How to Die in Oregon | DVD Review

Nearly everyone has seen a family member suffer at the hands of a deadly ailment in their final days, or sometimes weeks, months or even years. Unlike anywhere else in the U.S., in Oregon, the terminally ill are given the legal option to end their own lives with a doctor written prescription thanks to the Death With Dignity Act that was passed back in 1994. Documentarian Peter Richardson has crafted a profoundly emotional film that shows the intricacies of the act, and its incredible importance to those who choose to use it. As a deserved winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance in 2011, How To Die In Oregon is one of those rare docs that portrays a variety of personal stories with extreme intimacy while simultaneously presenting a culturally relevant political issue that demands attention.

Over the course of many months, Richardson and his bare bones crew met with a variety of people in the midst of contemplation over whether or not to employ their right to take their own life in order to avoid unnecessary suffering. Though we are introduced to a variety of people – the sick, their family members, and doctors – the film focuses in on two parallel stories, that of Cody Curtis and Nancy Niedzielski. As a loving mother and husband, Curtis has fought liver cancer once before, but upon its return, there is no hope of recovery on the horizon. She faces horrendously painful procedures that will only prolong her bed stricken life for a few extra torturous months. Rather than enduring unwanted suffering, she has chosen to end her own life when the pain becomes too much, but that moment seems to come and go as her expected decline fails to arrive. Niedzielski on the other hand is the widow of a man who had inoperable brain and spinal cord cancer. He never had the option to end the torture of his disease because his state of Washington did not allow it. Fulfilling the wishes of her deceased husband, we see Niedzielski help lead the campaign to pass the Death With Dignity Act in Washington.

Though Richardson never shies away from the intense (the film opens with a man thanking the citizens of Oregon and taking the lethal overdose prescribed to him, ultimately dying on screen), he is extremely sensitive with his subjects. Those found in the doc are always forthcoming with their stories, highly personal as they may be. For obvious reasons, nearly all of his subjects support the act, but Richardson does make an effort to explore why some people are in opposition. After being diagnosed with cancer, one man was justifiably disgusted to find that his health insurance would cover the cost of a physician assisted suicide, but not the costly treatment that might prolong his life. Another who opposed the act was a doctor who was found protesting the act with the idea that physicians are meant to aid people in their ailments, never for any reason inflicting harm on them, whether it is asked for or not.

Matching the heavy tonality of the material, Richardson sticks to a minimal aesthetic. Much of the film takes place through fly on the wall type documentation. These segments are paired with low key interviews that unfold with incredibly emotional candor. The conundrum of not wanting to die while desperately wanting the pain to be over is a hard idea to wrestle with, but thanks to the unimaginable courage of Cody and many others, this contemplation is thoroughly explored with a lucid perspective and a humane handle on what it means to deal with a terminal illness with the option to opt out.

With this film and many others this past year, Docurama Films has put forth a satisfactory DVD release for a top notch doc. Though its a little sad to see it not getting the HD treatment, the visuals found in the film are standard documentary fare, not really warranting the extra cost of the extra resolution. That said, the transfer here is of quality. Images are crisp, and there are no extraneous issues to report. Matching the reposeful nature of the film, the stereo audio track is uneventful. Voices and natural ambiance are mixed and reproduced well. A film dealing with such serious and sensitive subject matter almost would come off as callous to include a commentary or similar material, and smartly all that is included as extras are additional stories and a trailer.

Extended Footage
In these extra segments, Niedzielski attends an event for Compassion and Choices in which she’s interviewed by a news crew. She also speaks to Richardson about having to have her thyroid removed with the worry of it being cancerous. Following its removal, she rediscovers her love of dancing. Also included is a segment with one of the administrators of the prescription speaking with a patient on his options.

Stories Not Shown In The Film
Included here is a series of segments involving a man named Paul Darley, who is dealing with cancer while simultaneously advocating for I-1000, the Death With Dignity Act in Washington. Another man, Dr. Charles Bentz, actively speaks out against the act, and ultimately decides to resign from his job because of his employer’s position on the matter. These segments have been fully edited as if they were once part of the film, but were subsequently cut.

Trailer
Like the film, this trailer elegantly presents the topic at hand, introducing the lead subjects, and asks whether or not you’d like to chance to decide when your time is up.

For those who have unfortunately come into the absolute grip of disease, control of their life has been ripped away. By having the option to take their own lives, it is one last respectable way to regain control. It’s hard to image what you would do in the face of death with prolonged suffering if given the option, but Richardson has done a magnificent job presenting the realities of this controversial topic. How To Die In Oregon is a powerful work that wrestles with the conflict that lies embedded within the Death With Dignity Act, and in doing so it explores the importance of family, and the impossibility of life’s never ending challenges. As one of the most impressive and important docs of 2011, it should have received at the very least an Oscar nod, but thanks to the theatrical rules, it sadly didn’t qualify. With its new home release, it can hopefully find the audience it both needs and deserves.

Movie rating – 4.5

Disc Rating – 3.5