FILM REVIEWS

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In a twist on public television’s usual approach to medical and ethical issues, here is a studio audience filled not only with “experts,” but with laymen who had to make wrenching decisions about endstage care for their terminally ill loved ones. It is heartening to see a program devoted not to physician-assisted suicide, but to the more common life-and-death decisions so many of us have faced. — Wall Street Journal

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TV that embraces death like this hour, despite the profound disagreements, can only be a healthy thing. — Los Angeles Times

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It was a great program.  I thought the layout of it was very effective. It was real people, not people acting. That really made it hit home for me, and I’m sure it did for a lot of other people.  I’m ordering a copy for the ethics group at our hospital, because I feel they need to see it.

— Susan Cimino-Cary, Social Worker, Bassatt Hospital of Schoharie County, Cobleskill, NY

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This is a very good, quality, public television program and an excellent introduction to the concept of personal directives. The video works in short portions, or as an entire hour-length balanced view of end-of-life care. —Al-Noor Nathoo, The Bioethics Centre, Provincial Health Ethics Network, Alberta Canada

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This one-hour video looks at the human side of end-of-life decision-making. These are five powerful documentary segments featuring real families sharing their own discussions and experiences. — Geriatric Social Work Initiative, New York, NY

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Everyone who’s seen it has responded that the program was incredibly interesting. We’ve had a great deal of buzz about it since it aired — everything from people calling up the station to buy copies to media inquires about the program. — Jim Bell, Program Director, KYBU, Utah

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The program contained a lot of good information.  We ran it right after one of our local talk shows, and we got a great response to it. — Kirby McClure, Programming Manager, KBDI, Colorado

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This was a magnificent program. I am very frustrated, after watching this superb program, that I can’t find another listing for it in my area. I want to refer my friends to see it.  Thanks to you and to Dr. Synderman for producing such a wonderful program. It should be required to be seen in every medical school in this country! — Karen Schoonmaker, Viewer, California

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I just want to thank you so much for this program. I’m going through this exact situation with my parents, and it’s been so hard to talk about.  Often, my father will get up and walk away from the table completely.  It’s a hard subject, and this program makes talking about it much easier.  My parents live 3 hours away in a retirement facility, and it’s often impossible to talk about end-of-life care over the phone.  But now, with this program, what was impossible is now more than possible. — Carlotta Santa Cruz, Viewer, San Jose

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I thought it was a very good program. I thought it would be a good thing to get my family together to sit down and watch. It’s really an issue that needs to be talked about.  It was incredibly informative, and I’m glad I got the chance to see it. — Elaine Rauchfleish, Viewer, Michigan