Smallscreen Reviews

Review: 'You Don't Know Jack' a snapshot of a right to death

By April MacIntyre Apr 24, 2010, 0:31 GMT

Dr. Kevorkian's media image and the memories those of us have from past newscasts and interviews is served well by a restrained and respectful biography that is but a slice of his later life, those years he battled for Doctor-assisted suicide and wound up incarcerated for his efforts.

HBO's "You Don't Know Jack" is thoughtful, pensive and touches that place in us all who wonder what's to become of our aged parents, our children or ourselves if calamity strikes, and our quality of life ends and we simply exist, perhaps in great agony.

Unpleasant, heartbreaking and like the subject of abortion, a deeply personal one that polarizes.

Michigan's Dr. Jack Kevorkian, whose nickname "Dr. Death" was well-served by Al Pacino, whose subtleties of Kevorkian's patois sound more Northern than Michigan. He reveals a lesser-known side of Kevorkian - a man awkward in social situations yet deeply loyal to his inner circle of friends and family.

An observer, as most good doctors are, Pacino's Kevorkian is played endearingly without mawkish effect. Opinionated and a bull in a china shop, Kevorkian was and is complex and charming in an alternative fashion.

Director Barry Levinson's (Diner) astute hand at blending cast in scenes was greatly aided by such a fine supporting group of actors. Kevorkian's friend Neal Nicol (John Goodman) also restrains himself in scene; Janet Good (Susan Sarandon), and attorney Geoffrey Fieger (Danny Huston) round out the immediate circle. The real Geoffrey Fieger just lost his brother, Knack singer Doug Fieger so early in life to cancer. Watching this excellent biopic, I thought of Geoffrey's loquacious zeal in defending Kevorkian and their seeming friendship back in the day, on Larry King and other news shows.

Playing Jack's sister Margo Janus, (Brenda Vaccaro) too reminded me of how much I love her work; it was great to see her in this film.

The filmmakers present this moment in Dr. Kevorkian's life squarely from Jack's perspective, not from any dissenting opinion on the ethics of suicide-assist or a right-to-life stance. It's purely his story told in his voice, no apologies or acquiescing to a balanced argument on the issue.

The film deals bluntly with the terminally ill and tells stories of horrific real-life human tragedy. Especially hard was the story Kevorkian hears of the young man paralyzed, who lit himself on fire to die, only to survive it and suffer more anguish. But overall the film is less of a tear jerker and more compelling drama that holds your interest and makes you think, what will I want when that time comes for me?

Pacino as Kevorkian says in the film "when the law is deemed immoral, you must disobey it, you must disobey it."

And with that sentiment, to each his own in matters of life and death; the essence of "You Don't Know Jack" is the fundamental right for people to make this choice for themselves, privately.