Right to Die (film)

The New York Times' television critic John J. O'Connor called Right to Die a "rare made-for-television movie that keeps veering away from easy expectations".[1] Don Shirley of the Los Angeles Times described the first half of the film as "a clunky piece of storytelling that much of the audience may tune out" and wrote that "the woman's joie de vivre is expressed via imagery that looks like it was inspired by commercials (Paul Wendkos directed), and Penningroth's dialogue says all the usual things, in all the usual ways".[3] Clifford Terry of the Chicago Tribune stated that "the movie, like Whose Life Is It Anyway?, devotes most of its time to tough, complex moral and ethical questions, including a dialogue on the nature of suffering" and "the flashbacks, while dramatically convenient, are intrusive and make the movie choppy".[4] All three critics praised Welch's performance, with O'Connor writing: "Ms. Welch gives an enormously affecting performance as Emily Bauer, not only uncompromising but also admirably sensitive to the larger intentions of the film".[1] Gross's performance was also praised, with Terry writing: "Gross gives a surprisingly adequate performance".[4]