Life Support
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Anna Deavere Smith, Evan Ross (III), Queen Latifah, Rachel Nicks, Wendell PierceBrand: HBO Home Video
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 5.1; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.78:1
Running Time: 87 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2007-08-07
Audience Rating: Unrated
Model: 94242
Studio: Hbo Home Video
Product features:
- HBO Films presents Academy Award? nominee Queen Latifah (Chicago) in a heartbreaking story of one woman's journey to the brink of self-destruction and despair, and her inspirational fight to gain back her dignity and her family. Ana is an HIV-positive former drug addict from Brooklyn, desperately struggling with her past and passionately trying to make things right with her involvement in an AIDS
Movie Reviews of Life Support
Movie Review: Brave
Summary: 5 Stars
She started off as a rapper who spoke to us about respect and female empowerment but the lady also known as Dana Owens has come a long way since then. She's a genuine Hollywood Power Player and bona fide movie star these days. Not every role she's chosen has resulted in box office success but she has always been very thoughtful in her choices. Where there has been success, iconic and commercial, whether it be in a drama, comedy or musical, (from movies like Jungle Fever and Juice, to Set It Off and House Party 2, to others like Chicago (Widescreen Edition) and Barbershop 2 - Back in Business (Special Edition)), she's been one of the ones to watch. I was really excited when I learned earlier this year that she was to play this role. As HBO doesn't screen in this country I knew I was going to have to hope that it made it to DVD and luckily, it eventually did. I ordered my copy without a second thought.
This is a real life story based on director Nelson George's sister Andrea Williams who is HIV positive. Latifah plays Ana, a character based on Williams and we watch Ana as she works hard as a community AIDS activist to spread the safer sex/HIV prevention message through Life Support, the organisation she works for in Brooklyn, New York. We also watch her while she struggles to redeem herself for her past life decisions (she was a crack addict, apparently) not only in her own eyes but in the eyes of her mother Lucille, played by Anna Deavere Smith, and of her teenage daughter Kelly, played by Rachel Nicks, custodial rights to whom she had to give up to her mother as a result of her troubled past. We also watch her as she negotiates another challenging relationship in her life, i.e. with her husband Slick, played by the excellent Wendell Pierce, who is also living with HIV. It's an amazing piece of work and we get a glimpse into what it's really like for people (mostly women though, interestingly enough - I was like, where are the men?) whose lives have been impacted by this virus. It's not always easy to watch. Look out for a brilliant performance by Evan Ross who plays Amare, a troubled young HIV+ gay man who is best friends with Kelly. It's truly gut wrenching to watch him flounder, trying to deal with a whole range of issues, without the support he so desperately needs.
On a lighter note though, Brooklyn is one of my favourite places on the planet and it was really fun to see the various great location pieces Nelson George used in the movie. I think it is noteworthy though, that this movie hasn't had the profile that I feel it deserves. It makes me wonder why not. It could be that the message I got from the movie (that HIV is out there, it's real and we're all at risk) might not be one that audiences are willing to take on board. Given that HIV/AIDS are collectively a bigger problem in our communities than they were when they first appeared 25 years ago (and not a smaller one as one might have hoped), I wonder if we have the right attitude. People are still getting infected, people are still dying and it's not just gays, drug addicts or people from sub-Saharan Africa either.
Soapbox minute over, I think it was incredibly brave of Andrea Williams to put herself forward like this, of Nelson George to tackle the issue head on and of all the actors who agreed to participate in this project, Latifah most of all. But then she's never been afraid of taking on a challenge. I've invited friends round to watch it and have lent it to others so they can invite their friends round to watch it. I truly feel this is a movie we (especially black people) all need to see. I highly recommend it.
Latifah received a well-earned Emmy nomination for her performance but was pipped to the post by an equally deserving Helen Mirren who won for her performance in Prime Suspect 7 - The Final Act. There were notable performances also, from Gloria Reuben, Tracey Ellis Ross and Darrin Henson.
DVD extras include: an on-set diary with the director Nelson George; an exclusive deleted scene; a short piece called "Interview with Andrea Williams: The Inspiration for "Life Support"", and "The Story Behind The Story" - a behind the scenes featurette with Queen Latifah, Nelson George and Andrea Williams.
Summary of Life Support
HBO Films presents Academy AwardŽ nominee Queen Latifah (Chicago) in a heartbreaking story of one woman's journey to the brink of self-destruction and despair, and her inspirational fight to gain back her dignity and her family. Ana is an HIV-positive former drug addict from Brooklyn, desperately struggling with her past and passionately trying to make things right with her involvement in an AIDS outreach group, Life Support. Inspired by a true story, Life Support is a touching, poignant tale of loving, losing and letting go.DVD Features:
Audio Commentary
Deleted Scenes
Featurette
Interviews
Production Notes
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