Farrah's Story

I do not read or watch tabloid shows so I had only briefly heard on CNN of Ms. Fawcett's illness. Last night I watched this show (it was only on twice, and cable should re-air it so a larger audience is educated).

She is truly amazing, and strong of spirit. Her cancer is difficult to treat, and we see her taking trips to Germany where they have more advanced cell-isolating treatments, and better cancer care. Needless to compare this to her horrific experience with UCLA and an employee selling her private medical information for profit.

How much our health care system is in a shambles, is clearly reflected by her experience. Laws do not protect the patient. Patients are abused regularly in nursing homes, my father passed away in one as they neglected to feed him, and give him physical therapy.

Back to Farrah- she still looks wonderful and is a true fighter, her friend Alana Stewart filmed this, and is a devoted friend and confidante of her long-time friend. Ryan O'Neal also seems very broken up, and while the situation is very dire, it is incredible that audiences are finally being educated on what these people are living through.

This is truly an important film, and those of us who remember Farrah when she was younger will empathize,(we see graphic footage of her losing, then shaving her long tresses, which were her trademark at one time). Also,especially if we have experienced this tragedy in our own families, and dealt with the horrific hospice care provided to the less than wealthy.

Farrah, you still look incredible, and your spirit is a true inspiration. 10/10.

Through all the years I've seen Ms. Farrah Fawcett on "Charlie's Angels" and movies like Cannonball Run and "The Burning Bed", not to mention that iconic '70s poster that teenage boys all over America drooled over, she looked so healthy during all that time that I never thought of her as someone who would one day get cancer so when I first heard of that 3 years ago, I was heartbroken. And now that it has recurred, I hope to God she gets better or at least dies with dignity. It certainly was very heart-wrenching seeing her go through all those treatments in Germany and UCLA and then have those tabloids exploit her tragedy to such an extent that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has passed a bill to stop such intrusions that I was on the verge of crying buckets constantly. But it's so positive to see paramour Ryan O'Neal and their son Redmond, despite their drug troubles, giving Ms. Fawcett such support, not to mention former "Angels" co-stars Kate Jackson and Jaclyn Smith, cancer survivors themselves, renew their friendship during all this time. And kudos for Alana Stewart for filming the whole thing, warts and all, despite Ms. Stewart's occasional reticence doing so. Also was pleasantly surprised to see her ex-husband George Hamilton at Farrah's birthday party being his massively cool self to the eternally feathery-haired one. Well, not so now since it's all gone except for the bangs which partially shocked me when I saw that but she's still beautiful despite that. All I can say now is God bless you, Ms. Fawcett. May he indeed make you one of HIS angels when the time comes...Update 6/25/09: Ms. Fawcett died this morning. My prayers and condolences are with Ryan, Redmond, her father, and all her closest friends on this sad day of remembrance.

You might think this story would be depressing, but it's really just the opposite. Don't get me wrong-I shed a few tears, but Farrah's philosophy is uplifting. It is an emotional roller-coaster, but ultimately it is life-affirming. She teaches us that every moment of life and love is precious. What an incredibly brave, and responsible act to make this movie of a persons cancer tribulation. Certainly it comes at her expense, but this is what film should be. It slaps mindless dreck in the face with it's noble purpose. Of course, having "star power" is one of the reasons why this documentary is being aired, but that's a responsible use of one's power when one has it. It really made me think about my life and how important the people in it are to me - and, how I should act more loving and tenderly towards them. Make every moment count, and don't stop fighting to survive ! Kudos to all involved in this amazing film. Robert

Farrah's Story (2009)

** (out of 4)

Documentary is more like a video diary of Farrah Fawcett's as she fights cancer. The documentary starts off in 2006 when Farrah was first diagnosed with the disease and follows her for the next two years as it went into remission only to come back. This is a rather hard film to judge because on one hand you want to stand up and cheer Fawcett for her bravery in deadly with her deadly disease but on the other hand this film just isn't very good. The movie is so depressing and at times hard to watch that you can't really hate it. We see a lot of ugly visuals, which is what cancer is all about. Seeing it happen to someone like Fawcett gives people a reason to watch the film but at the same time I kept asking myself why on Earth would this thing be released. I'm sure Fawcett wants to inspire and help people, which she is certainly doing but I still don't quite understand the need to show her missing her hair, throwing up or going through various, painful operations. Again, God bless her heart and courage but the quality of the film isn't too good. The thing seems thrown together without too much thought of what it's trying to do. Ryan O'Neil plays a big part in the film as does her Charlie's Angels co-stars. O'Neil is incredibly emotional throughout the documentary so this too is hard to watch. I'm really not sure who to recommend this film to because it's just too depressing to enjoy in any way.

Farrah Fawcett is a beautiful, timeless, ageless, intelligent actress and artist. In this brave documentary, she is battling cancer. In her words with the cameras rolling despite seeing the painful side of cancer, Farrah is nothing but brave in this battle. It is courageous to see her say goodbye to her famous hair with class and dignity. It's hard and can bring you to tears. For those of us who have watched Farrah go from being a Charlie's Angel to a star, it's like watching a family member or friend go through this and it's hard because you're right there with her. Farrah's best friend, Alana Stewart (former wife of Rod Stewart CBE and George Hamilton) is there with her most of the way as is of course, her beloved Ryan O'Neal who just about falls apart with the thought of losing her. Farrah's battle against cancer has taken her to Germany for a treatment not yet approved in the United States. Her cancer battle exposed UCLA's negligence and violation of patient's confidentiality. Somehow the tabloids knew about her condition before her own family. It's heartbreaking but Farrah becomes more real to the audience as another human being. She battles cancer with such bravery, courage, and strength that some of us don't have. She has a yearning to live her life again without cancer. She is not only an actress, artist but an activist as well. Most of all, Farrah has played a survivor and she is one herself. It's times like these that I wished that James Lipton had interviewed her for the Actors Studio because she has a lot to share with aspiring artists and actors out there. I was thrilled to see the original Charlie's Angels as friends not just co-stars. Both her co-stars, Jaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson, battled cancer and won. God Bless You, Farrah. We're all praying for your miracle too.