First Do No Harm is an American TV drama directed by Jim Abrahams. It stars Meryl Streep and was released in 1997.
The Reimullers are a happy Southern family with couple Lori and Dave, 3 children and a ranch. One day, the youngest boy Robbie suddenly has a seizure. It is revealed that he has a severe case of epilepsy and needs to go to a hospital regularly. This new condition puts the family in jeopardy as they don't have insurance or welfare and struggle financially. Despite heavy medication, Robbie's condition worsens and might need a neurosurgery. Lori may find a silver bullet for her son through a ketogenic diet.
The film is based on Abrahams' experience as a father of an epileptic child. After finding out about how the ketogenic diet helped his son recover from a major case of epilepsy, it is endorsed by the Charlie Foundation To Help Cure Pediatric Epilepsy (now retitled The Charlie Foundation for Ketogenic Therapies) and promotes kitogenic diet over drug treatment and neurosurgery.
Unrelated to the Web Serial Novel.
This film provides examples of:
- Affectionate Nickname: "Lucky Dave".
- Armor-Piercing Response: When Lori goes to a library to research on epilepsy:Librarian: That's a vast area of research. What kind of epilepsy do you want to know about?Lori: The kind that's taking away my son.
- As Herself: Millicent Kelly in her own role as the ketogenic diet consultant of the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
- Based on a True Story: The life of Jim Abrahams as a parent to his child Charlie who has epilepsy and went through ketogenic diet as a recovery. The first seconds of the film indicate that despite dramatization and fictionalization, it is inspired by actual events.
- Big "NO!": Lori shouts one in a primal scream way, while riding her horse.
- Break the Cutie: Robbie, as the treatment of his epilepsy pushes him through a deterioating mental health and turns him into a rabid child.
- Composite Character: Robbie's character was written based on different stories of epileptic children.
- Delicate and Sickly: Robbie and his epilepsy (which is agravated after he is under heavy drug medication).
- Hard-Work Montage: When Lori does research on epilepsy at a library.
- Hot for Teacher: After Mark gives a reporting card with low grades:Mark: I hate grammar, it's boring!Dave: What would make it less boring ?Mark: if Miss Kurtchwa taught naked ?
- The Patient Has Left the Building: Lori attempts to leave the hospital with Robbie against the judgement of his doctor, to no avail.
- P.O.V. Cam: Briefly used as Lori runs to her child during his first major seizure.
- Science Is Bad: Dr Abbasac has a cold personality and persuades Lori from using the ketogenic diet on her son. She insists on giving Robbie a neurosurgery and berates Lori when she wants to opt for another solution.
- Shout-Out:
- To The Emperor's New Clothes: Lori reads the story to Robbie at the beginning of the film.
- A scene taking place at a church refers to Matthew 17:15, which talks about the time Jesus healed a boy who had epilepsy.
- Title Drop: In the film's opening scene. The title refers to a section of the hippocratic oath.
- Throwing Off the Disability: Thanks to the ketogenic diet, Robbie becomes incredibly healthy at the end of the film and doesn't have any seizure, riding a horse during a parade. Pediatric neurologist John Freemans said in relation to the film that "not everyone [who has epilepsy] is cured by the diet and not everyone goes home to ride in a parade."
