Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Slow
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Simple
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- wistful
- sentimental
- romantic movie night
- weepie viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the central romance inert, overly self-pitying, and emotionally ineffective despite the leads’ appeal.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Hilary and Victor fall in love while recognizing that Victor’s blood cancer threatens the future of their relationship.
Hilary enters Victor’s wealthy world as a private nurse while beginning a relationship with him.
Hilary’s work as Victor’s nurse gradually develops into romantic devotion.
The central love story is continuously framed by Victor’s leukemia and the expectation of loss.
Films like Dying Young, and why
Love Story
terminal illness romance, emotional melodrama, and doomed intimacy
The Fault in Our Stars
romantic drama centered on illness, caregiving, and impending loss
Sweet November
weepie romance combining class differences, devotion, and mortality
Movie Details
- Director
- Joel Schumacher
- Release Date
- 1991-06-20
- Runtime
- 111 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (501)
Cast
- Julia Roberts
- Campbell Scott
- Vincent D'Onofrio
- Colleen Dewhurst
- David Selby
- Ellen Burstyn
- Dion Anderson
- George Martin
- A.J. Johnson
- Daniel Beer
Common questions
- What is Dying Young about?
- A newly hired private nurse and a wealthy young leukemia patient fall into an intense romance haunted by the limits of his illness.
- What is Dying Young like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Dying Young as slow, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as simple.
- Is Dying Young violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Dying Young.
- What did critics think of Dying Young?
- Critics broadly found the central romance inert, overly self-pitying, and emotionally ineffective despite the leads’ appeal.
- Which films are like Dying Young?
- Films with a similar feel include Love Story, The Fault in Our Stars, and Sweet November.
- How long is Dying Young?
- Dying Young runs 111 minutes.
