“Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles, discouragement, and impossibilities: It is this that in all things distinguishes the strong soul from the weak” –Thomas Carlyle
You Don’t Know Jack is a multi-faceted, intricate examination of numerous subjects. While Euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are the main issues at hand, the film delves into philosophy, medicine, religion, and the overwhelmingly frightening notion that our lives may ultimately not be in our own hands. While the gravity of these issues is what initially captivate the viewer, ultimately the success of the film must be attributed to an excellent screenplay and remarkable acting performances, most notably by Susan Sarandon and of course, the great Al Pacino.
Doing an analysis of this film proves to be a challenge for me as a novice writer, for while the main purpose of this forum is to discuss and examine film and all the elements that make them great, it is nearly impossible to avoid delving into the world of political and moral ideal when doing such an examination of a film that is so politically charged. While this piece will surely spark a debate amongst some of my more right-leaning, fundamentally religious family members and friends, I will try and stay as unbiased as possible during the specific assessment of the film itself; be warned though, I may inject some personal beliefs during the conclusion, so prepare yourself to be viciously roundhouse-kicked with the inner workings of my psyche.
You don’t know Jack is a 2010 made-for-TV film starring Al Pacino, John Goodman, and Susan Sarandon, about the life and career of Dr. Jack Kevorkian, the well known practitioner of and advocate for euthanasia, an issue thrust into the public light beginning in the early 90’s, largely due to Kevorkian’s high-profile court cases regarding the matter. If some of you are puzzled as to how you never heard of a film starring such high profile actors and portraying such a well-known figure (as I hadn’t until recently), it’s because the film never had a theatrical release; it was made for and released by HBO. The film was directed by Barry Levinson (Rain Main, Good Morning Vietnam, Wag the Dog), and garnered much recognition in the cinematic community, most notably an Emmy and SAG award for Al Pacino’s outstanding performance as Kevorkian.
The movie wastes no time with prelude or establishing context for Jack and his early career, a smart move on Levinson's part, as doing so surely would have made the early part of the movie slow and overly-dull. Instead, we are introduced to an aging, unemployed physician who takes an interest in the notion of euthanasia, or the practice of physician-assisted suicide. Jack isn't a stuffy, academic doctor who uses ambiguous language from inside the comfort of a tweed jacket, but is eccentric, ball-busting, but most importantly, honest, even fiercely so. Jack begins his practice with almost laughably modest means, using a homemade chemical-releasing apparatus on his patients from the back of his VW van. These early incidents begin to put him in the media spotlight, earning him headlines like "Dr.Death", which did nothing to tarnish his perseverance or spirit as he continued to perform the medical service to those that needed them the most. As the movie progressed, he was faced with five more indictments with no convictions, largely due to his talented attorney played by Danny Huston, one of the finer (and more underrated) portrayals in the film.
As his career continues, Jack rises above the status of mere local celebrity in Detroit or the medical community to a household name across America, gracing the cover of Time Magazine and being interviewed by Barbra Walters, all the while being faced with continuous legal onslaught, the death of his sister, and his close friend and colleague Janet being diagnosed with terminal cancer (and later becoming one of his patients). Janet is played by Susan Sarandon, who also delivered one of the more magnificent performances of her career. Jack eventually becomes unsatisfied with being able to treat his patients by simply using a legal loophole; he wants to take the issue of euthanasia to the Supreme Court, enacting legislation that allows physicians to relieve the terminally-ill of their suffering. This determination to legalize physician-assisted suicide drives him to push the envelope and nationally televise administration of the lethal injection to one of his patients himself (before, he had the patients physically pull the plug on their own, a technicality that exonerated him of murder charges). Because of this, he was charged with and found guilty of first degree murder after unsuccessfully trying to defend himself in the case, wanting his own voice to be heard by the jury, but neglecting to familiarize himself with legal process and courtroom proceedings. The film ends with Kevorkian being taken to a federal prison, where he served eight and a half years of a 10-25 year sentence.
Perhaps it is fate that I saw this film for the first time mere days after Dr. Kevorkian passed away. Though I was very young (and much more interested in The Animaniacs) during the time that Kevorkian was a media sensation, I've always been familiar with his name and why it is significant. While it would certainly be naive of me to think that I'm more acquainted with the man and what he stood for by simply watching a movie about his life, I'd like to believe that the heart of Pacino's portrayal is accurate; Kevorkian's unflinching persistence towards an ideal in which he so strongly believed. Rather you're a liberal, conservative, Christian, atheist, black, white, or one of those weird red-headed folk, devoting your life's work to a cause without a second thought of doing otherwise is a quality that is highly-admirable. Rather you agree with the idea of Euthanasia or not, Dr. Kevorkian was not a monster. He was not a murderer. Unconventional? Yes. A breaker of the law, criminal even? Yes. Those things aside, he was a physician who dedicated his life to relieving the suffering of the terminally ill. Call it "playing god" if you will, but as Pacino's character suggested several times throughout the movie, isn't the very existence and administration of medicine and health care "playing god"? Aren't doctors interfering with "god's plan" every time they perform surgery or give a young child a flu vaccine? As the quote at the top of this post reminds us, persistence in the face of the highest obstacles is truly the mark of a strong individual.
As I said before, this is a film blog, and so shall the central focus remain. No matter what your feelings on Euthanasia are, You Don't Know Jack is as powerfully moving as it is quirky and captivating. Pacino, Sarandon, Huston, and Goodman all delivered performances of the highest magnitude, and Levinson built a story that can be appreciated by all.
