...First Do No Harm

"She went looking for help... and found a miracle"

1997 1h 30m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

⭐

6.7

IMDB

★6.8TMDB · 41★6.7IMDB · 2,253

DramaTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

When Lori Reimuller learns that her young son Robbie has epilepsy, she first trusts the judgment of the hospital staff in how best to bring it under control. As Robbie's health slides radically downhill, however, she becomes frustrated and desperate, and so does her own research into the existing literature on treatments. When she decides to try an alternative treatment called the Ketogenic Diet, devised long ago by a doctor from Johns Hopkins, she is met with narrow-minded resistance from Robbie's doctor, who is prepared to take legal action to prevent Lori from removing him from the hospital.

“She went looking for help... and found a miracle”

WhatsApp X Facebook Telegram

Cast

Meryl Streep
Lori Reimuller
Fred Ward
Dave Reimuller
Allison Janney
Dr. Melanie Abbasac
Seth Adkins
Robbie Reimuller
Margo Martindale
Marjean
Tom Butler
Dr. Jim Peterson
Leo Burmester
Bob Purdue
Mairon Bennett
Lynne Reimuller

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Jim Abrahams
Writers: Ann Beckett
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

90 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

29 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Jim Abrahams, shot by Pierre Letarte. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Hummie Mann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Terry Stokes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Meryl Streep and Fred Ward and Allison Janney carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "She went looking for help... and found a miracle".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0118526 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Jim Abrahams directs. Pierre Letarte behind the camera. Hummie Mann scores. Terry Stokes cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

190 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
229 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3Directed by Jim Abrahams, shot by Pierre Letarte. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Hummie Mann. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Terry Stokes shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Meryl Streep and Fred Ward and Allison Janney carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "She went looking for help... and found a miracle".
8IMDB entry: tt0118526 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.