Jennifer Lines, Bob Frazer (photo by Tim Matheson)
Fighting for his deathA smart and darkly funny discussion of a contentious topic
by Chris Lane
Should a hospital patient be permitted to choose death over treatment?
Bob Frazer stars as Ken, who was recently paralyzed from the neck down in a car crash, with spinal damage so severe that the current state of medicine is incapable of helping him move his body ever again. He’s a smart, quick-witted man who carefully considers his situation, and decides he’d rather die than spend the rest of his life trapped in a body he can’t control. But the head doctor firmly believes that his duty is to keep his patients alive, and argues that Ken’s depressed state is preventing him from making a sound judgment. Caught in between the two is Dr. Scott (Jennifer Lines), who is struggling to judge what to do as a medical doctor and as a compassionate person who cares for her patient’s wishes and well-being.
