The title sounds depressing indeed, but being marketed as an early 1990s Julia Robert's (mainstream) picture, I guess it can't go too far in the depressing department. In fact, just take a look at the featurette that came with the DVD and you'll realise that everything in that short 1/2 programme revolved around Roberts and only Roberts alone - obviously a movie that banks on sheer star power. But is it really that bad?

Synopsis:

Dying Young is about an aimless young woman, Hilary (Roberts), who just realized that her boyfriend had cheated on her. Determined to start life afresh, she moves back to her mum's place and starts looking for a job to support herself. Thereafter, she stumbles upon an ad that said "Attractive young female wanted, with a few nursing skills", and decides to try for it, having actually been at nursing school but dropped out.

Turns out it was an ad run by a very rich but very sick young man, Victor (played by Campbell Scott), who had been battling Leukaemia for almost half his life. According to Victor, he simply needed someone who could take care of him after his weekly chemotherapy sessions. However, for that, he was willing to offer a generous salary which included food and lodging. Hilary took the job, but was soon doubtful of her decision after she had her first encounter with the terrifying effects chemo had on Victor, where the 28 year-old shivered, vomitted and writhed in pain. This probably led to a deep sense of sympathy for the young man, who was in his prime a star student at an Ivy League University who would have otherwise had a bright future ahead of him.

It soon became apparent why Victor ran that dubious ad in the first place - being incapaciated by his illness and by a authoritarian father, and as Hilary tearfully confessed to her friend over the phone after the first night, "I don't think anyone ever comes to see him", he was a lonely man who desperately needed some comfort in his ailing condition.

Hilary, hence, made up her mind to take good care of her patient by reading up on both contemporary and traditional remedies for his condition. Meanwhile, Victor grew increasingly attracted to her. He soon claimed that his treatment was over, and asked Hilary to accompany him to the countryside for a long-awaited vacation. Hilary agreed, hence developing a strong love relationship with Victor over time.

This, however, was put to the test when Hilray finally found out that Victor had in fact lied, and was, by that time, getting very sick. How would Hilary deal with the fact that her dreams of a having a future with Victor has been shattered, and that the man she loved was dying?

Review:

When people ask me how this movie was, I would it was a cliche love story. Nevertheless, it was a nice cliche story. In fact, despite watching this for the 1st time after 15 years since it was released, I would say this is definitely a refreshing change from the other similarly-themed dramas (think Korean dramas and wannabe Taiwanese and Singaporean dramas) flooding our senses these days. For one, the sick one is the guy, not the girl. And unlike these dramas where the girl falls sick beautifully, Scott's Victor looks like he really is suffering from his condition. No comas, no hospital emergency scenes, simply pain - emotional and physical pain. So much so that it is no wonder in the end he justifies his actions by telling Hilary that "No more hospitals, no more treatments. 10 years is enough". All in all, this movie throws one into a sense of reality (not always though, as I would explore later) about being terminally ill, and being in love with one who is terminally ill.

The story

The story was adapted from the novel of the same title by Marti Leimbach, written as a screenplay by Richard Friedenburg, and directed by, surprise surprise, Joel Shumacher (BURN BATMAN & ROBIN!!!!!!!)

I have to confess that the story was rather haphazardly put together. In particular, Hilary's story from losing her boyfriend to moving in with her mother's to finding this job to falling in love and turning into the perfect girlfriend seemed to have been done in one breath and simply to tell you that, "hey, it's a Julia Roberts picture, ok?" Too obvious. Not to say that these were unneccessary bits in the story. It's just that the way it's being told turns Hilary into an inconsistent and dull character - there isn't a hint of the Hilary we saw in the beginning of the film by the time they moved into the countryside where she turned from a sexy, city gal into this demure, small town girl.

If it were up to me, I'd like to scrape the short 'blurb' about her boyfriend to become someone simply mentioned in passing, and make the story dwell a little more on the effect the betrayal had on her. Then make the part about falling in love a little less hasty. I believe this would have made more impact on her later change in personality. Just a 2 cents worth.

But surprise surprise again, Joel Schumacher actually made the material work in a certain way by creating the right mood for each of his scenes, using methods which are probably too technical for me to understand (maybe it's the lighting, or the art direction, or the music at the right moments...). In fact, as a credit to Shumacher, I believe he had unwittingly created a more interesting character out of Victor by outlining his pain and suffering from the start, which makes all his seemingly ridiculous antics and desires all the more believable and heart-wrenching. Something interesting also was how Shumacher crafted Victor in such a way that when he knew he was getting very ill again, he was shown trying too hard to be 'normal', like suddenly humming Christmas songs uneasily, making weird comments and playing almost like he was going into a manic state, all in a desperate attempt to keep things as they were - a very real defensive response in many humans, I would say.

The acting

Which comes to the acting. Julia Roberts is a wonderful actress, but I would say that the nature of her character really doesn't allow her to do much. Nevertheless, she tackled the role well, at least with what limited material she was given, in which the premise frankly does somewhat remind me of Pretty Woman... Nevertheless, a worthy performance for an otherwise confused character (I blame the script, really). Campbell Scott, however, shone as the cancer sufferer, his pain and his happiness reflected ever so subtley yet so convincingly through the little changes in his voice, in his gaze and in his gestures.

The soundtrack

A definite must-get! Produced by James Newton Howard, and the main theme score composed and performed by Kenny G. A beautiful piece of sountrack, whether is the saxophone version or the piano version or the strings version. Ahhh... the feelings just flow freely simply by listening to the soundtrack.

The verdict?

A mediocre script aided in a large part by the directing, the acting and the soundtrack. Hence the end-result is a simple drama with many sweet and memorable moments. Worth checking out especially if you're into romantic dramas which tug at the heart-strings.

Most memorable scene

If this doesn't make you wanna cry, I dunno what else does...

WARNING: Spoilers ahead. Read only if you have watched, or have absolutely no intention of watching.

Victor is seen packing up and attempting to run away after he had broken up with Hilary and had agreed to go back to the city with his father and continue the chemo treatment. However, Hilary finds him and confronts him, saying that she would never let him run off to some place else to hide and die. She urges him to go back to the city with her, but he refuses. Hilary presses for an answer...

Victor: Because I'm afraid...

Hilary: Afraid of what?

Victor: ... of hoping!

(Victor breaks down and sobs)

Victor: It hurts to be around you, Hilary... Because... You make me want to live so much.

Hilary: (tearfully) Then live, Victor! You don't know what's going to happen. You do't know when you're going to die. Nobody does. But we have right now. So fight, Victor. Live with me.

Victor: I can't.

Hilary: Live with me!

Victor: I can't do that... Look at you. You're so young...and so beautiful, and smart. You can do anything, Hilary. Anything you want to do. Why do you want to do this?

Hilary: Because I love you. And... if you come back with me, to the hospital and fight for us. Fight for us... I will never leave you Victor. But you have to fight. And if you get well, when you get well, I'll be there with you. And if you... die, I will hold your hand. I'll hold your hand and the last thing you will ever see will be me because I love you.

Bring out the Kleenex!

Interesting observation

After Matthew MacFadyen, I would like to add Campbell Scott in my list of "men with the most beautiful voices/accents". Such a crisp, deep, and effortlessly articulate kind of voice...

For a more recent sample of his voice, look no further than The Exocism of Emily Rose, where he plays a lawyer, Ethan Thomas, with plenty of opportunity to flaunt that beautiful voice of his against Laura Linney's Erin Bruner.

Speaking of which, men dun seem to age as well as women do.... Then again, it could just be Julia Robert's wonderful genes, or maybe the result of miracle facial products. Granted, he probably just looks older than he is cos of that moustache, but compared to Julia Roberts who seemed to have gotten even younger...



Julia Roberts and Campbell Scott in the early 1990s.



Recent photos of Julia Roberts (39) and Campbell Scott (45).

Interesting trivia 1

The book on which this movie was based on apparently had a different take on the story, with richer characters that were quite unlike those portrayed in the movie. Judging from the comments on Amazon.com alone, it seems that Victor turned out to be quite a difficult person to be with, and Hilary quite a confused person who was torn between her loyalty to Victor and the promise of a life in a different world from heres, and another man whom she was irresistably attracted to (a third party???). Yes, this 'third party' did appear in the movie, but really, he posed little threat to the lovey dovey couple. In fact, from what I hear, the book had an even more dramatic ending.

Interesting trivia 2

Campbell Scott comes from a family of theatre/TV/movie actors and actresses. His own mother, the late Colleen Dewhurst is a prominant stage and TV actress who played a supporting character in this movie as Estelle Whitter - a local resident who provides comfort and wisdom to Hilary in her darkest moments.

See also...

The Unofficial "Dying Young" website. With lots of additional information, including a review of the original book.