Themes: Battling Illness, Class Differences, Opposites Attract
Main Cast: Julia Roberts, Campbell Scott, Vincent D'Onofrio, Colleen Dewhurst, David Selby
Release Year: 1991
Country: US
Run Time: 111 minutes
MPAA Rating: R
Plot
Directed by Joel Schumacher, Dying Young was adapted from a novel by Marti Leimbach. When Victor Geddes (Campbell Scott) discovers that he is suffering from leukemia, his wealthy family hires pretty, young Hillary O'Neil (Julia Roberts) to help nurse him through his chemotherapy treatment. As the two struggle through the debilitating effects of Victor's treatment, they fall in love and attempt to make the most of their time together. Campbell Scott's real mother, the late Colleen Dewhurst, plays his "reel" mother in the film. ~ Iotis Erlewine, All Movie Guide
Ellen Burstyn - Mrs. O'Neil; Behrooz Afrakhan - Moamar; Dion Anderson - Cappy; Daniel Beer - Danny; Tim Bohn - Guest; Patrick Cage - Shauna's Boyfriend; Holly del Rosso - Child in Hospital; Trevor Fant - Child in Hospital; Michael Halton - Gordon's Friend; Fran Lucci - Annabel; George Martin - Malachi; Larry Nash - Assistant; Lauren Oymainan - Child in Hospital; Bettina Rose - Jeopardy Contestant; John M. Rosenberg - Bandleader; Alex Trebek - Jeopardy Host; Erin Vallely - Child in Hospital; Richard Friedenberg - Jeopardy Contestant; Duncan Henderson - Jeopardy Contestant; Howard Morris - Voice on Jetsons; Mary Goldberg; Kevin O'Connor - Child in Hospital; Adrienne-Joi Johnson - Shauna
Credit
Guy J. Comtois - Art Director, Richard L. Johnson - Art Director, Mauri Syd Gayton - Associate Producer, Duncan Henderson - Co-producer, Susan Becker - Costume Designer, Rosemarie Fall - Costume Designer, Joel Schumacher - Director, Robert Brown - Editor, Jim Prior - Editor, James Newton Howard - Composer (Music Score), Richard Arrington - Makeup, Tom Lucas - Makeup, Martin Schaer - Camera Operator, Juan Ruiz-Anchia - Cinematographer, Sally Field - Producer, Kevin McCormick - Producer, Cricket Rowland - Set Designer, Neil Smith - Special Effects, Pat Lee - Special Effects, Richard Friedenberg - Screenwriter, James Seidelman - Additional Editing, Marti Leimbach - Book Author
Julia Roberts followed Pretty Woman with the pretty depressing Dying Young. If your girlfriend/wife had to drag you to this film, rest assured you can opt out of buying the soundtrack. Like the film, James Newton Howard's score is life-affirming, romantic, and touching. Cameos from Kenny G, Jeffrey Osborne, and King Curtis are woven into Howard's modest tapestry, and the sum effect feels like Checkfield with a sax player and an old Nat King Cole nugget tossed in for texture. The instrumentals are built around piano, acoustic guitar, lush strings, and horns, creating a folky new age feel. At under 40 minutes, Dying Young isn't the self-standing work one might have hoped for, but the soundtrack atones for its shortcomings with a suffusion of beautiful music. Some will dismiss this as schmaltz out of hand, and a compelling argument to the contrary isn't forthcoming, but if the music does no more than indulge a romantic fantasy for half an hour then it's served a valuable purpose. Standout tracks include the opening theme, King Curtis' jazzy take on "All the Way," and the closing "I'll Never Leave You (Love Theme)." A lot of soundtracks don't make the leap from the screen cleanly, limping along in musical fragments like the obligatory chase scene and so on. Not so with this soundtrack, which combines utility and intrinsic beauty; in fact, you don't need to watch the movie to enjoy the music (good news for anyone still hoping to wiggle out of this weeper). Overall a warm, personal, and cleansing experience, like yoga for the brain. ~ Dave Connolly, All Music Guide
Kenny G (Producer), Kenny G (Performer), King Curtis (Vocals), King Curtis (Performer), James Newton Howard (Piano), James Newton Howard (Producer), James Newton Howard (Performer), Elliot Lurie (Music Supervisor), Elliot Lurie (Musical Supervision), Louis Biancaniello (Celeste), Louis Biancaniello (Drums), Ozzie Cadena (Producer), Jeff Chambers (Bass), Jeff Chambers (Bass (Upright)), Clive Davis (Executive Producer), Ray Elliks (Strings), Ray Elliks (Arranger), Ray Ellis (String Arrangements), Michael Fisher (Percussion), James Getzoff (Concert Master), The Greater Los Angeles Orchestra (Orchestra), Mick Guzauski (Mixing), Dan Higgins (Clarinet (Bass)), Dan Higgins (Saxophone), Calvin Keys (Guitar), Gayle LaVant (Harp), Michael Lang (Piano), Celeste Frank Martin (Piano), Marty Paich (Conductor), Marty Paich (Orchestra), Michael Mason (Producer), Narada Michael Walden (Percussion), Narada Michael Walden (Drums), Narada Michael Walden (Producer), Joel Moss (Engineer), Shawn Murphy (Producer), Shawn Murphy (Mixing), Jeffrey Osborne (Vocals), Jeffrey Osborne (Performer), Jeff Porcaro (Drums), Dean Parks (Guitar), Marc Reyburn (Assistant Engineer), Neil Stubenhaus (Bass), Bill Talbott (Engineer), Gayle Levant (Harp), Rail Jon Rogut (Assistant Engineer), Joel Schumacher (Executive Producer), Cynthia Shiloh (Production Coordination), David Frazer (Engineer), David Frazer (Mixing), Dave Collins (Mastering), Brad Dechter (Orchestration), Janice Lee (Production Coordination), Brad Deckter (Orchestration), Frank Martin (Piano)
Dying Young is a drama that presents themes such as the evolution of the universal yearning for intimacy. Hilary O'Neil (Julia Roberts) is a pretty, outgoing yet cautious young woman who has had little luck in work or love. After recently parting ways with her boyfriend when she caught him cheating, Hilary finds herself living with her eccentric mother (Ellen Burstyn).
One day Hilary answers a ad in a newspaper ad for a nurse only to find herself being escorted out before the interview starts.
Victor Gettes (Campbell Scott) is a well-educated, rich, and shy 28 year-old. As the film progresses, Victor's health worsens progressively, due to leukemia. Despite his father's protests, Victor hires Hilary to be his live-in caretaker while he undergoes a traumatic course of chemotherapy.
