaining. The weakness in this presentation is in Jillian performing, since it appears she is dubbed. We all know that talent is not all one needs to succeed in showbusiness, but it does seem that a woman with the kind of voice we hear would be more of a success than Jillian was at the time she was diagnosed with cancer. The level of success shown here is her doing a solo act in Las Vegas and small supper clubs.
Naturally, it's impossible to offer any criticism of an actress playing herself, though Jillian does have an appealingly loud personality, perhaps necessary when up against such acting hams as Tony LoBianco as her husband, and Viveca Lindfors as her mother. However Jillian's best moment is allowing LoBianco to see her post-surgical naked body, a moment of honesty. Jillian's peroxide hairstyle is initially explained by her need to be a blonde for a show, after her initial brunette period, however the continuance is not.
The teleplay by Audrey Davis Levin is on the level of `Every time you care, you lose a little of yourself', and `I wanna see life in your eyes, not cancer'. Having Jillian visited by a priest and given communion before her surgery telegraphs the result as much as her key light in the hospital room (though the fact that Jillian stars in the movie version is also a clue), and her post-surgical chemotherapy is more interesting in terms of narrative than the time spent with pre-surgery hopes. Director Corey Allen doesn't go for any radical choices, though there is a camp touch with his pan to Jillian's chest after she refuses to confide her concern with LoBianco.
Naturally, it's impossible to offer any criticism of an actress playing herself, though Jillian does have an appealingly loud personality, perhaps necessary when up against such acting hams as Tony LoBianco as her husband, and Viveca Lindfors as her mother. However Jillian's best moment is allowing LoBianco to see her post-surgical naked body, a moment of honesty. Jillian's peroxide hairstyle is initially explained by her need to be a blonde for a show, after her initial brunette period, however the continuance is not.
The teleplay by Audrey Davis Levin is on the level of `Every time you care, you lose a little of yourself', and `I wanna see life in your eyes, not cancer'. Having Jillian visited by a priest and given communion before her surgery telegraphs the result as much as her key light in the hospital room (though the fact that Jillian stars in the movie version is also a clue), and her post-surgical chemotherapy is more interesting in terms of narrative than the time spent with pre-surgery hopes. Director Corey Allen doesn't go for any radical choices, though there is a camp touch with his pan to Jillian's chest after she refuses to confide her concern with LoBianco.
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