You Don't Know Jack (TV Movie 2010) - IMDb

A look at the life and work of doctor-assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian. MenuMoviesReleaseCalendarDVD&Blu-rayReleasesTop250MoviesMostPopularMoviesBrowseMoviesbyGenreTopBoxOfficeShowtimes&TicketsInTheatersComingSoonMovieNewsIndiaMovieSpotlightTVShowsWhat'sonTV&StreamingTop250TVShowsMostPopularTVShowsBrowseTVShowsbyGenreTVNewsIndiaTVSpotlightWatchWhattoWatchLatestTrailersIMDbOriginalsIMDbPicksIMDbPodcastsAwards&EventsBestof2021OscarsBestPictureWinnersBestPictureWinnersGoldenGlobesEmmysSTARmeterAwardsSanDiegoComic-ConNewYorkComic-ConSundanceFilmFestivalTorontoInt'lFilmFestivalAwardsCentralFestivalCentralAllEventsCelebsBornTodayMostPopularCelebsMostPopularCelebsCelebrityNewsCommunityHelpCenterContributorZonePollsForIndustryProfessionalsAllAllTitlesTVEpisodesCelebsCompaniesKeywordsAdvancedSearchWatchlistSignInYouDon'tKnowJackTVMovie20102010M18M182h14mIMDbRATING7.6/1028KYOURRATINGRatePOPULARITY4,800592Cast&crewUserreviewsTriviaIMDbProAlltopicsBiographyDramaAlookatthelifeandworkofdoctor-assistedsuicideadvocateJackKevorkian.Alookatthelifeandworkofdoctor-assistedsuicideadvocateJackKevorkian.Alookatthelifeandworkofdoctor-assistedsuicideadvocateJackKevorkian.IMDbRATING7.6/1028KYOURRATINGRatePOPULARITY4,800592DirectorBarryLevinsonWriterAdamMazerStarsAlPacinoBrendaVaccaroJohnGoodmanTopcreditsDirectorBarryLevinsonWriterAdamMazerStarsAlPacinoBrendaVaccaroJohnGoodmanSeeproduction,boxoffice&companyinfo69Userreviews42CriticreviewsSeeproduction,boxoffice&companyinfoSeemoreatIMDbProWon2PrimetimeEmmys11wins&36nominationstotalPhotos35TopcastEditAlPacinoJackKevorkianasJackKevorkianBrendaVaccaroMargoJanusasMargoJanusJohnGoodmanNealNicolasNealNicolDeirdreO'ConnellLindaasLindaToddSusmanStanLevyasStanLevyAdamLubarskyBrianRussellasBrianRussellJenniferMudgeFemaleReporterasFemaleReporterJeremyBobbDavidRivlinasDavidRivlinRutanyaAldaVendorasVendorJamesUrbaniakJackLessenberryasJackLessenberryHennyRussellOakhillSpokespersonasOakhillSpokespersonHenryStrozierOakhillDoctorasOakhillDoctorSandraSeacatJanetAdkinsasJanetAdkinsNeilBrooksCunninghamRodAdkinsasRodAdkinsSusanSarandonJanetGoodasJanetGoodDavidWilsonBarnesDavidGorcycaasDavidGorcycaCotterSmithDickThompsonasDickThompsonDannyHustonGeoffreyFiegerasGeoffreyFiegerDirectorBarryLevinsonWriterAdamMazerAllcast&crewSeemorecastdetailsatIMDbProMorelikethis6.5Paterno6.2PhilSpector6.8TheWizardofLies7.1ChineseCoffee7.4...andjusticeforall.7.0DannyCollins5.6TheHumbling7.3Scarecrow6.5StandUpGuys6.0RighteousKill7.6Longford6.4SaloméStorylineEditDr.JackKevorkian(1928-2011)inthe1990s,whenhedefiesMichiganlawassistingthesuicideofterminally-illpersons.Supportcomesfromhissister,alabtech,theHemlockSocietypresident,andalawyer.ThechildofsurvivorsoftheArmeniangenocideinterviewsapplicants:hissistervideotapesthem.Heassemblesadeviceallowingapersontoinitiateathree-chemicalintravenousdrip.ThelocalD.A.,thegovernor,andtheLegislaturerespond.Incourtscenes,Kevorkianissometimesantic.He'ssingle-mindedaboutgivingdyingindividualstherighttodeterminehowtheirliveswillend.HewantstheSupremeCourttorule.Hepicksafighthecan'twin:isithubrisorheroism?—suicideassistedsuicidemoraldilemmamoralitysuppressedtruth77morePlotsummaryAddsynopsisTaglinesThismanwantsyoutodieonyourownterms.GenresBiographyDramaCertificateM18ParentsguideDidyouknowEditTriviaDuringinitialproduction,thiswasdevelopedasafeaturefilmbeforeitbecameatelevisionfilm.GoofsDr.Kevorkian'soriginaldeathmachine(usingIVdrugs)wascalledtheThanatron,notMercitron.TheMercitronwasthenameofhiscarbonmonoxidebaseddeathmachine.QuotesLynnMills:Haveyounoreligion?HaveyounoGod?JackKevorkian:Oh,Ido,lady,Ihaveareligion,hisnameisBach.JohannSebastianBach.AndatleastmyGodisn'taninventedone.ConnectionsFeaturedinThe62ndPrimetimeEmmyAwards(2010)SoundtracksEarlyintheMorningWrittenbyDallasBartley,LeoHickman&LouisJordanPerformedbyHarryNilssonCourtesyofRCARecordsByArrangementwithSonyMusicEntertainmentUserreviews69ReviewTopreview9/10Pacino'snotdeadyet-andthisisakillerperformanceActorshavebeenknowntositontheirlaurels.Somewouldarguethat,withOscar,Emmy,andTonyasbestmatesonthemantelpiece,AlPacinocandojustthat.Dowerespectfullythinkthatallhistrulygreatperformancesareinthepast?Godfather,MichaelCorleone?OrScarface,TonyMontana?Happilywecanthinkagain.SeeingYouDon'tKnowJack,weknowit'sthefilmPacinofanshavewaitedfor.OpeningscenesgiveusDr'Death'Kevorkian.Beforeheinventshisfamousassistedsuicidemachine.Ilookcloselyatthispoint.IhavetoreassuremyselfitisindeedPacino,notadocu-dramacut-in.ForPacinolooksmorelikeKevorkianthanKevorkiandoes.Face,bodylanguage,toneofvoice,theworks.Thefirstachievementistocaptivatewiththecharacterhimself.Notthedivisiveissuesherepresents.Bypassthehazardsofpredictablebiopics.Ormonotonous'message'movies.Thisisqualitymainstreamfilm-makingandatitsbest.Itdoesn'tseektochangeviews,andthespikyMrKevorkianleavesplentyofroomtodisagree,isolatinghimselfoftenfromevenhisownsupporters.Thisisapassionatemanwhohaslittletimeforotherpeople'sviewsinanygeneralsense."Whocareswhatotherpeoplethink?"heexclaims."It'swhatmypatientfeels."ThisisnotthefirsttimedirectorBarryLevinsonhasastoundedaudiences.Slickapproachesshakingupacceptedthinking.WagtheDogwastobeawildcardthatwouldembarrassClinton'sgovernment.TheOscar-winner,RainMan,wascriticisedforcreatingamisleadingstereotype(Iseveryautisticpersonaclosetsavant?Ofcoursenot.)ButwhatRainMandiddowasraiseawareness.MakeitOKtotalkopenlyaboutautism.And–perhapsthisisthesecret–YouDon'tKnowJackcouldhaveasimilareffectjustbecauseitisjustasfunny,justasentertaining,justasengagingandjustaschallenging.Wesogetmanydifferentemotionsinfastsuccessiononthescreen,untilwe'reprimedtoconsider,"HowdoIreallyfeelaboutthis?"Realpeople(includingdeathsceneswithKevorkian'spatients)aremoregutsiercoathooksforfeelingsthanthevagueethicalconstructsdebatedineveryhighschool.IfmovieslearnanythingfromTV,it'showtokeepaudienceattention.AndYouDon'tKnowJackissuitablypunchy.Itdismissesanythoughtofgettingupforcoffee.Noboringargumentsfororagainsteuthanasia.NoneofthoseClintEastwood,longandmeditative,'MillionDollarBaby'moments.SusanSarandonevenbringssomeofherowncausticlinestoafilmthatoftenbrimsoverwithdark,surrealhumour."IsthatSantaClaussteppingonababy?"sheaskscasuallyatanexhibitionofKevorkian'sbizarrepaintings.Therearepowerfulperformanceinabundance,notleastfromtheunderratedDannyHustonwhoplaysFieger,Kevorkian'slarger-than-lifeattorney.(Immediatelyafterthemoviefirstaired,therealGeoffreyFiegerannouncedhewill'maybestandagain'forgovernor.)Fiegerisacolourful,over-the-topcharacterinreallife,perfectlysuitedtoHuston'sstrengths.AfterwatchingDannyHuston'stalentwastedinlesserfilms,suchasthewell-intentionedBoogieWoogie,itisajoytoseehimshine.Bare-knucklescenesinYouDon'tKnowJackareexplicit.Bothinthephysicalactsofassistedsuicideandintheiremotionalintensity.Kevorkianrecallshisownmother'sdeathtoJanetGood(Sarandon)."Shetoldme,'Imaginetheworsttoothacheintheworld–nowimaginethattoothacheineveryboneinyourbody."Heisalmostpenniless(forhenevercharged)and,withscientificprecision,heatonepointtriestosaveonlethalgas.Heplaceshisemphysemapatientinaplastichood(tocatchthegas,ratherthanusingaface-mask).ButthepatientpanicsanditisnearlythelaststrawforfriendandassistantNealNicol,playedeffortlesslybyJohnGoodman.Suchscenesarenotforthesqueamish.ThesenseofsincerityandconvictionwhichPacinogivestherolecouldmakeitratheruncomfortableviewingifyoudisagreeoutright.Butthisintense,yetsidelongglanceatadeeplypolarisingtopic,seriouslytackledbutdeftlyrelievedwithasharpwittyscreenplay,mightjustgivenewlifetoadebatethatsuffersfrompoliticalhubrissetagainstratherstaticpublicopinion.YouDon'tKnowJackrevealsapersonalongwayfrompopularconceptions.Evenifyoureadhisautobiographyandseehimininterview,asIhave,hewasandstillis,ahardpersontofathom.Anegocentric–ortouseawordhesuggestedhimself–azealot–itoftenseemsthatKevorkianbelievesinhimselftothepointofbeinginaccessible."You'regonnaneedsomebusinesscardsyouknow!"chideshissister.Forthisdrivenmanwhoishappytoliveonapittanceandthengoonhungerstrike,theimportanceofsuchdetailscan,itseems,easilybemissed.Atovertwohourslong,themovieoccasionallyvergesonrepetition.Levinson,backonformafterseveralalso-rans,maintainsthepacewithintelligenthumourandinventivecinematography."Youunderstandwhatprisonis?"JudgeJessicaCopperasksKevorkian,whoseemsobliviousofthepotentialconsequencesofhisactions."DidyouseeTheShawshankRedemption,Sir?"Duringthehungerstrike,afastmontageofslammingdoorsanduneatenfoodtraysmakesanimpressiononourearsandeyesfasterthananyamountofwords–andalsoprovidesawelcomechangeoftempo.Thisiscinemaoftheunexpected.Withsubjectmatterthatshouldhavebeenunbankablyinauspicious.YetYouDon'tKnowJacktriumphstotakeyourbreathaway.Evenwithoutaplastichood.helpful•8313Chris_DockerApr28,2010DetailsEditReleasedateApril24,2010(UnitedStates)CountryoforiginUnitedStatesOfficialsiteHBO(UnitedStates)LanguageEnglishAlsoknownasUntitledJackKevorkianProjectFilminglocationsDetroit,Michigan,USAProductioncompaniesBeeHolderProductionsCineMosaicHBOFilmsSeemorecompanycreditsatIMDbProBoxofficeEditBudget$18,000,000(estimated)SeedetailedboxofficeinfoonIMDbProTechnicalspecsEditRuntime2hours14minutesColorColorBlackandWhiteSoundmixDolbyDigitalAspectratio1.78:11.85:1RelatednewsSAGLifeAchievementAward:TomHanksisyourtopchoiceamongmenOct12GoldDerbyScreenActorsGuildAwards:WhichactorshouldreceivetheSAG2022lifeachievementaward?[Poll]Oct5GoldDerbyContributetothispageSuggestaneditoraddmissingcontentTopGapBywhatnamewasYouDon'tKnowJack(2010)officiallyreleasedinCanadainEnglish?AnswerSeemoregapsLearnmoreaboutcontributingEditpageMoretoexplorePhotosChildStars,ThenandNowSeetheentiregalleryListTheBestMoviesandShowstoWatchinDecemberSeethefulllistRecentlyviewedPleaseenablebrowsercookiestousethisfeature. Learnmore.