Living Proof is a
2008The year 2008 in film saw many new films released worldwide, including several major mainstream sequels, prequels, and remakes as well as original films.-Top grossing films:...
Lifetime TelevisionLifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American television network devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles...
movie, directed by
Dan IrelandDan Ireland is a film director, producer and co-founder of the Seattle International Film Festival-Partial filmography:*Living Proof *Jolene *Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont *Passionada...
, starring
Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr. is an American singer, actor, composer, and pianist. Connick has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States since 1952, by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million certified albums....
The film is based on the true life story of Dr. Dennis Slamon and the book
HER-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer by
Robert BazellRobert Bazell is the chief science and health correspondent for NBC News.-Education:Bazell graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, in 1967 with a B.A. in biochemistry and Phi Beta Kappa honors. As an undergraduate, he wrote a science column called "Science for the People" for...
. Vivienne Radkoff wrote the film script, and is also one of the film's executive producers.
Renée ZellwegerRenée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
is another executive producer, together with
Neil MeronNeil Meron is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film Chicago and the 2007 film Hairspray. With partner Craig Zadan he runs the production company "Storyline Entertainment".-Biography:...
and
Craig ZadanCraig Zadan is an American executive producer, director, and writer. Zadan is openly gay and is one half of the successful production team "Storyline Entertainment" with partner Neil Meron since their meeting many years ago in the New York Theatrical community.-Career:The early yearsZadan moved...
.
Tammy BlanchardTammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, getting her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light. For her first stage appearance, she played the role of Louise/Gypsy in the musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable, for which she earned both a Tony...
,
Amanda BynesAmanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, former show host on Nickelodeon, comedian, fashion designer, singer and voice actor...
,
Jennifer CoolidgeJennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the consummate "MILF," in the film American Pie , Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story , Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel, the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ,...
,
Angie HarmonAngela Michelle "Angie" Harmon is an American fashion model and television/film actress. She became a well-known model in the 1990s and developed a career as a television star after roles on Baywatch Nights and Law & Order...
,
John Benjamin HickeyJohn Benjamin Hickey is an American actor with a career in stage, film and television. On Broadway, he originated the role of Arthur in Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play Love! Valour! Compassion! in 1995, a role he would recreate for the 1997 film version...
,
Regina KingRegina King is an American film and television actress.-Personal life:King was born in , the daughter of Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. The two divorced in 1979....
,
Swoosie KurtzSwoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
,
Paula Cale LisbePaula Korologos Cale is an American actress best known for her role as Joanie Hansen on the television series Providence.-Early life:...
,
Amy MadiganAmy Madigan is an American actress who is known for her role as Annie Kinsella in the 1989 film Field of Dreams and Iris Crowe in the HBO television series Carnivale.-Early life:...
,
Bernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress and singer from New York City. Over the course of a career that has already spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
and
Trudie StylerTrudie Styler Trudie Styler Trudie Styler (born 6 January, 1954 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England is an actress and producer. She is married to the musician Sting.-Biography:...
are featured in the supporting cast.
The film premiered on October 18, 2008, for Lifetime's 'Stop Breast Cancer for Life' public service and advocacy campaign, during the
National Breast Cancer Awareness MonthBreast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure...
.
A red carpet premiere evening screening took place in New York on September 24, 2008, with a reception following with Harry Connick, Jr.
Living Proof is a
2008The year 2008 in film saw many new films released worldwide, including several major mainstream sequels, prequels, and remakes as well as original films.-Top grossing films:...
Lifetime TelevisionLifetime Television, often referred to as Lifetime TV, or most commonly, Lifetime, is an American television network devoted to movies, sitcoms and dramas, all of which are either geared toward women or feature women in lead roles...
movie, directed by
Dan IrelandDan Ireland is a film director, producer and co-founder of the Seattle International Film Festival-Partial filmography:*Living Proof *Jolene *Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont *Passionada...
, starring
Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr. is an American singer, actor, composer, and pianist. Connick has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States since 1952, by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million certified albums....
The film is based on the true life story of Dr. Dennis Slamon and the book
HER-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer by
Robert BazellRobert Bazell is the chief science and health correspondent for NBC News.-Education:Bazell graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, in 1967 with a B.A. in biochemistry and Phi Beta Kappa honors. As an undergraduate, he wrote a science column called "Science for the People" for...
. Vivienne Radkoff wrote the film script, and is also one of the film's executive producers.
Renée ZellwegerRenée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
is another executive producer, together with
Neil MeronNeil Meron is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film Chicago and the 2007 film Hairspray. With partner Craig Zadan he runs the production company "Storyline Entertainment".-Biography:...
and
Craig ZadanCraig Zadan is an American executive producer, director, and writer. Zadan is openly gay and is one half of the successful production team "Storyline Entertainment" with partner Neil Meron since their meeting many years ago in the New York Theatrical community.-Career:The early yearsZadan moved...
.
Tammy BlanchardTammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, getting her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light. For her first stage appearance, she played the role of Louise/Gypsy in the musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable, for which she earned both a Tony...
,
Amanda BynesAmanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, former show host on Nickelodeon, comedian, fashion designer, singer and voice actor...
,
Jennifer CoolidgeJennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the consummate "MILF," in the film American Pie , Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story , Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel, the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ,...
,
Angie HarmonAngela Michelle "Angie" Harmon is an American fashion model and television/film actress. She became a well-known model in the 1990s and developed a career as a television star after roles on Baywatch Nights and Law & Order...
,
John Benjamin HickeyJohn Benjamin Hickey is an American actor with a career in stage, film and television. On Broadway, he originated the role of Arthur in Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play Love! Valour! Compassion! in 1995, a role he would recreate for the 1997 film version...
,
Regina KingRegina King is an American film and television actress.-Personal life:King was born in , the daughter of Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. The two divorced in 1979....
,
Swoosie KurtzSwoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
,
Paula Cale LisbePaula Korologos Cale is an American actress best known for her role as Joanie Hansen on the television series Providence.-Early life:...
,
Amy MadiganAmy Madigan is an American actress who is known for her role as Annie Kinsella in the 1989 film Field of Dreams and Iris Crowe in the HBO television series Carnivale.-Early life:...
,
Bernadette PetersBernadette Peters is an American actress and singer from New York City. Over the course of a career that has already spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
and
Trudie StylerTrudie Styler Trudie Styler Trudie Styler (born 6 January, 1954 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England is an actress and producer. She is married to the musician Sting.-Biography:...
are featured in the supporting cast.
The film premiered on October 18, 2008, for Lifetime's 'Stop Breast Cancer for Life' public service and advocacy campaign, during the
National Breast Cancer Awareness MonthBreast Cancer Awareness Month is an annual international health campaign organized by major breast cancer charities every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention and cure...
.
A red carpet premiere evening screening took place in New York on September 24, 2008, with a reception following with Harry Connick, Jr. and Bernadette Peters performing. Subsequent screenings took place in Washington, D.C (September 25),
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
(October 7), and
London[]London is the capital of England and the United Kingdom. It has been a major settlement for two millennia, and the history of London goes back to its founding by the Romans, when it was named Londinium. London's core, the ancient City of London, the 'square mile', retains its medieval boundaries...
(October 9).
Plot
The film follows the true story of Dr. Dennis Slamon (played by
Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr. is an American singer, actor, composer, and pianist. Connick has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States since 1952, by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million certified albums....
), who helped develop the
breast cancerBreast cancer is a cancer that starts in the breast, usually in the inner lining of the milk ducts or lobules. There are different types of breast cancer, with different stages , aggressiveness, and genetic makeup. With best treatment, 10-year disease-free survival varies from 98% to 10%...
drug Herceptin, over the course of 8 years from 1988 to 1996. Dr. Slamon is a research doctor at
UCLA Medical CenterThe Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center is a hospital located on the campus of the University of California, Los Angeles in Los Angeles, California....
(
Los AngelesLos Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the municipality of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123.445 inhabitants...
), where he has developed the experimental drug Herceptin, which he believes will become a treatment for breast cancer. However, when the drug company stops funding for research, philanthropists, including Lilly Tartikoff (Angie Harmon) and
Ronald PerelmanRonald Owen Perelman is an American billionaire investor who made his fortune buying beleaguered corporations and re-selling them later for enormous profits. Once the richest man in America, he is now the 18th richest American, and 35th richest person in the world, with an estimated wealth of...
help him continue tests of the drug. Funding was done with an initial donation from Perelman's
Revlon-History:Revlon was founded in the midst of the Great Depression, 1932, by Charles Revson and his brother Joseph, along with a chemist, Charles Lachman, who contributed the "L" in the REVLON name....
charity, and continued over the years with the "Fire and Ice Ball" organized by Tartikoff.
Eventually the drug company funds the research and the drug goes through three trials before gaining approval from the FDA (
Food and Drug AdministrationThe Food and Drug Administration is a Government agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and is responsible for regulating and supervising the safety of foods, tobacco products, dietary supplements, Medication drugs, vaccines, Biopharmaceutical, blood transfusion,...
). Prior to the trials, the drug has a "mouse trial", with Nicole (Tammy Blanchard), a young mother with stage 4 cancer, receiving the drug first. Although her mother Elizabeth (Swoosie Kurtz) pleads with Dr. Slamon, Nicole is not included in the subsequent trials as she does not meet the protocols. The women in the trials, particularly the first trial, band together. They handle their disease and drug trial, with humor--Tish (Jennifer Coolidge), or with alternative therapy--Tina (Trudie Styler). The stories of Barbara (Bernadette Peters) and Ellie (Regina King) are followed throughout, as they go through the trials and eventual recovery. Some patients involved in the tests die, but ultimately Slamon's work with the drug changes the course of breast cancer treatment.
Background and production
Teleplay writer Vivienne Radkoff had the story for about seven years before it was completed. It is an adaptation of
Robert BazellRobert Bazell is the chief science and health correspondent for NBC News.-Education:Bazell graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, USA, in 1967 with a B.A. in biochemistry and Phi Beta Kappa honors. As an undergraduate, he wrote a science column called "Science for the People" for...
's book
HER-2: The Making of Herceptin, a Revolutionary Treatment for Breast Cancer.
Renée ZellwegerRenée Kathleen Zellweger is an American actress and producer. Zellweger first gained widespread attention for her role in the film Jerry Maguire , and subsequently received two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her roles as Bridget Jones in the comedy Bridget Jones's Diary ...
, in her first television project, is executive producer, with
Neil MeronNeil Meron is an American film producer known for producing the 2002 film Chicago and the 2007 film Hairspray. With partner Craig Zadan he runs the production company "Storyline Entertainment".-Biography:...
and
Craig ZadanCraig Zadan is an American executive producer, director, and writer. Zadan is openly gay and is one half of the successful production team "Storyline Entertainment" with partner Neil Meron since their meeting many years ago in the New York Theatrical community.-Career:The early yearsZadan moved...
producers. Zellweger has produced one film prior to this,
Miss Potter (2006).
Zellweger suggested casting
Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr. is an American singer, actor, composer, and pianist. Connick has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States since 1952, by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million certified albums....
for the film. They had acted together in the romantic comedy
New in Town.
Filming of
Living Proof took place in
New Orleans, LouisianaNew Orleans is a major U.S. port and the largest city in the state of Louisiana. New Orleans is the center of the New Orleans Metropolitan Area, the largest metro area in the state....
in 2008. The filming location was suggested by Connick, because, he said: "It's expensive to film in Los Angeles, and my being from New Orleans, it's a chance to help the city get back on its feet a little bit by employing a lot of the local people."
The movie averaged 2.5 million viewers in its debut on October 18, 2008.
Cast
- Harry Connick, Jr.
Harry Connick, Jr. is an American singer, actor, composer, and pianist. Connick has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States since 1952, by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million certified albums....
- Dennis Slamon
- Paula Cale
Paula Korologos Cale is an American actress best known for her role as Joanie Hansen on the television series Providence.-Early life:...
- Donna, Dr. Slamon's wife
- Angie Harmon
Angela Michelle "Angie" Harmon is an American fashion model and television/film actress. She became a well-known model in the 1990s and developed a career as a television star after roles on Baywatch Nights and Law & Order...
- Lilly Tartikoff, wife of Brandon TartikoffBrandon Tartikoff was a television executive who was credited with turning around NBC's low prime time reputation with such hit series as Hill Street Blues, L.A. Law, ALF, Family Ties, The Cosby Show, Cheers, Miami Vice, The Golden Girls, Knight Rider, The A-Team, St...
(NBC Television president)
- Bernadette Peters
Bernadette Peters is an American actress and singer from New York City. Over the course of a career that has already spanned five decades, she has starred in musical theatre, films and television, as well as performing in solo concerts and recordings...
- Barbara Bradfield, a retired art teacher and the first woman the drug trial saved by Herceptin
- Regina King
Regina King is an American film and television actress.-Personal life:King was born in , the daughter of Gloria, a special education teacher, and Thomas King, an electrician. The two divorced in 1979....
- Ellie, a fashion designer and breast cancer survivor
- John Benjamin Hickey
John Benjamin Hickey is an American actor with a career in stage, film and television. On Broadway, he originated the role of Arthur in Terrence McNally's Tony Award-winning play Love! Valour! Compassion! in 1995, a role he would recreate for the 1997 film version...
- Blake Rogers, Dr. Slamon's friend and fellow scientist
- Amanda Bynes
Amanda Laura Bynes is an American actress, former show host on Nickelodeon, comedian, fashion designer, singer and voice actor...
- Jamie, Dr. Slamon's student assistant
- Swoosie Kurtz
Swoosie Kurtz is an American actress. She began her career in theater during the 1970s and shortly thereafter began a career in television, garnering ten nominations and winning one Emmy Award. Her most famous television project was her role on the 1990s NBC drama Sisters...
- Elizabeth, Nicole's mother
- Tammy Blanchard
Tammy Blanchard is an American actress. She has worked primarily in films and television, getting her professional start in the soap opera Guiding Light. For her first stage appearance, she played the role of Louise/Gypsy in the musical Gypsy: A Musical Fable, for which she earned both a Tony...
- Nicole, the first woman to receive Herceptin
- Amy Madigan
Amy Madigan is an American actress who is known for her role as Annie Kinsella in the 1989 film Field of Dreams and Iris Crowe in the HBO television series Carnivale.-Early life:...
- Fran Visco, President of the National Breast Cancer CoalitionThe National Breast Cancer Coalition is a grassroots membership organization, comprising hundreds of member organizations and tens of thousands of individuals dedicated to ending breast cancer through action and advocacy...
- Trudie Styler
Trudie Styler Trudie Styler Trudie Styler (born 6 January, 1954 in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire, England is an actress and producer. She is married to the musician Sting.-Biography:...
- Tina, participant in Phase One of the Her2 study
- Jennifer Coolidge
Jennifer Coolidge is an American actress best known for playing "Stifler's mom," the consummate "MILF," in the film American Pie , Hilary Duff's stepmother in A Cinderella Story , Paulette, the manicurist in Legally Blonde and its sequel, the voice of Aunt Fanny in the animated feature Robots ,...
- Tish, participant in Phase One of the Her2 study
- Bruce McKinnon - Dean Bradfield, Barbara Bradfield's loving husband
- Lance E. Nichols - Dr. Brown, Barbara's physician
- Rhoda Griffis
Rhoda Griffis is an American actress, perhaps best known for playing supporting roles both in independent and mainstream films and television....
- Bindy Hawn, a member of the Revlon charity board
- William Ragsdale
William Ragsdale , also known as Bill Ragsdale or Will Ragsdale, is an American actor....
- Andy Marks
Note: the women patients portrayed are composites with the exception of Barbara Bradfield.
Critical reception
VarietyVariety is a weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the Daily...
wrote: "Earnest, emotional and cast to the hilt with cameos for actresses, "Living Proof" rises above most Lifetime movie fare...There's also some nice camaraderie among the women patients, who are introduced as the song "Say a Little Prayer" appropriately plays in the background. It's that sort of movie – one without much use for subtlety – but the theme and execution should resonate strongly with those who tune in, helping promote the network's "Stop Breast Cancer for Life" public-awareness campaign.Lifetime movies often get a bad rap...but every once in awhile, they genuinely do some good by doing well."
The
Denver Post critic wrote:"A stunning lineup of talented actresses combines with a lively script to distinguish what might have been a fairly ordinary disease movie on Lifetime this weekend. A based-on-truth testament to perseverance and essential human goodness, the film offers proof that determined individuals can win the fight against huge, heartless drug companies."
The
USA TodayUSA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth...
critic wrote:"'Living Proof' knows its target audience, though, and appeals to it with an earnestness made more engaging by a string of winning performances. Connick sustains the breezy charm he has shown as an actor and musician, but also shows a decided urgency in tracing Slamon's often frustrating, sometimes desperate struggle to get the support and funds required for his work...The women who take part in those trials are presented as a motley sorority and portrayed with a decided lack of vanity. Glamorous gals such as Bernadette Peters, Trudie Styler and Tammy Blanchard turn up looking weary and strained but also evoke the humor and resilience of their characters...Swoosie Kurtz and Regina King add extra sass as, respectively, Blanchard's mother and another young woman who survives cancer only to see it return in a more aggressive form."
Soundtrack
Harry Connick, Jr.Harry Connick, Jr. is an American singer, actor, composer, and pianist. Connick has sold over 25 million albums worldwide. He is ranked among the top 60 best-selling male artists in the United States since 1952, by the Recording Industry Association of America, with 16 million certified albums....
has written "Song for the Hopeful". The song is also part of Connick's album
What a Night! A Christmas AlbumWhat a Night! A Christmas Album, by American singer, pianist and bandleader Harry Connick, Jr., is scheduled for release in Winter 2008. It will be his third Christmas album, since 1993's When My Heart Finds Christmas and 2003's Harry for the Holidays...
, which is to be released in November 2008.
Sonyis a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest media conglomerates with revenue exceeding ¥ 7.730.0 trillion, or $78.88 billion U.S. . Sony is one of the leading manufacturers of electronics, video, communications, video game...
has announced it will give a contribution to breast cancer charities, for each download of "Song for the Hopeful" (Theme from "Living Proof") from
iTunesiTunes is a proprietary digital media player application, used for playing and organizing digital music and video files. The program is also an interface to manage the contents on Apple's popular iPod digital media players as well as the iPhone...
, where it was released on October 7, 2008.
External links