DEADLY CARE
US, 1987, 96 minutes, Colour.
Cheryl Ladd.
Directed by David Anspaugh.
Deadly Care is another of those American telemovies which highlight a social ill and explore the issue as well as warn people about dangers. This time the focus is on nurses who are chemically dependent, who are dismissed from their work, who die of drug overdoses.
Cheryl Ladd portrays the efficient administrator of a hospital unit in Phoenix but who has access to drugs and gradually becomes addicted. She comes from a tense family where her sister dies from alcoholism. She herself goes downhill and is finally rescued with an appeal to Alcoholics Anonymous and goes through a detoxification program, eventually starting her own work to save nurses who are chemically addicted. The supporting cast includes Jason Miller and Jennifer Salt. It was efficiently directed by David Anspaugh (Hoosiers, Fresh Horses).
1. The impact of the telemovie, the seriousness of the issue, addicted and chemically dependent nurses? The meaning for audiences? Points being made?
2. The settings in Phoenix, Portland? Hospitals, homes? Detoxification treatment? Authentic atmosphere? Score?
3. The title, reference to hospital and nurses, patients, self-care for the nurses, their own neglect of themselves?
4. The portrait of Anne, her hard work, skills, the unit in Phoenix, taking the visitor on tour, her relationship with nurses, doctors and patients? Her conditions, workaholic? Her friends, the apartment, letting off steam? Strong professional, burnout?
5. The visit to her sister, her sister's alcoholism, in bed, reminiscences about the family, successes and failure, her sister's bitterness, especially towards her husband? His looking after her, tired? The background of his bird watching? Her death, the funeral, the father and his sense of inadequacy, the mother and her severity and lectures? The brothers and the bitter talk in the family? The effect on Anne?
6. The transplant unit, the doctor and his ambitions, the talk about cars, the doctors transferring to better conditions? The heart donors, the black assistant and his brother being the donor? The effect on the nurses, their discussions, in the bars? The success and failure rate of the transplant unit? Its toll on Anne?
7. The pills, her shrewdness in getting them, the effect? Going out with her friend, the dance, waking up in Dallas? Trying to get the $25 from the Airflight assistant? The discussion about stealing typewriters - and drugs?
8. At home for a rest, her parents, her anger with her mother at the supermarket, alone, the interview for the job, overqualified, the severity of the conditions? The patients and her charm, the mistake and its repercussions? Her collapse, her friend ringing, coming, her angers and despair?
9. The phone call to alcoholic anonymous, the detoxification program, her friends supporting her, their walk down the corridor - the voice over about Anne's future and her work helping other nurses? Legislation to help nurses go into cleansing programs?
10. The reality of the hard work of nurses, availability of drugs, chemical addictions?
