CAUTION: SPOILERS POSSIBLE
I watched this movie in full the other day and really liked it. I had not known even the basics of the story of Florence Nightengale, but I think this TV movie did fine with at least being informative. I'm sure much of it was dramatized, maybe even romanticized. Jaclyn Smith is a beautiful woman with a silky, sensual voice, but it's this very voice that I thought made her portayal beautiful. So compassionate and soft and comforting while reading Scriptures to wounded/dying soldiers. I do not agree with one reviewer who says Smith's acting is lousy. I don't see any lousy acting, only perhaps romanticized. Maybe the real Flo wasn't as beautiful. Maybe her voice wasn't as soft. But the point is, she dedicated her life to nursing. I would to God I could be that kind of nurse. She worked herself nearly to death during the Crimean War, that's how dedicated she was. There are reports now that the Founder of modern Nursing might have been bipolar, which may explain why she would rather make rounds with a lamp and make sure the men were comfortable and safe rather than sleep. At any rate, Smith's portrayal of the Lady with the Lamp was wonderful. The attention to period detail is terrific. I love the clothing and sunbonnets and nurses' uniforms. Timothy Dalton was a great character because he supported Florence and loved her as a friend and believed in what she was doing, even though they did not end up having a life together.
I give it an A+++++
I watched this movie in full the other day and really liked it. I had not known even the basics of the story of Florence Nightengale, but I think this TV movie did fine with at least being informative. I'm sure much of it was dramatized, maybe even romanticized. Jaclyn Smith is a beautiful woman with a silky, sensual voice, but it's this very voice that I thought made her portayal beautiful. So compassionate and soft and comforting while reading Scriptures to wounded/dying soldiers. I do not agree with one reviewer who says Smith's acting is lousy. I don't see any lousy acting, only perhaps romanticized. Maybe the real Flo wasn't as beautiful. Maybe her voice wasn't as soft. But the point is, she dedicated her life to nursing. I would to God I could be that kind of nurse. She worked herself nearly to death during the Crimean War, that's how dedicated she was. There are reports now that the Founder of modern Nursing might have been bipolar, which may explain why she would rather make rounds with a lamp and make sure the men were comfortable and safe rather than sleep. At any rate, Smith's portrayal of the Lady with the Lamp was wonderful. The attention to period detail is terrific. I love the clothing and sunbonnets and nurses' uniforms. Timothy Dalton was a great character because he supported Florence and loved her as a friend and believed in what she was doing, even though they did not end up having a life together.
I give it an A+++++