# You Don't Know Jack (film)

You Don't Know Jack is a 2010 American made-for-television biopic written by Adam Mazer and directed by Barry Levinson. It stars Al Pacino, John Goodman, Danny Huston, Susan Sarandon and Brenda Vaccaro.
The film dramatizes the efforts of former Oakland County, Michigan, pathologist Jack Kevorkian (Pacino) to help the terminally ill and the profoundly disabled end their lives. The outspoken Kevorkian becomes a polarizing figure and is often referred to as "Dr. Death" in the press. He is assisted by his sister Margo Janus (Vaccaro), as well as his longtime friend and medical technician Neal Nicol (Goodman), and Janet Good (Sarandon), who founded the eastern Michigan chapter of the Hemlock Society. By accepted accounts, he aided 130 people to die.
Kevorkian is unsuccessfully tried four times, but after taking an unprecedented direct role in the August 1998 death of his final patient Thomas Youk, he is convicted of second degree murder and is sentenced to 10-to-25 years in prison. He serves more than eight years and is released in June 2007.
You Don't Know Jack's screenplay is largely based on the book Between the Dying and the Dead by Neal Nicol and Harry Wylie. The film received numerous award nominations. Al Pacino won Primetime Emmy, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild awards for his performance as Kevorkian.

## Plot

Prompted by the plight of David Rivlin, a quadriplegic who litigated to be removed from his respirator so that he could die, the sight of a dying woman in a hospital bed, and the memory of his mother Satenig's death more than two decades earlier, Jack Kevorkian builds his first "Mercitron" from parts bought at a flea market. He meets with Rivlin and presents his device. Kevorkian explains that through an intravenous line, Rivlin can first self-administer a harmless saline solution, to be followed by thiopental that will cause him to fall into a coma, lastly potassium chloride that will stop his heart, causing death.
Due to the expense and the difficulty of obtaining the drugs, Kevorkian develops a less expensive method using tanks of carbon monoxide. Rivlin, however, becomes agitated, and Kevorkian is forced to leave. Rivlin is removed from his respirator, and food and water are withheld. In an interview with reporter Jack Lessenberry, Kevorkian denounces what he sees as the cruelty of his unnecessarily painful death, comparing it to the Holocaust. He believes that his "death machine" would have induced a quicker and easier death, and begins offering his services as a "death counselor".
His first patient is Janet Adkins, a 53-year-old woman from Portland, Oregon, who is suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The disease is in its early stages, but Adkins is increasingly suffering from memory loss and confusion. With Kevorkian's help, she dies on June 4, 1990. Soon after, Kevorkian begins aiding people in earnest.
As Kevorkian's notoriety increases, he provokes polarizing public opinion. His supporters believe that he is performing a public service and that the government has no right to interfere with the decisions of competent individuals who want to die. He insists that he gives his patients a means to end their suffering; they alone make the decision and initiate the process. He also claims to have turned down 97 or 98 percent of the people asking for his help.
His critics, however, believe that he is playing God. Conservative Oakland County prosecutor Richard Thompson considers Kevorkian to be a murderer but cannot gain a conviction; he attributes his failures to Michigan's weak laws regarding assisted suicide, and he advocates stronger laws. In 1998, Thompson loses an election to a more liberal assistant prosecutor, David Gorcyca, who has no interest in wasting money (a major criticism of Thompson) prosecuting Jack Kevorkian, so long as he assists only in suicides.
However, Thomas Youk's September 16, 1998, death is different. Youk, reputed to be Kevorkian's final patient, is so crippled by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that he cannot self-administer the drugs. Kevorkian personally administers it. A video of Youk's death is presented as part of Kevorkian's interview with reporter Mike Wallace of the CBS news program 60 Minutes. It leads to him to being indicted.
Despite the intervention of Youk's widow Melody and his brother Terry, Kevorkian is convicted of second degree murder. He represents himself, while in previous cases, he was represented by attorney Geoffrey Fieger. He is sentenced to 10-to-25 years in prison. He wants his case to be heard by the United States Supreme Court, so that the issue of assisted suicide can be decided. The court declines to do so, however. Kevorkian is released in June 2007 after serving more than eight years.

## Cast

* Al Pacino as Jack Kevorkian
* Danny Huston as Geoffrey Fieger, Kevorkian's attorney
* Susan Sarandon as Janet Good, a right-to-die advocate and patient
* Brenda Vaccaro as Margaret "Margo" Janus, Kevorkian's sister and assistant until her death in 1994
* John Goodman as Neal Nicol, Kevorkian's longtime friend and medical technician
* James Urbaniak as Jack Lessenberry, a reporter
* Eric Lange as John Skrzynski, an assistant prosecutor
* John Engler as himself (stock footage), Michigan governor from 1991 to 2003
* Richard E. Council as Judge David Breck
* Sandra Seacat as Janet Adkins, Kevorkian's first patient
* Adam Driver as Glen Stetson, a fictitious character who is a paraplegic who tried to immolate himself and is turned down by Kevorkian and Janet Good
* Cotter Smith as Dick Thompson, Oakland County prosecutor from 1989 to 1996
* David Wilson Barnes as David Gorcyca, Dick Thompson's successor as Oakland County prosecutor. Successfully prosecutes Kevorkian in the death of Thomas Youk

## Reception

The film received largely positive reviews. lt currently has an 83% rating at the aggregate film review website Rotten Tomatoes.

## Awards and nominations

| Year | Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result |
| 2010 | Artios Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Casting – Television Movie/Mini Series | Ellen Chenoweth | Nominated |
| 2010 | Gold Derby TV Awards | TV movie/Mini Actor | Al Pacino | Won |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Al Pacino | Won |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | John Goodman | Won |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Danny Huston | Nominated |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Susan Sarandon | Won |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Brenda Vaccaro | Nominated |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Direction of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Barry Levinson | Nominated |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Writing of a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Adam Mazer | Nominated |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Best Ensemble in a Motion Picture or Miniseries | Nominated |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Cinematography in a Non-Series | Best Cinematography in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2010 | Online Film & Television Association Awards | Best Music in a Non-Series | Best Music in a Non-Series | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie | Lydia Dean Pilcher, Steve Lee Jones, Glenn Rigberg, Barry Levinson, Tom Fontana, and Scott Ferguson | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | Al Pacino | Won |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie | John Goodman | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Susan Sarandon | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie | Brenda Vaccaro | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Barry Levinson | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special | Adam Mazer | Won |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Art Direction for a Miniseries or Movie | Mark Ricker, Amy Fritz, and Rena DeAngelo | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Ellen Chenoweth | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie | Eigil Bryld | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special | Rita Ryack and Maria Tortu | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Movie | Colleen Callaghan, Joe Whitmeyer, and Cydney Cornell | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Makeup for a Miniseries or a Movie (Non-Prosthetic) | Dorothy J. Pearl and John Caglione Jr. | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score) | Marcelo Zarvos | Nominated |
| 2010 | Primetime Creative Arts Emmy Awards | Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie | Aaron Yanes | Nominated |
| 2010 | Satellite Awards | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Best Motion Picture Made for Television | Nominated |
| 2010 | Satellite Awards | Best Actor in a Miniseries or a Motion Picture Made for Television | Al Pacino | Won |
| 2010 | Satellite Awards | Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Series, Miniseries or Motion Picture Made for Television | Brenda Vaccaro | Won |
| 2010 | Television Critics Association Awards | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Outstanding Achievement in Movies, Miniseries and Specials | Nominated |
| 2010 | Women's Image Network Awards | Actress in a Mini-Series / Made for Television Movie | Susan Sarandon | Nominated |
| 2011 | American Cinema Editors Awards | Best Edited Miniseries or Motion Picture for Television | Aaron Yanes | Nominated |
| 2011 | Costume Designers Guild Awards | Outstanding Made for Television Movie or Miniseries | Rita Ryack | Nominated |
| 2011 | Critics' Choice Awards | Best Picture Made for Television | Best Picture Made for Television | Nominated |
| 2011 | Directors Guild of America Awards | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Movies for Television and Miniseries | Barry Levinson | Nominated |
| 2011 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Best Miniseries or Television Film | Nominated |
| 2011 | Golden Globe Awards | Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film | Al Pacino | Won |
| 2011 | Guild of Music Supervisors Awards | Best Music Supervision for Movie of the Week | Evyen Klean | Won |
| 2011 | Producers Guild of America Awards | David L. Wolper Award for Outstanding Producer of Long-Form Television | Scott Ferguson, Steve Lee Jones, Barry Levinson, and Lydia Dean Pilcher | Nominated |
| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | John Goodman | Nominated |
| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Al Pacino | Won |
| 2011 | Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries | Susan Sarandon | Nominated |
| 2011 | Writers Guild of America Awards | Long Form – Original | Adam Mazer | Nominated |