Top 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsMost Popular Video GamesMost Popular Music VideosMost Popular Podcasts
    Release CalendarBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV NewsIndia TV Spotlight
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsBest Picture WinnersBest Picture WinnersEmmysSTARmeter AwardsSan Diego Comic-ConNew York Comic-ConSundance Film FestivalToronto Int'l Film FestivalAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • All
  • Titles
  • TV Episodes
  • Celebs
  • Companies
  • Keywords
  • Advanced Search
Watchlist
Sign In
Sign In
New Customer? Create account
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
IMDbPro

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

  • 19811981
  • RR
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
Richard Dreyfuss in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
Official Trailer
Play trailer2:20
1 Video
29 Photos
ComedyDrama
Ken Harrison is an artist who makes sculptures. One day he is involved in a car accident, and is paralyzed from his neck down. All he can do is talk, and he wants to die. In hospital he make... Read allKen Harrison is an artist who makes sculptures. One day he is involved in a car accident, and is paralyzed from his neck down. All he can do is talk, and he wants to die. In hospital he make friends with some of the staff, and they support him when he goes to trial to be allowed ... Read allKen Harrison is an artist who makes sculptures. One day he is involved in a car accident, and is paralyzed from his neck down. All he can do is talk, and he wants to die. In hospital he make friends with some of the staff, and they support him when he goes to trial to be allowed to die.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
3.4K
YOUR RATING
    • John Badham
  • Writers
    • Brian Clark(play "Whose Life Is It Anyway?")
    • Reginald Rose(screenplay)
    • John Badham(participating writer)
  • Stars
    • Richard Dreyfuss
    • John Cassavetes
    • Christine Lahti
    • John Badham
  • Writers
    • Brian Clark(play "Whose Life Is It Anyway?")
    • Reginald Rose(screenplay)
    • John Badham(participating writer)
  • Stars
    • Richard Dreyfuss
    • John Cassavetes
    • Christine Lahti
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 33User reviews
    • 13Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Whose Life Is It Anyway?
    Trailer 2:20
    Watch Whose Life Is It Anyway?

    Photos29

    1 sheet movie poster
    Richard Dreyfuss in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Richard Dreyfuss in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Christine Lahti in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Janet Eilber in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    John Cassavetes in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Richard Dreyfuss
    Richard Dreyfuss
    • Ken Harrison
    John Cassavetes
    John Cassavetes
    • Dr. Michael Emerson
    Christine Lahti
    Christine Lahti
    • Dr. Clare Scott
    Bob Balaban
    Bob Balaban
    • Carter Hill
    Kenneth McMillan
    Kenneth McMillan
    • Judge Wyler
    Kaki Hunter
    Kaki Hunter
    • Mary Jo Sadler
    Thomas Carter
    Thomas Carter
    • Orderly John
    Alba Oms
    • Nurse Rodriguez
    Janet Eilber
    Janet Eilber
    • Pat
    Kathryn Grody
    Kathryn Grody
    • Mrs. Boyle
    George Wyner
    George Wyner
    • Dr. Jacobs
    Mel Stewart
    Mel Stewart
    • Dr. Barr
    Ward Costello
    • Mr. Eden
    Alston Ahern
    • Day Nurse
    Betty Cole
    • ICU Nurse
    Lyman Ward
    Lyman Ward
    • Emergency Room Doctor
    Juli Andelman
    Juli Andelman
    • Stella, Student Nurse
    Abigail Hepner
    • Lissa
      • John Badham
    • Writers
      • Brian Clark(play "Whose Life Is It Anyway?") (screenplay)
      • Reginald Rose(screenplay)
      • John Badham(participating writer) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    More like this

    6.9
    Happiness Isn't Everything
    The Second Coming of Suzanne
    4.5
    The Second Coming of Suzanne
    The Old Man Who Read Love Stories
    6.5
    The Old Man Who Read Love Stories
    The Buddy System
    5.8
    The Buddy System
    Prisoner of Honor
    6.6
    Prisoner of Honor
    Coast to Coast
    6.4
    Coast to Coast
    Copshop
    8.8
    Copshop
    The Day Reagan Was Shot
    6.3
    The Day Reagan Was Shot
    Lone Star Trixie
    9.4
    Lone Star Trixie
    The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
    6.8
    The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz
    The Competition
    6.6
    The Competition
    The Big Fix
    6.4
    The Big Fix

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Richard Dreyfuss claims to have no memory of making this film. This was a side effect to his heavy drug use during the early 1980s.
    • Goofs
      When Dreyfuss is seen on a surveillance camera throbbing his head back and forwards in anger. You can clearly see that he's using his upper body in the scene to move his head. He wouldn't of been able to do this in the condition he was in ,with his spinal difficulties.
    • Quotes

      Ken Harrison: I better be nice to this woman. Otherwise, the good doctor will dissolve her in water and inject her into me.

    • Connections
      Featured in Sneak Previews: On Golden Pond, Whose Life Is It Anyway?, Four Friends, Modern Problems (1982)
    • Soundtracks
      Hospital Ladies
      Words and Music by Arthur B. Rubinstein

      Performed by "The Rebel Rockers"

    User reviews33

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    Excellent Character Study...Highly Effective But Not Pretentious or Preachy!
    Events in your life can shape and change you...sometimes radically. Before my heart attack and triple bypass I rated this 8*. Now, it is a most resounding 10*! In "Whose Life" the life-altering event for sculptor Ken Harrison (Richard Dreyfuss in an outstanding performance) was a traffic accident that left him quadriplegic.

    About 6 months after the fact, Harrison begins to to realize that not only his sculptures, but his perception of the world, its interpretation and his own self-image had been shaped through the use of his hands. Of course, his hands "died" on the day of the accident, and therefore, Harrison concludes, so did he.

    The film focuses on both his day to day struggle to cope with his unbearable condition and his confrontation with the hospital administration, or at least with its decision-making chief medical officer, Dr. Emerson (John Cassavetes-turning in a fine performance), who is intent on keeping Harrison in the hospital and under its care, against his will, even if that means declaring Harrison incompetent.

    Christine Lahti also has a supporting role. The film is highly effective but not pretentious or preachy in the least.

    10*STARS*.....ENJOY/DISFRUTELA!

    Any comments, questions or observations, in English or Español, are most welcome!
    helpful•19
    1
    • TonyKissCastillo
    • Feb 11, 2016

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 22, 1982 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Columbus Park, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
    • Production companies
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
      • SLM Production Group
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 59 minutes
      • Color
      • Mono

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Richard Dreyfuss in Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)
    Top Gap
    What is the English language plot outline for Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981)?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb App
    • Get the IMDb App
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • IMDb Developer
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2023 by IMDb.com, Inc.