Reason for Living: The Jill Ireland Story

Jill Ireland was beautiful, talented, courageous and loving woman who fought to save a child that was beyond saving despite the fact that she was at death's door herself. Her story is an inspiration to us all, but frankly speaking this "film" is an insult to her memory. Aside from Lance Hendrikson, the casting is absolutely appalling, especially with Jill Clayburgh as Ireland. I've always liked her as an actress...I usually find her performances pretty spot on, but this, I'm afraid is an embarrassment. She does'nt even come close to capturing the character in looks OR manner and that factor alone is enough to submarine this celluloid work of frustration to the bowels of TV Movie Pergatory for all eternity. Do yourselves a favour...stick to the book and steer clear of the tele!!

An outstanding performance by Lance Henrikson portraying Charles Bronson (Ireland's husband) fails to move this TV movie out of the mediocre pile, and that's too bad because this story is fascinating. Clayburgh tries hard as the doomed Ireland but there are some basic problems with her performance, namely she's not English (her accent is pretty bad) and she's not that good-looking. The real Ireland was a beautiful, fairly talented actress who gave up a marriage with popular Scottish actor David McCallum ("The Man from U.N.C.L.E.") to be with the fairly unknown Bronson. Within a couple of years, Bronson became one of the most popular actors in the world. Now if the producers would have only combined THAT aspect of her life into this so-so TV movie we'd have a superb story... (updated on 12/6/2016 to reflect the fact that McCallum is Scottish not British to make some tiresome baby-boy happy...this is for reviews, not whining about inconsequential rubbish - see the film if you want to comment, mate)

I was very disappointed in this movie for the same reasons the two reviewers above gave. Jill Clayburgh was just terribly miscast as Jill Ireland. It distracted me throughout the movie. While Ms. Ireland's real-life struggle to save her adopted son from drug addiction was admirable, eventually I started hoping for her son to hurry up and O.D. and get it over with it already, instead of having to watch the plot wander through the same territory again and again. It was difficult to work up much sympathy for him. I know that frequent relapses are symptomatic of drug use, but the movie had an obligation to entertain as well as inform. Unfortunately, it didn't do either very well.

Jill Clayburgh may not look like Jill Ireland, but I do feel she was good as a mother with a son addicted to heroin. Jill Clayburgh is a fine actress and she is at the center of this film along with Neill Barry who is her troubled adopted son. The facts of addiction are realistically portrayed. I was taken back that no mention was made that the adopted son was from a marriage to David McCallum. It was not until looking up information on Jill Ireland that I learned of the adopted son being from Jill Ireland's son from a marriage prior to her marriage to Charles Bronson. I found that to be an annoying gap in this film. Elizabeth Ashley was a real asset to this film. Because this was a TV film, I am giving it seven stars for a realistic portrayal of heroin addiction and the fine performances by Jill Clayburgh, Neill Barry, and Elizabeth Ashley. Though, I must say, Jill Clayburgh did struggle with a British accent. I can overlook that fact.

I have not seen this movie, but I would like to correct previous poster chas77. David McCallum is Scottish not English. He was born in Glasgow which is in Scotland and Scotland is one quarter of Britain not England. I do wish that people from around the world would remember this and not automatically think that everything pertaining to the British and the United Kingdom is English. If it weren't for a Scot by the name of John Logie Baird, television would not exist and neither would the IMDb.

Please take note of my comment.

Thank you.