Sorry, this movie sucks

Instant Favorite.

Don't listen to the negative reviews

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

This is the sort of production I grew up seeing, and that made me wary. However, the story of Florence Nightingale ("the lady with the lamp") and her reform of nursing is a story worthy of telling; and this movie is presented in a moving way.First of all, to the carpers. Sure, there are differences. In 1985 they could not on network television depict the true horrors of the "hospital" in Crimea as Florence Nightingale found it. I'm just a bit squeamish and even though I knew the wounds and burns were makeup I fast forwarded through those scenes. And a simple comparison between photos of the real Florence Nightingale and Jaclyn Smith, queen of the television movies at the time, make the differences obvious enough. Florence Nightingale was a genuine hero in the realm of hygiene, cleanliness and nursing, but hardly a Charlie's Angel. Smith is not as glamorous as usual, but she's still made up and lovely.But you're a dope if you get your history from movies. Movies have to have heroes and villains, good guys and bad guys. History is neutral. It simply is, and is depicted well or badly.Supporting Smith is a powerhouse cast, but not, unfortunately, a deep one. It features a James Bond (Timothy Dalton, who also does the offscreen narration) and Jeremy Brett, television's preeminent Sherlock Holmes. Always a cagey actor, Brett delights the aficionado with familiar flashes of Holmes. Also in the cast are the always welcome Timothy West, in a blink-and-you'll miss him role as the journalist who gave Florence Nightingale her sobriquet; and "Downton Abbey" producer Julian Fellowes.Unwelcome to some will be the persistent Christian imagery. However, as a practicing Christian (one is never perfect) I welcome setting Florence Nightingale in her proper context. After all, she did receive a call from God to follow the calling of serving others through nursing, and that sort of thing gets you written off as a right-wing fundamentalist lunatic these days. This movie does not back away from Florence Nightingale's strong faith, and not in herself but in God. Commendable.I'm an easy mark for movie-makers. I once cried at an episode of "Love, American Style." But I found this movie extraordinarily moving, which is a rare thing to say about a television movie.Is it absolutely one hundred percent accurate? Certainly not. But one of my favorite movies is "Amadeus" and there's hardly a word of truth in it. "Shakespeare in Love" won the Oscar and it's a load of codswollop. "Florence Nightingale" tries to tell this story as accurately as is possible in 140 minutes, but it takes a lot of shortcuts. Still, if you don't want to read a genuine historical tome, this movie will give you the general outline. Worth a look in.

Whilst I found the film interesting it is a pity that Jaclyn Smith did not take the trouble to perfect her English accent as very often her pronunciation of vowels was American rather than English. Especially for somebody like Florence Nightingale who would have had a very English accent! Movie makers spend so much money on these productions and very often ignore details like this which are very important. Meryl Streep is the only American actress who can perfect any accent according to the role she is playing.

This is one of those films that you remember, as it makes a great impression on any viewer. The story of one of the greatest women in History, who left her mark on the world, this film stays with you. Jaclyn Smith shows that she's more than one of Charlie's Angels, she is one very talented actress. She makes the story of Florence Nightingale really work. This is a story of sacrifice, humanity, tenacious drive and humility. A great supporting cast: Claire Bloom as Fanny Nightingale and Jeremy Brett as William Nightingale, Timothy Dalton as Robert Milne, the love of her life, Brian Cox and Stephen Chase as doctors who become Florence's allies in battling the stubborn British military. We've all heard the name of Florence Nightingale, but few know just what a great woman she truly was. I love biopics simply because they make me hunger to know more about their subjects. This is a perfect example. I must give kudos to director Daryl Duke and writers Rose Goldemberg and Ivan Moffat for a brilliantly made TVM.

CAUTION: SPOILERS POSSIBLEI 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+++++