Spoonatects Am i the only one who thinks........Average?

StyleSk8r At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Sienna-Rose Mclaughlin The movie really just wants to entertain people.

Jakoba True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

aramis-112-804880 This is the sort of production I grew up seeing, and that made me wary. However, the story of Florence Nightingale ("the lady with the lamp") and her reform of nursing is a story worthy of telling; and this movie is presented in a moving way.First of all, to the carpers. Sure, there are differences. In 1985 they could not on network television depict the true horrors of the "hospital" in Crimea as Florence Nightingale found it. I'm just a bit squeamish and even though I knew the wounds and burns were makeup I fast forwarded through those scenes. And a simple comparison between photos of the real Florence Nightingale and Jaclyn Smith, queen of the television movies at the time, make the differences obvious enough. Florence Nightingale was a genuine hero in the realm of hygiene, cleanliness and nursing, but hardly a Charlie's Angel. Smith is not as glamorous as usual, but she's still made up and lovely.But you're a dope if you get your history from movies. Movies have to have heroes and villains, good guys and bad guys. History is neutral. It simply is, and is depicted well or badly.Supporting Smith is a powerhouse cast, but not, unfortunately, a deep one. It features a James Bond (Timothy Dalton, who also does the offscreen narration) and Jeremy Brett, television's preeminent Sherlock Holmes. Always a cagey actor, Brett delights the aficionado with familiar flashes of Holmes. Also in the cast are the always welcome Timothy West, in a blink-and-you'll miss him role as the journalist who gave Florence Nightingale her sobriquet; and "Downton Abbey" producer Julian Fellowes.Unwelcome to some will be the persistent Christian imagery. However, as a practicing Christian (one is never perfect) I welcome setting Florence Nightingale in her proper context. After all, she did receive a call from God to follow the calling of serving others through nursing, and that sort of thing gets you written off as a right-wing fundamentalist lunatic these days. This movie does not back away from Florence Nightingale's strong faith, and not in herself but in God. Commendable.I'm an easy mark for movie-makers. I once cried at an episode of "Love, American Style." But I found this movie extraordinarily moving, which is a rare thing to say about a television movie.Is it absolutely one hundred percent accurate? Certainly not. But one of my favorite movies is "Amadeus" and there's hardly a word of truth in it. "Shakespeare in Love" won the Oscar and it's a load of codswollop. "Florence Nightingale" tries to tell this story as accurately as is possible in 140 minutes, but it takes a lot of shortcuts. Still, if you don't want to read a genuine historical tome, this movie will give you the general outline. Worth a look in.

Desertman84 Florence Nightingale is stirring TV movie from Emmy Award-winning director Daryl Duke and writers Ivan Moffat and Rose Leiman Goldemberg.It stars Jaclyn Smith in the title role together with Claire Bloom, Timothy Dalton and Jeremy Brett.It is based on the life of Florence Nightingale, an aristocratic woman who defied Victorian society to reform hospital sanitation and to define the nursing profession as it is known today. After volunteering to travel to Scutari to care for the wounded soldiers of the Crimean War, she was scorned by her community and faced great opposition for her new way of thinking. However, through her selfless acts of caring, she quickly became known as "The Lady with the Lamp," the caring nurse whose shadow softened those wounded. Jaclyn Smith is a curious choice to play the title character in the made-for-TV biopic Florence Nightingale. This fact, however, never enters into the consciousness of the viewer, thanks to her excellent performance. The best scenes--and the most accurate--occur during the Crimean War sequences and during Nightingale's strenuous efforts to form the Red Cross.Though it was slow moving and it drags,this biopic about the 'mother of modern nursing' stays close enough to the facts to be worthwhile, and has production values rich enough to make the it come alive.

Gunn This is one of those films that you remember, as it makes a great impression on any viewer. The story of one of the greatest women in History, who left her mark on the world, this film stays with you. Jaclyn Smith shows that she's more than one of Charlie's Angels, she is one very talented actress. She makes the story of Florence Nightingale really work. This is a story of sacrifice, humanity, tenacious drive and humility. A great supporting cast: Claire Bloom as Fanny Nightingale and Jeremy Brett as William Nightingale, Timothy Dalton as Robert Milne, the love of her life, Brian Cox and Stephen Chase as doctors who become Florence's allies in battling the stubborn British military. We've all heard the name of Florence Nightingale, but few know just what a great woman she truly was. I love biopics simply because they make me hunger to know more about their subjects. This is a perfect example. I must give kudos to director Daryl Duke and writers Rose Goldemberg and Ivan Moffat for a brilliantly made TVM.

fkerr A plot SPOILER follows. Of course, it is based on historic fact.As Florence Nightingale is portrayed in this film, she achieved through confrontation with her family, her friends, the medical profession, and the British military authorities. Whether such conflicts were at the root of her success I cannot say. It is clear, however, that she is responsible for several very important revolutions in health care. First, she introduced cleanliness as of primary importance. Then, she raised the duties and the perception of nurses to the level of a profession. Lastly, she established formal education for nurses.The British television production clearly shows conditions as they were when Florence arrived at adulthood. She was of the gentry, but her heart was with the sick and injured of whatever class. Rejecting a worthy suitor, she set off to Kaiserswerth in Germany to get nursing training, such as it was at the time.Upon her return, she shocked her family by entering and then working in a hospital, the type of institution where ladies just didn't set foot. Hospitals were filthy, like prisons, where the attendants treated patients with utter distain and where the environment was vile indeed.Miss Nightingale came into her own during 1854, in the Crimean War. This film does an excellent job of portraying that. She took a group of nurses to a military hospital and revolutionized it over the constant objections of the military commanders and the doctors. She did gain some support as word of her changes began to be reported back home in Britain.Anyone with a background or interest in health care, especially in nursing or hospital administration will enjoy this film for its subject matter. The filmmaking is a bit uneven and episodic, which you might expect from a television series.Jaclyn Smith portrays Florence with sensitivity, thereby creating a believable and engaging character.