The Ryan White Story

{{Infobox television

| image = The Ryan White Story Film 1989.jpg

| image_size =

| image_alt =

| caption = UK VHS cover of The Ryan White Story

| genre = Drama
Biography

| creator =

| based_on =

| writer = Phil Penningroth
John Herzfeld

| screenplay =

| story = Phil Penningroth

| director = John Herzfeld

| starring = Judith Light
Lukas Haas
George C. Scott

| narrated =

| theme_music_composer = Mike Post

| country = United States

| language = English

| num_episodes =

| executive_producer = Alan Landsburg
Howard Lipstone

| producer = Linda Otto

| location = Russiaville, Indiana
Statesville, North Carolina

| cinematography = Steven Shaw

| editor = Robert Florio

| camera =

| runtime = 105 minutes

| company = Landsburg Company
Saban International

| budget =

| network = ABC

| released = {{Start date|1989|01|16}}

}}

The Ryan White Story is a 1989 American made-for-television biographical drama film starring Lukas Haas, and Judith Light, directed by John Herzfeld. The film first aired on the ABC network on January 16, 1989. It is based on the true story of the American teenager Ryan White, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States, after being expelled from middle school because of his infection. Nielsen ratings estimated that the movie was seen by 15 million viewers on the original airing.{{cite news|title=Kokomo Mayor Swamped With Angry Calls Following Ryan White TV Movie|date=January 18, 1989|agency=Associated Press}}

Upon airing, some residents of White's hometown of Kokomo, Indiana felt that the film unfairly portrayed the town in a negative light. The office of Kokomo mayor Robert F. Sargent was flooded with complaints from across the country.{{cite news |title=Review/Television; AIDS and Hemophilia |work=The New York Times |author=O'Connor, John J |date= January 16, 1989 |accessdate=June 14, 2010 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/16/arts/review-television-aids-and-hemophilia.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130616222520/http://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/16/arts/review-television-aids-and-hemophilia.html |url-status=live |archivedate=June 16, 2013}} Others in the film included Nikki Cox as Ryan's sister Andrea, Sarah Jessica Parker as a sympathetic nurse, George Dzundza as Ryan's doctor, and George C. Scott as Ryan's attorney from Vaughan & Vaughan,{{cite web|url=https://vaughanandvaughan.com/ |title=Vaughan & Vaughan |publisher=Ryan White's Attorney, Charles Vaughan Sr. |date= |accessdate=2024-08-08}} who legally argued against school board authorities. The real life Ryan White made a cameo appearance in the film as another hemophiliac AIDS sufferer named Chad.{{cite web|url=http://www.moviefone.com/movie/the-ryan-white-story/1088769/synopsis |title=The Ryan White Story Plot Summary and Details |publisher=Moviefone |date= |accessdate=2012-05-30}} The film's final scene was filmed at South Iredell High School in Statesville, North Carolina.{{Cite web|url=https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098237/trivia|title = The Ryan White Story (TV Movie 1989) - IMDb|website = IMDb}} After its airing, the film was released on VHS in the UK.{{cite web|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ryan-White-Story-Lukas-Haas/dp/B000MFPN9G |title=The Ryan White Story [1989]: Lukas Haas, George C.Scott: Amazon.co.uk: Video |publisher=Amazon.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2012-05-30}}

Plot

Ryan White is a teenage hemophiliac who discovers he has contracted AIDS through contaminated blood products and is then barred from attending school by Western School Corporation in Russiaville, Indiana, just outside Kokomo. Ryan and his mother engage the services of a high-powered attorney to win back his basic rights to attend school. This turns into a prolonged legal battle of multiple appeals, which ends with Ryan being allowed to attend school on the condition he use disposable flatware in the cafeteria and is exempted from physical education. However, Ryan and his family also must deal with bigotry and unfair judgements against them due to the gossip and lack of knowledge about AIDS. The film ends with Ryan's mother getting a house in a nearby community and Ryan beginning high school, where he is warmly greeted by the students having been educated about AIDS awareness.

Cast

Lukas Haas as Ryan White
Judith Light as Jeanne White
Nikki Cox as Andrea White
Michael Bowen as Harley
George Dzundza as Dr. Kleiman
Sarah Jessica Parker as Laura
Ryan White as Chad
Mitch Ryan as Tom
Grace Zabriskie as Gloria White
George C. Scott as Charles Vaughan Sr.
Kathy Wagner as Sue Hatch
Casey Ellison as Heath

Reception

The film received positive reviews from critics upon the original airing.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QB9EY00hxUQC&q=the+ryan+white+story+review&pg=PA265 |title=The Bleeding Disease: Hemophilia and the Unintended Consequences of Medical ... - Stephen Pemberton - Google Books |date=2011-05-25 |isbn=9781421404424 |accessdate=2012-05-30|last1=Pemberton |first1=Stephen |publisher=JHU Press }} The New York Times gave a favorable review upon release, stating {{blockquote|"Once again prime-time television entertainment is approaching the subject of AIDS through the case of a hemophiliac youth infected through a transfusion of tainted blood. The vast majority of AIDS patients are homosexuals and drug addicts, but television apparently is not ready to explore these groups with any degree of compassion. Innocent youngsters trapped by circumstances beyond their control provide far easier dramatic hooks for uplift exercises. Still, these stories are indeed heartbreaking and do serve as vehicles for exposing public ignorance and prejudice about AIDS. The Ryan White Story is a good case in point. The key roles are more fleshed out and are handled remarkably well. They hold the film together firmly as the unsettling story unfolds. It is a story not only about ignorance but also about an almost total lack of enlightened community leadership in the city of Kokomo. Residents are understandably concerned and frightened, but panic is allowed to take over. It is not a pretty story. Worse, it is a story that didn't have to happen. Ryan White's story is certainly worth telling."}}

Hal Erickson of AllMovie gave the film four out of five stars and said: "Despite its inherent sadness, The Ryan White Story is a celebration of an exceptional young human being whose short life touched so many others in a positive, uplifting manner."{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/the-ryan-white-story-v128656 |title=The Ryan White Story - Cast, Reviews, Summary, and Awards |publisher=AllMovie |date= |accessdate=2012-05-30}}