RYAN WHITE STORY, THE (TV)

Summary

This made-for-television drama film tells the true story of Indiana teenager Ryan White and his fight to return to school after being diagnosed with AIDS. The story begins in Kokomo in 1984 as Jeanne White chats with her industrial plant co-workers, including the flirtatious Harley, as her kids Ryan, Heath and Andrea tease one another on the way to Andrea's roller-skating finals. The others, including Ryan's crush Sue Hatch, cheer Andrea on as she wins the competition, though Ryan, a hemophiliac, soon falls ill with a high fever and what seems to be pneumonia. Ryan undergoes a lung biopsy at the hospital, and Jeanne and Andrea are stunned when Dr. Kleiman tells them that he has pneumocystis, which "normal children" do not get, indicating that he has contracted HIV/AIDS from his many blood transfusions. Distraught by her son's apparent death sentence, Jeanne considers killing herself and her other children as well, but she resolves not to tell Ryan about his condition until after the holidays, feeling that he should enjoy what may well be his last Christmas. Her parents arrive, with her mother feeling that "the homosexuals" are to blame for the disease, though Jeanne expresses guilt over "giving" Ryan hemophilia through her genes.

Ryan, desperate to be home for Christmas, begs his mother for a dog, and the family's woes are increased when Jeanne finds that their house has been robbed and the kids' presents stolen. They celebrate the holiday in his hospital room after all, and Jeanne brings their local priest to his room to comfort him as they finally tell Ryan of his diagnosis. Jeanne reads through several pamphlets about HIV/AIDS, frustrated at the lack of clear information, and she apologizes to Andrea for her rash comment about killing themselves. By April 1985, Ryan has returned home and is thrilled when Jeanne surprises him with a dog, but he is furious to learn that he has been banned from school, due to the public's fear of AIDS and lack of understanding about how it is spread. Jeanne and Ryan meet with a father-son lawyer team, Charles Vaughn Sr. and Jr., explaining that they have little money but wish to fight the unfair ruling, as Ryan genuinely enjoys school and wishes to continue learning. Other parents at the school start a petition to keep him out, sure that their children will be in danger of infection, and a neighbor is outraged when a newspaper apparently delivered by Ryan seems to have blood on it, though Andrea protests that she took over her brother's route and accidentally smudged the paper with fake blood while joking around with Heath.

Vaughn Sr. explains that while Indiana state law cannot help them, federal law dictates that handicapped children have a right to public education, and he argues in court that Ryan must be allowed to learn "in the time he has left." The other attorney, David Day, counters that he must follow the standard long procedure given to other disabled children, and Harley defends Jeanne at work when some of her colleagues treat her with suspicion, worried that she too is infected and dangerous. Ryan is angered to learn via television that their case has been "kind of delayed" and realizes that the school is trying to drag the case out long-term, believing that he will soon die. He assures his mother that he does not blame her for his condition, however, telling her that she "gave him life." Andrea is hounded by press as she heads to school in September, and Ryan tries to defend his position in a television interview, noting that he has also received erroneous homophobic backlash, though the reporter is more interested in asking inflammatory questions about AIDS. Ryan then attempts to "attend" school via telephone, though the faulty speaker fails to transmit correctly, and Jeanne is further frustrated when her co-workers make a point of listening to a radio disc jockey who frequently criticizes Ryan's situation.

Ryan is saddened when Sue's mother bans them from studying together, and when his illness forces him back to the hospital, he meets and bonds with Chad, another young AIDS patient who wears a feeding tube to avoid nausea. Back in the courtroom, Jeanne is confused when Vaughn and Day focus on the precise parameters of "handicapped" rather than on the specifics of Ryan's banning, and Ryan tries to fight Dr. Kleiman when he decides that he too should receive a feeding tube. Jeanne happily tells Ryan that he officially "qualifies" as handicapped, meaning that he can return to school when he is "better," but their happiness is short-lived when the school appeals and wins. Jeanne, overwhelmed by their repeated disappointments, wonders if they should give up their fight, but Ryan refuses to quit and Vaughn Sr. declares that he now works directly for the boy. Jeanne and Harley are amused when they hear Ryan himself on the radio, castigating the rude DJ for his insensitive comments, though Andrea grows frustrated with her family's endless focus on her sibling, and Ryan is heartbroken when the perpetual crowd of press and police outside his home leads to his dog being hit by a car.

Vaughn Sr. argues that the law banning children with communicable diseases from school has not been updated since 1949 and should not apply to a unique disease like AIDS, but the judge grants a temporary restraining order, much to the other parents' relief. Ryan flies into a rage at home, furious at this latest setback, and Jeanne considers moving the family to another town as she promises that he will get back to school no matter what. Another judge dissolves the restraining order and the Whites celebrate the victory, though they are sobered to find a bullet hole in the window of their home. Ryan returns to school amid more press scrutiny and attempts to follow the severe restrictions on his behavior, such as not using the water fountains, but several parents remove their children from the school all the same. Andrea sadly offers to give up roller-skating, feeling that the family is too consumed with Ryan's situation to accommodate her hobby, and Jeanne finally decides to move the family out of Kokomo for good. Her parents are surprised when she buys a new home, and she explains that she has made a special arrangement to pay back her loan after Ryan's death. Ryan heads to his new school, relieved when he is greeted with kindness by the principal and fellow students. Commercials deleted.

Details

• NETWORK: ABC
• DATE: January 19, 1989 9:00 PM
• RUNNING TIME: 1:33:08
• COLOR/B&W: Color
• CATALOG ID: B:74467
• GENRE: Drama, historical
• SUBJECT HEADING: Drama, historical; HIV/AIDS; Legal system and the courts
• SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1989
• COMMERCIALS: N/A

CREDITS

• Alan Landsburg … Executive Producer
• Joan Barnett … Executive Producer
• Linda Otto … Producer
• Fred Slark … Associate Producer
• John Herzfeld … Director, Writer
• Phil Penningroth … Writer
• Mike Post … Music by
• Judith Light … Cast, Jeanne White
• Lukas Haas … Cast, Ryan White
• Michael Bowen … Cast, Harley
• Nikki Cox … Cast, Andrea White
• George Dzundza … Cast, Dr. Martin Kleiman
• Valerie Landsburg … Cast, Loretta
• Sarah Jessica Parker … Cast, Laura
• Mitchell Ryan … Cast, Tom
• Peter Scolari … Cast, David Day
• Grace Zabriskie … Cast, Gloria White
• George C. Scott … Cast, Charles Vaughan Sr.
• Kathy Wagner … Cast, Sue Hatch
• Casey Ellison … Cast, Heath White
• Cliff Bemis … Cast, WKKI Radio
• Mark Joy … Cast, Charles Vaughan Jr.
• Ryan White … Cast, Chad
• Robert Albertia … Cast, Judge Noland
• Kurek Ashley … Cast, Jim
• Helen Baldwin … Cast, Marcia Rosselot
• Nat Benchley … Cast, David Rosselot
• Joyce Bowden … Cast, Reporter
• Amelia Burnette … Cast, Girl
• Kendraith Cheek … Cast, Tammy
• Bonnie Cook … Cast, Katherine Angelone
• Jim Grimshaw … Cast, Policeman
• Bob Hannah … Cast, Daniel Carter
• Frankie Little-Hardin … Cast, Mitzi Johnson
• Mert Hatfield … Cast, Union Representative
• Randall Haynes … Cast, Judge O'Neill
• John Herzfeld … Cast, Florist
• Heather Hodde … Cast, Heather
• Lucious Houghton … Cast, Charlie Cropper
• Steve Howard … Cast, Ron Colby
• J. Michael Hunter … Cast, Jeffrey Squires, M.D.
• Rebecca Koon … Cast, Housewife
• Stephanie Lake … Cast, Schoolgirl
• Lorri Lindberg … Cast, Factory Worker
• Terry Loughlin … Cast, J.O. Smith
• Michael Melon … Cast, Reporter
• Mark Jeffrey Miller … Cast, Jake
• Robert P. Miller … Cast, Parent #1
• Richard Olsen … Cast, Judge Brubaker
• Michael Ruff … Cast, Obnoxious Kid
• Alan Sader … Cast, Reverend Williams
• Sue Satoris … Cast, Jennifer
• Steven Shaw … Cast, Announcer
• John M. Silvia … Cast, Parent #2
• Larry Sprinkle … Cast, Reporter
• Larry Sprinkle … Cast, Reporter
• Meredith Strange-Boston … Cast, Reporter
• Jon Thompson … Cast, Cicero Principal
• Andrea White … Cast, Girl on Bus