Dying Young

Hilary O'Neil, played by Julia Roberts, is at a low point when she takes a job as a private nurse for Victor Gaddes, a young man from a wealthy San Francisco family who is being treated for leukemia. Campbell Scott plays Victor, whose father, a controlling businessman, has little faith in his son's chances. As Hilary cares for him, the two grow close and begin a relationship, even as his illness continues to shape their time together.

Joel Schumacher directed the film, the fifth of the twenty-one features he made, following Flatliners and preceding Falling Down. Richard Friedenberg wrote the screenplay, and Sally Field and Kevin McCormick produced. The cast also includes Vincent D'Onofrio, Colleen Dewhurst, David Selby and Ellen Burstyn, with twenty-two credited performers and fifty-six credited crew members. It was released in June 1991 and runs 111 minutes.

Made for 18 million dollars, the film took in about 82 million dollars worldwide, a strong return on its budget. On IMDb it holds a rating of 6 out of 10 from around 18,000 votes, and on TMDB 6.7 out of 10 from roughly 500 votes, indicating moderate audience appreciation. A critics' rating of 4.5 out of 10 from forty reviews is noticeably lower than the audience scores, suggesting reviewers were less favourable than viewers.