You Don't Know Jack (2010)

A look at the life and work of doctor-assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian.

Director:

Barry Levinson

Writer:

Adam Mazer

Stars:

Al Pacino, Brenda Vaccaro, John Goodman

Won 1 Golden Globe. Another 10 wins & 36 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Al Pacino	...	Jack Kevorkian
Brenda Vaccaro	...	Margo Janus
John Goodman	...	Neal Nicol
Deirdre O'Connell	...	Linda
Todd Susman	...	Stan Levy
Adam Lubarsky	...	Brian Russell
Jennifer Mudge	...	Female Reporter
Jeremy Bobb	...	David Rivlin
Rutanya Alda	...	Vendor
James Urbaniak	...	Jack Lessenberry
Henny Russell	...	Oakhill Spokesperson
Henry Strozier	...	Oakhill Doctor
Sandra Seacat	...	Janet Adkins
Neil Brooks Cunningham	...	Rod Adkins
Susan Sarandon	...	Janet Good

Storyline

Dr. Jack Kevorkian (1928 - 2011 ) in the 1990s, when he defies Michigan law assisting the suicide of terminally-ill persons. Support comes from his sister, a lab tech, the Hemlock Society president, and a lawyer. The child of survivors of the Armenian genocide interviews applicants: his sister video tapes them. He assembles a device allowing a person to initiate a three-chemical intravenous drip. The local D.A., the governor, and the Legislature respond. In court scenes, Kevorkian is sometimes antic. He's single-minded about giving dying individuals the right to determine how their lives will end. He wants the Supreme Court to rule. He picks a fight he can't win: is it hubris or heroism?

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Plot Keywords:

suicide | assisted suicide | moral dilemma | morality | suppressed truth | 

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Taglines:

This man thinks you deserve to die in peace.

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Genres:

Biography | Drama

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Certificate:

TV-14

Did You Know?

Trivia

Al Pacino won the Golden Globe Award and Screen Actors Guild Award for his performance.

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Goofs

In the Channel 7 news report after the first patient passes away, the reporter refers to Lake Orion, and pronounces it like the constellation Orion (oh-rye-on). The correct pronunciation of the town is OR-ee-un.

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Quotes

Jack Kevorkian: It's emotionalism. You know, when heart transplants first started... there was the same prevalent feeling, I mean, even among doctors... that it was wrong, it was contrary to God's will, contrary to nature. Isn't it ghoulish to rip a person's chest open and take out a heart? Or a bypass operation? Ether is the same thing. You have ether, been around for centuries, it wasn't used. Not till 1846. It was discovered in 1543... and before that, everybody was being operated on while they were awake. ...
[...]

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Connections

Features Bad Ol' Putty Tat (1949)

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Soundtracks

Partita In Am - Allemende
Written by Johann Sebastian Bach
Performed by Scott Roewe

User Reviews

" Man has no right to kill himself, that choice belongs to the District Attorney "

Throughout the history of Mankind, there are a plethora of unique individuals who stand as giants as they have changed the world. Columbus, Gailieo, Copernicus, Darwin and Einstein, have all fought a prevailing notion of a given era. To this famous list one can add the dedicated Dr. Jack Kavorkian. Born May 26, 1928 is an American pathologist, right-to-die activist and painter. His life is the center of this movie called " You don't know Jack. " Al Pacino, who bears an astonish resemblance, plays Dr. Jack Kevorkian and does an incredible job. Other notable thespians like Brenda Vaccaro, Susan Sarandon, John Goodman and Danny Huston all appear like towering pillars in a magnificent temple. Together their performance allows the audience to view the good doctor in his Herculeion task of establishing a man's right to die. Despite being ostracized, ridiculed, vilified, hounded and even imprisoned, Kavorkian continued and in the minds of millions of rational people, his struggle established the precedent for humans, not a puritanical government, to chose the time to die. Pacino's performance is exceptional and this movie will become a Classic for future audiences. Recommended to anyone willing to listen. ****

Details

Official Sites:

HBO [United States]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 April 2010 (USA)

Also Known As:

Untitled Jack Kevorkian Project

Filming Locations:

Clinton Diner, Maspeth, Queens, New York City, New York, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bee Holder Productions, Cine Mosaic, HBO Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

134 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.78 : 1