Premiering September 16 on HBO Signature
PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 2, 2011 - In 1990, Dr Jack Kevorkian (aka “Dr Death”) astonished the world as he took the end of life debate head-on with his “Mercy Machine” and performed his first assisted suicide. Starring Oscar® winner Al Pacino as the late Dr Jack Kevorkian in this film by Oscar® winner Barry Levinson (Rain Man), YOU DON’T KNOW JACK is the story of one man’s obsession with challenging the rules by which we live and die – and his stubborn, heartfelt insistence on breaking the law to do so. The movie premieres for the first time in Asia on Friday, September 16 at 10pm on HBO Signature.
Al Pacino won an Emmy® and Golden Globe® for his role as Kevorkian. YOU DON’T KNOW JACK also stars Oscar® winner Susan Sarandon (HBO’s Bernard and Doris) as Janet Good, Danny Huston (HBO’s John Adams) as Geoffrey Fieger, Emmy® winner Brenda Vaccaro (Once Is Not Enough) as Margo and Emmy® winner John Goodman (The Big Lebowski, HBO’s Treme) as Neal Nicol.
This HBO Original Movie offers a rare look at the late “Dr Death”, the man behind the sensational headlines, starting with his initial foray into patient consultations and the media frenzy that ensued. One of the most polarizing figures in modern American history, Kevorkian and his allies – sister Margo, friend and medical supplier Neal Nicol, Hemlock Society activist Janet Good, and defense attorney Geoffrey Fieger dedicated themselves to a cause fraught with legal and ethical hurdles, not to mention the real possibility of long-term imprisonment.
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK begins in 1989 as 61-year-old former pathologist Dr Jack Kevorkian launches his crusade to provide what he considers to be a humane and dignified option for the terminally ill – assisted suicide. Aided by loyal friend Neal Nicol and older sister Margo Janus, Kevorkian begins offering “death counseling” services to a grateful and burgeoning clientele. He earns the support of Hemlock Society activist Janet Good and the wrath of the county prosecutor’s office. Talented and flamboyant attorney Geoffrey Fieger agrees to represent Kevorkian in court at no charge, and Kevorkian is repeatedly exonerated, despite the impassioned efforts of his detractors. As the media catapults him to the forefront of national news coverage, Kevorkian continues his work, helping 130 patients end their lives. Provocative, obstinate and complex, Kevorkian risks it all in his fervor to challenge the prevailing laws, with self-determination at the core of his beliefs. His ultimate goal: to argue a constitutional right to die before the US Supreme Court.
The film is written by Adam Mazer (Breach) and a production of Bee Holder, Cine Mosaic and Levinson/Fontana. Executive produced by Steve Lee Jones, Lydia Dean Pilcher (HBO’s Iron Jawed Angels), Glenn Rigberg (The Night of the White Pants), Tom Fontana (HBO’s Oz) and Barry Levinson, and produced by Scott Ferguson (HBO’s Temple Grandin). Principal photography was completed in New York, with additional filming in and around Detroit.
YOU DON’T KNOW JACK debuts Friday, September 16 at 10pm on HBO Signature.
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