I have to admit that the newbee nurse played by Casey Fitzgerald truly annoyed me, jumping in too fast and in spite of her desire to be the best nurse possible even with the top grades in her class causes more trouble which even unintentionally would make me not want her as my nurse even for a simple blood test. She asks too many questions but never seems to be really listening, and it's obvious that her trainer, Leo Oliva, is better as a nurse just doing his job (which he is excellent at when not distracted by what he considers not his specialty. Oliva's supervisor, the great Danny Glover, wants to help both of them learn new skills so he insists that Oliva work to get Fitzgerald through her first night on the job. Eventually the two have to sit down and discuss their problems and this is where you see how it can benefit both of them, especially as they deal with the courageous little girl dying of cancer.
So there's no right or wrong here, and with patience, even as an audience member, I found myself seeing the possibility of change in Fitzgerald especially and a new element of humanity in Oliva. Genesis Ochoa as young Emily has the strength of an adult, more concerned for her mother's happiness than her own life, making a request from Oliva that is quite shocking. When Sara Castro, as her devoted mother, breaks down her fears to Fitzgerald, you see the growing conflict that will change everybody involved. It's a hard film to watch because the obvious ending is inevitable, and you see the inner pain that the nurses feel when their efforts to save lives fail. That becomes more obvious when a 98 year old dementia patient dies and Fitzgerald interferes in a way that once again makes her someone I wouldn't want treating me. Obviously kleenex is a requirement for this amazing art house film that focuses both on story and character where the script is equally as strong as the performances.
So there's no right or wrong here, and with patience, even as an audience member, I found myself seeing the possibility of change in Fitzgerald especially and a new element of humanity in Oliva. Genesis Ochoa as young Emily has the strength of an adult, more concerned for her mother's happiness than her own life, making a request from Oliva that is quite shocking. When Sara Castro, as her devoted mother, breaks down her fears to Fitzgerald, you see the growing conflict that will change everybody involved. It's a hard film to watch because the obvious ending is inevitable, and you see the inner pain that the nurses feel when their efforts to save lives fail. That becomes more obvious when a 98 year old dementia patient dies and Fitzgerald interferes in a way that once again makes her someone I wouldn't want treating me. Obviously kleenex is a requirement for this amazing art house film that focuses both on story and character where the script is equally as strong as the performances.
