Tuesdays with Morrie

Tuesdays with Morrie is a 1999 American biographical drama television film directed by Mick Jackson and written by Thomas Rickman, based on journalist Mitch Albom's 1997 memoir of the same title. In the film, Albom (Hank Azaria) bonds with his former professor, Morrie Schwartz (Jack Lemmon), who is dying of ALS, over a series of visits. Tuesdays with Morrie was produced by Oprah Winfrey's Harpo Films, and was filmed in Los Angeles and Santa Clarita, California. It aired on ABC on December 5, 1999, as part of the "Oprah Winfrey Presents" series. It received positive reviews and numerous accolades, including Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Television Movie, Outstanding Lead Actor for Lemmon, and Outstanding Supporting Actor for Azaria; a Directors Guild of America Award for Jackson; and a Writers Guild of America Award and a Humanitas Prize for Rickman. Plot In 1995 Detroit, Mitch Albom has become caught up in his career as a sports commentator and journalist. His girlfriend Janine, a backup singer, feels that he never places her as a priority. Mitch is consistently doing six things at once. One evening, while on the phone with Janine, Mitch flips through TV channels and lands on an edition of Nightline where he sees his former professor Morrie Schwartz being interviewed by Ted Koppel. Morrie discusses his current health and lets everyone know he is dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease" or ALS. Morrie, a retired sociology professor from Brandeis University living in Boston, comes on the show to describe his final journey. As life goes on with work and balancing his relationship with Janine, Mitch feels bothered he never got a chance to visit his old professor. Feeling so moved by the interview, Mitch reaches out for a visit with Morrie after sixteen years of no contact. Morrie has an affinity with food and it becomes a regular endeavor with his visits with Mitch. Office hours during university were on Tuesdays, where Morrie would grade papers and critique students' assignments, and Mitch now makes it a habit to visit him every Tuesday. Connie, Morrie's home nurse, is his primary caretaker. After leaving Morrie, Mitch continues working and can't find a groove with Janine.