By Harley Sherwood and Zoe Stoller
Over the years, the Lifetime channel has released many different original movies, such as Magic Beyond Words: The JK Rowling Story, and Why I Wore Lipstick to my Mastectomy, a movie inspired by the memoir of Hewitt parent Geralyn Lucas. The newest Lifetime original movie is FIVE, an “anthology of five short films exploring the impact of breast cancer on people’s lives” . The movie, which will premiere on the Lifetime channel on October 10th at 9 pm, has a cast of many well-known actors such as Patricia Clarkson, Rosario Dawson, Bob Newhart, and Josh Holloway. Each of the five short movies is directed by a different woman: Demi Moore, Penelope Spheeris, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Aniston, and Patty Jenkins. And each follows a woman who either has breast cancer, lived through and survived breast cancer, or has a loved one who is affected by breast cancer.
It is very apropos that FIVE is being released this month, as October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Every October, organizations and companies promote the awareness of breast cancer, and every few years there is a movie produced that demonstrates the impact of breast cancer on women and their families today. Breast cancer is the most common cancer found among women and the second leading cause of death in women around the world. More statistics on important information regarding Breast Cancer can be found on The Lifetime Channel’s website.
Almost everyone knows at least one person that has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Some people know people who have survived breast cancer. Some know people who are fighting breast cancer right now. And tragically, some people also know people who have fought breast cancer and lost the battle. Everyone diagnosed with breast cancer has a different story, as do the people who witness it. FIVE demonstrates the reality of the disease through the narratives of five women telling five different stories.
Although we do not know what causes breast cancer, we do know certain of actions that can help lower the risk of getting the disease. Did you know that eating red meat can increase your risk of breast cancer? That breast feeding can decrease your chances? Take the quiz, Breast Cancer: Can you separate the fact from fiction, to see how acquainted you are with this type of information.
It’s hard to imagine being affected by breast cancer until you or someone you know comes across it first-hand, but the reality is that there is no predicting if or when this is going to happen. So the best thing to do is to learn more about it. The American Cancer Society website is a great place to start.