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Perhaps more than most other professionals, nurses are surrounded by reminders of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM)—now in its 27th year—as well as by proof that the need for awareness never ends. Beyond the coverage of presidential proclamations and pro football players suiting up in pink, does the media do a good job of realistically portraying the experience of being someone, or knowing someone, who’s been diagnosed?
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, Lifetime Television has done its part by assembling some of the biggest names in Hollywood to direct and star in Five, a collection of five short films that explore the impact of breast cancer on the women it touches, as well as their family, friends, doctors and nurses. The anthology of short films is connected by a story arc that eventually brings the five individual tales together.
Without giving too much away, we can tell you that the common thread through all of the short films is an oncologist, played by Jeanne Tripplehorn, inspired to work in the field by her mother’s battle with breast cancer. The first film, “Charlotte,” is set in 1969 and finds a younger version of the future oncologist, Pearl, being kept in the dark about her mother’s condition, as per the custom of the time.
TV Guide critic Matt Roush raved: “They rarely make TV movies like Five anymore…a sensitively told issue-of-the-week anthology in the classic life-affirming tearjerker tradition… Though the subject matter is wrenching, the tone is more about emotional uplift, emphasizing the importance of bringing loved ones along for the fight.”
However, we know who the real critics are—nurses! We want to ask you: Despite its best intentions to bring together star power (Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Alicia Keys, Rosario Dawson, et al) that will generate viewers and, theoretically, more breast cancer awareness, does the film get it right? Lord knows plenty of medical dramas get it wrong. Let us know if Five rings true to your experiences as a nurse.
Though Five originally aired on Lifetime on October 10, it currently can be viewed in its entirety on the Lifetime website here.
