Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted | |
---|---|
Video Cover
|
|
Directed by | George Kaczender |
Produced by | Marcy Gross Doris Silverton Peter Nelson |
Written by | Doris Silverton Peter Nelson Steve Lawson Dalene Young |
Starring |
JoBeth Williams Chris Burke Dana Barron Jeffrey DeMunn Madge Sinclair Chris Demetral Alley Mills Mason Adams Tom Mason Robert Cicchini |
Music by | Misha Segal |
Cinematography | Eric Van Haren Noman |
Edited by | Stephen Michael |
Distributed by | Stephen J. Cannel Productions |
Release date
|
October 16, 1992 |
Running time
|
95 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Jonathan: The Boy Nobody Wanted, inspired by a true story concerning a landmark legal decision for rights of the disabled, is a 1992 NBC Movie of Week starring JoBeth Williams and Chris Burke. The film was directed by George Kaczender.
Jonathan (Chris Burke), a youth with Down Syndrome, is carelessly institutionalized by his parents (Alley Mills and Tom Mason). Ginny Moore (JoBeth Williams), a compassionate volunteer, immediately bonds with Jonathan, alleviating his loneliness and isolation by appointing herself a surrogate mother. Eventually, Jonathan begins to spend more and more time at Ginny's home where he forges a strong bond with the rest of her family (Dana Barron, Chris Demetral, Jeffrey DeMunn). Though his attitude and abilities show a staggering improvement due to Ginny's influence, Jonathan is faced with a new hardship when he is diagnosed with a rare heart disorder that his parents refuse permission to be medically cured. Thus, Ginny must launch a legal campaign to gain guardianship of Jonathan and allow the treatment needed to save his life.