Sunshine

My name is Jo-Jo (Ernie is my husband but I can't seem to be able to erase his name from this site - just thought I would clarify that!). I first saw this movie in 1982 on TV in Scotland, which is where I grew up, and I immediately recognised it as the story of Lyn Helton, which I had read in a magazine at the library. I was totally moved all over again; I thought the movie was beautifully made, and the songs complimented it perfectly. I have only seen it repeated once since then,and that was several years ago while living here (in New York). I would love to have a DVD or video of it to share with the four children I now have. I cannot begin to imagine what Lyn/Kate went through as a mother of such a young child, having to face her own demise. I totally admire her for standing up to the doctors and not letting them bully her into doing something she felt was the wrong decision for her. After seeing the movie I was inspired to try to find out about the real Lyn and her family (we didn't have the internet then): I found out from the library that there was a trust established for her daughter Jennifer, and I sent them a donation but never heard back from them. Anyone out there know anything? Her daughter must be about 36 now, and I'm sure she is really proud of her mom. One final thought - I noticed how many people on the board mentioned having read the book by Norma Klein: did anyone else read the two sequels "Sunshine Christmas" and "The Sunshine Years" and realise that they were totally inconsistent?! It's like two different people picked up from where the first book/movie left off! It was a little bit disappointing. Maybe its time to do a remake of this film? It was nice to discover that there are all these other people out there who were so inspired by this film.

It has been over thirty years since I first saw this movie and I still remember its effect on me. I bought the novel soon after and read it until the pages fell out. Someone asked me at a job interview who my most influential person and I said Jacquelyn Helton because she had the courage to do what she thought was right all the while knowing what the outcome would be. This movie is an inspiration to anyone who takes life for granted and makes you realize that no matter how long you live whether it is 20 years or a hundred, its not the length but the quality of that life, make it count, and above all else, love.

I have been haunted by this movie ever since I saw it at age 8. The baby sitter let me stay up with her and I was forever saddened by this movie. It wasn't until this night ( 8/19/05 ) that I decided to see if there was any information on this movie. I heard the John Denver song : "Sunshine on My Shoulders" and just had to look it up. I always wondered what happened in this story. I was too young to remember and I don't think it has been shown again on television. I'm not sure how many other people my age saw this movie, but it sure made an impact on me at the young age of eight years old. My parents were not too pleased when they came home to find me watching this real life sad story. I now realize it was the first time I ever heard of this terrible thing called cancer. Unfortunately, I was soon to see the very real effects of this disease.

I saw this movie as a young "hippie" woman and just loved it. It captured the times of 1973 perfectly. The subject matter, young love, family, illness, free spirits were right on. The photography was beautiful as well as the John Denver music, which was at the height of his popularity. I felt the lead character to be very brave. I now have a stepdaughter the same age I was when I first saw this movie and I only wish she could view it too. Who says great movies are not written for television?

I saw this movie when I was a teenager and I absolutely loved it. I remember that I cried like a baby. Like so many others, I only saw it once, and I have since scoured everywhere looking for a personal copy to keep. I have just watched Love Story with my daughter, and I was telling her how good "Sunshine" was, compared to Love story. We both want to see it now, me because I loved it so much originally, and her because I've told her about how great it is, and how sad it is, and how its the type of movie that never leaves you, once you've seen it, it just touches you. I recall seeing it with a boyfriend in Perth, and we both walked out of the cinema crying our eyes out. He was a very blokey (macho)man, very tough, and I think its the only time I ever saw him cry, not only over a movie, but over anything. I just want to see it again. If anyone knows where I can get a copy, please put a message here. I will be eternally grateful. If anyone reading this has the power to get it on to DVD.... please do so. I imagine there are a lot of us out there who are waiting to see this fabulous movie again.