A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH

US, 1981, 104 minutes, Colour.
Linda Lavin, Salome Jens, Tyne Daly, Gail Strickland, Gerard S. O’Loughlin?, Peter Donat, William Prince, Ramon Bieri, Ben Piazza.
Directed by Russ Mayberry.

A Matter of Life and Death is a very fine and moving telemovie. It tells the true story of Nurse Joy Ufemia, who discovered that she had a talent for nursing and working with the dying and who appeared on national American television to indicate possible new approaches in nursing. The film has been made for the television audience - it has an emotional appeal. However, the film is never sentimental. Linda Lavin is excellent as Joy Ufema showing the certainties and uncertainties as this dedicated woman begins to understand her particular gift and tries to persuade authorities for justice as well as kindness to dying patients. She receives excellent support from such actresses as Salome Jens as the hospital administrator, Tyne Daley as a psychiatrist and Gail Strickland as a dying cancer patient. It is an excellent American telemovie.

1. The impact of the film? Its message? its inspiration?

2. The title and the indication of themes? Joy Ufema and her talent, her experience in hospitals, her help with patients and the understanding of the meaning of life and of death?

3. The treatment of the story for home audiences? Telemovie style? Glossy production values? The television series style? The accessibility of plot and theme to the widest audience? Emotion, the stirring of sympathy? Empathy? Authentic locations? Character sketches? Situations? Musical score?

4. Joy Ufema and the publicity, leading to the television interview? Leading to the telemovie? A worthwhile life? A gift and a mission? Jog and her work, the opening with her arrival, the jokes with the negro lady, her response from the ward, the lack of equipment? The black woman's death and the lack of equipment? Her frustration and disappointment? Reassessing, her life and its meaning? Her age, experience? Her visit to her parents: the father closing the door in her face, the mother hiding behind the window? A disappointment to her parents? Not having a family? The decision to go to the city? The arrival at the hospital, the interview with Noreen Murphy, the possibilities?

5. The city hospital, her work, the support and then the clashes with the head nurse, with the staff? The old man wandering the wards? Joy beginning to stay with the patients, going out to buy them things? The complaints of the officials and fellow nurses? Her friendship with Noreen Murphy, Murphy's exasperation, turning against her? The staff meetings and the reaction of the head nurse? The range of people in the hospital? The reality of death? Cancer? The doctors avoiding telling the patients the full truth? The treatment of patients by telling them the truth, understanding their needs and trying to fulfil them, the clashes with doctors? The experience with adults and with children?

6. Joy's ability, her way of telling a patient that they were dying, talking with them, being with them, hearing their needs, understanding their anguish? The hospital treatment vs the patients' wishes?

7. The range of patients she encountered: the old man and his loneliness, the man dying in the ward with him, his wanting warm beer, her not being available at the time of his death? The big black man and the preparation for the operation? Mary and her dying of cancer, her family, their not wanting her to go home? The discussions with the children, with the husband? The labourer and his not being told that he had cancer? The man with cancer being the test for the doctor to trap Joy Ufema? His being on her side? The young boy, her dealing with him? the horse-ride?

8. The doctors and their approval and disapproval, the challenge to then, their changing their views?

9. The character of Noreen Murphy, her work at the hospital, sympathy, unable to agree with Joy, her reaction against the television program?

10. Her chance meeting with the psychologist, their friendship, the challenge to her for her motives, whether she should be on the television programme, her support?

11. The television and its possibilities, her decisions, the programme being shown and all associated with her watching, the variety of reactions?

12. Traditions in hospital treatment, authorities and their views, the challenges and how they are handled? The meeting of the board, their politicking?

13. The portrayal of illness, audiences understanding the illness and the trauma? The physical condition, psychological condition, emotional? Should dying patients be shielded from the truth?, The nature of the experience of death? The importance of the black mother and her dead child, the husband unable to do anything, Joy taking her to the morgue and her holding her dead baby and being able to accept it?

14. A film of challenge and hope?