DEADLY MEDICINE
US, 1990, 89 minutes, Colour.
Veronica Hamel, Susan Ruttan, Stephen Tobolowsky, Scott Paulin.
Directed by Richard A.Colla.
An interesting telemovie, a star vehicle for Veronica Hammil who produced the film. Veteran Richard Colla directed.
The film was allegedly based on a true story, focusing on a paediatrician, her lack of experience, her friendship with a nurse and the revelation that the nurse was psychotic and had been murdering children. The Doctor becomes a victim, attacked by every one in the small town, under threat from the District Attorney, becoming more and more estranged from her husband till finally she is left alone.
Veronica Hamel is a strong screen presence. Stephen Tobolowski has an opportunity to be harsh and sympathetic as the District Attorney.
1. Interesting and entertaining telemovie? The world of medicine and doctors? Murder?
2. Texas settings, the Austin Hospital, the country town, the building site, the paediatrician's office, District Attorney's office and courts? Musical score?
3. The title - straightforward, focusing on the care of children, Janine Jones' murders?
4. Kathleen Holland, her success in her work, relating to people at the Hospital? Care of children? Friendship with Janeen, inviting her to assist her in her practice? Her love for her husband, the building site, building the new house? A new beginning? In the town, her work, the child with the convulsions, healing the child, the child's death? The grief and the funeral? Police suspicions, evidence of the overdose of the drug? Suspicions on Kathleen? Victim, handling the situation, the anguish? Support of her husband, their discussions, his growing alienation and final departure? Her selling the house? The District Attorney and his suspicions, aggression? The advice of her lawyer to avoid answering? The town's suspicions, the parents turning against her? Vandalism? The discussions with Janine, the realisation of the truth? Janine and her madness, her blackmail? The good impression that Janine made at the investigations? The discussions with Sottom, persuading him to go to the hospital in Austin, the discovery of the truth about the record number of infant deaths? The fact that the Hospital had offloaded Janine to Kathleen? The court case, needing the day book as evidence? The defence of Janine and his emotional appeals? The parents and their evidence, using it in court? Janine's outburst? The anguish of waiting for the jury's decision, the phone coffin Charlie? Her vindication - a future, the bond with Sutton?
5. Janine, her work, devotion to the children? Kathleen's offer, her deciding to go? Her relationship with her own children? At work? The realisation that she had killed the children, her madness, shrewdness in answering questions? The confrontation with Kathleen and her hatred? Making good impression, answering the questions plausibly, her suicide attempt - and allegedly covering up for Kathleen but blaming her? The court case, her performance? Her final outburst and her madness?
6. The parents of the children, gratitude to Kathleen, anguish and suffering, the fathers' aggression? The realisation of what had happened? Testimony in the court? The finale with Kathleen?
7. The defence counsel and his shrewd arguments, emotion, blaming Kathleen? The judge, the jury?
8. The staff at the Hospital, doctors and nurses, unwilling to co-operate, the statistics and their interpretation, financial needs, re-organization - and the off-loading of Janine with Kathleen?
9. The finale with the information about the characters? True story?
