User Reviews

This was an After school special. The subject matter for the time was unheard of, assisted suicide. The story takes place in the mid west two brothers riding motorcycles when Mickey Rourke as an accident and is paralyzed he asks his brother to put him out of his misery. The performances were top notch, Mickey Rourke was very powerful. Ron Howard does a good job but he was at an awkward stage, trying to lose the Opie persona and tackle something different as he did in the Shootist. This was a low budget movie so no action or frills this is a straight piece of dramatic story telling. It's worth a watch and i wish it was considered for a DVD release. The subject matter itself and a look at an early Mickey Rourke makes it worth it.

In between playing one of America's most beloved teenagers and directing its favorite movies, Ron Howard took several against type roles. This is one such example, as he plays Leon Cybulkowski, who puts his brother Joseph (Mickey Rourke!) out of his misery as he asks to be killed instead of living out his life as a quadriplegic.

Director Jud Taylor started his career as an actor before becoming an in-demand director of TV movies. Some of his best-remembered films include Revenge!, The Disappearance of Flight 412, Search for the Gods (which has Kurt Russell and Stephen McHattie seeking ancient astronauts), Out of the Darkness and The Great Escape II: The Untold Story (he was an actor in the original).

Based on the book Act of Love: The Killing of George Zygmanik by Judith Paige Mitchell, this NBC TV movie originally aired on September 24, 1980. It's an emotional watch and Howard is pretty decent in it. It also has Robert Foxworth (the voice of Ratchet in the Transformers movies), Jacqueline Brookes (The Good Son), David Spielberg (Christine), Mary Kay Place (Mary Hartman, Mary Hartman), Chris Mulkey (Hank Jennings from Twin Peaks), Pat Gorley (Kiss My Grits) and David Faustino in his first acting role.

The subject of euthanasia is currently a hot topic in my country, one where there seems to be a majority of people who'd accept it. So this made for TV movie concerning the topic (and based on a true story) must have seemed a lot more controversial when it first came out. Seen in today's light, however, it seems like it's holding back in some areas. Some important scenes seem to be missing, like the fact we never see Ron Howard's character's arrest, booking, and subsequent bail. The trial doesn't seem that hard hitting or passionate by any of the participants. And aside from a briefly seen newspaper headline, there isn't a feeling of great media interest in this case. However, the movie does feel somewhat balanced, showing evidence both for and against what Howard's character does. Also, the acting by all the participants is pretty good. In the end, this is an okay movie, no classic, but does have enough interest to get you to watch it all.

Am I the only person in America who remembers this film? Did Ron shoot his brother in the face or in the chest? and....wasn't the slo-mo sequence of the brothers motorcycle accident the worst accident/tragedy sequence in history? Sweet Mother of all things holy- If I was a neck down parapalegic, and couldn't even move except with the sip-n-suck, I'd hope one of my loved ones put me out of my misery too That said, I thought Ron Howard was pretty Opie-like in this film, especially considering the effect of blowing a big hole in his brothers chest would have on the open casket and his ability to plead non-guilty ("Honest, Officer Fife, I was in the sweet shop having a malt with Eddie Haskell").

A sudden accident changes a life of Mickey Rourke forever as he is paralyzed from the neck down and begs his brother Ron Howard to kill him. Howard takes an unusual way to honor his brother's wishes, sawing off shotgun and shooting him in the head, and ends up on trial for deliberate murder. Attorney Robert Foxworth is very tough on him and yet tries several ways to figure out how to get him out of this jam, leading to a very emotional trial.

The performances of Howard and Jacqueline Brookes (as the mother who survived Nazi atrocities working in a German war plant) are exceptional and award-worthy. This brings up many questions, many still not answered, and is a very emotional drama once again based on a true story. Foxworth, on the cusp of his TV success on "Falcon Crest", does a commanding job and is commendable as well. With only has a few scenes, Rourke, not yet a major star, is also outstanding, showing us exactly every kind of agony he is going through after the sudden accident.

This is certainly a very difficult film to watch but it is emotionally compelling and certainly one that creates a lot of conflict that family members would do for someone that they love dearly. Howard is completely different than any of his classic TV sitcom roles yet still boyish and charming, if obviously troubled. The touching Brookes, a veteran stage and soap actress, really steals your heart, especially in the opening scene where she expresses her gratitude towards her sons and later her scene with Foxworth in regards to her past. Not an easy movie, but a memorable one.