Edition 64

A television biopic, the movie is based on the book Between the Dying and the Dead by Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie. Starring Al Pacino, Susan Sarandon, and others, the movie dealt with a very sensitive and taboo subject of medically assisted deaths for the terminally ill.

Al Pacino played the titular of pathologist Dr. Jack Kevorkian (“Dr. Death” as dubbed by the media),   role to perfection. A euthanasia proponent, Dr. Kevrokian championed the cause of assisted suicide for terminally ill patients. He believed that people suffering from diseases that gave no quality of life – Quadriplegics, Alzhiemers, ALS could be rid of their suffering by being medically administered drugs that led to their death. From 1990 when Dr. Kevorkian aided the death of his first patient until 1998 when he recorded a video of his last patient, Dr. Kevorkian treated a total of 130 patients. His video recording led him to be indicted and imprisoned between 10-25 years. However, he was released in 2007 after being warned of not to undertake such action again.            

While the world continues to remain divided over the issue of assisted deaths even today, this movie was one of the rare ones to have dealt with such a ground breaking issue. Al Pacino is nearly unrecognizable as the cold and reckless doctor. He won several awards including the Golden Globes and Screen Actors Guild. He was ably supported by Susan Sarandon and others. A medical, legal and humanitarian issue rolled into one. Dr. Death or God? Watch the movie.  

A high flying wealthy personal injury lawyer Noah Bryce lives his dream affluent life making out of court settlements for wealthy clients. He only takes up cases with the affluent. The only exception he makes is for his ex- wife’s cousin whose son is on death bed after consuming cough syrup manufactured by a pharmaceutical giant. Slowly, as Noah gets into the thick of the case, he traces back the link to the pharma company itself which will go all out to protect its reputation. Noah is determined to expose the larger truth at all cost. Though not a novel plot, the author’s writing ensures it is a page turner.

A legal comedy drama series, fairy legal centres around the young and ambitious lawyer Kate Reed who takes over her father’s law firm after his death. Not only does she have to deal with his clients, but should also bond with his father’s young wife Lauren who is about the same age as Kate. Together Kate and Lauren deal with a range of legal cases – from identity theft, extortion to suicide and consumer cases while developing their own relationship.