For the Love of Nancy

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For the Love of Nancy
DVD cover
Genre	Drama
Written by	Carol Evan McKeand Nigel McKeand
Directed by	Paul Schneider
Starring	Tracey Gold
Music by	Dan Slider
Country of origin	United States
Original language	English
Production
Executive producers	Vin Di Bona Lloyd Weintraub
Producer	Harry R. Sherman
Production location	Vancouver
Cinematography	Eric Van Haren Noman
Editor	Andrew Cohen
Running time	100 minutes
Production company	Vin Di Bona Productions
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	October 2, 1994 (1994-10-02)

For the Love of Nancy is a 1994 American made-for-television drama film directed by Paul Schneider. The film, based on a true story, deals with anorexia nervosa. Lead actress Tracey Gold was actually recovering from the disease while making the movie and used her own life experience for the portrayal of Nancy.^[1]

Nancy Walsh is a high school graduate who is apprehensive about the future. She fears change, growing up and losing her familiar happy life. She gets her wisdom teeth removed the following day after prom. She loses weight after having her wisdom teeth due to not being able to eat solid food. She notices changes in her body after her older brother says; “(Tommy):Hey nanc you losing weight?” “(Nancy): No still 120 pounds soak and wet.” “(Tommy): Hmmm you’re looking good.” She decides to dispose of her food via the toilet to find out her true weight. She weighs herself and realises she lost -6 pounds going from 120 pounds to 114 pounds. This gives her a high, she later becomes obsessed with her physical appearance. When she begins college, she becomes withdrawn and remains conscious about her weight. She embarks upon a regimented exercising routine, hardly eats and rarely interacts with anybody. At college, she spends most of her time in her room, where she obsesses about keeping her living space in meticulous order.

Her friend Debbie, and Debbie’s mother seemed to have noticed her drastic weightloss. Even going as far as suspecting shes anorexic, her mother is in denial and only sees Nancy in baggy clothes and believes she looks fabulous. Nancy seems to be closests with Tommy, and her mother. Her mother ignores the changes in Nancy. During Sally’s birthday dinner, Nancy lies about eating a ton of garlic bread, Her brother Patrick calls her out, and her brother Tommy even remarks how her watch no longer fits her. And Patrick looks concerned for a split second before looking annoyed when Nancy snaps back with a rude remark towards Tommy claiming he stuffs himself like a pig. Patrick is the first one to truly confront her about it on thanksgiving when they are tidying up the dinnerware and he shows her, her uneaten plate of food. Her mother Sally the severity of her problem when she accidentally walks in on Nancy half naked and sees her skeletal figure. She confides in her husband Tommy (Nancy’s father)and her brother Tommy about Nancy’s guant figure stating “all the baggy clothes must’ve hid it, I don’t she could weigh 100 pounds shes like a skeleton, every bone, every rib. My god what is happening to her. Later on when she makes an entrance at a Christmas party, everyone is shocked by how thin she looks. He brothers awkwardly stare up and down at her, and the guest appear uncomfortable. Later on the following day her parents confront her and she promises them that everything is going to be okay. Her mother, Sally believes her, but her uncle convinces her that if they remain complacent, Nancy could die.

Soon, Nancy admits to being anorexic, revealing that she does not know how to stop the disorder. She is reluctant to be taken to the hospital, but Sally is keen for her to get help to ultimately recover. She enters a group session, but feels she doesn't belong there. Nevertheless, she refuses to eat and even goes as far as hiding food, to fake her progress.

She is soon caught, and the doctor decides to connect her to a feeding tube. After a while, she makes progress, gaining six pounds. This upsets her, and because she is over eighteen, she is able to sign herself out of the hospital. Upon her return home, she continues starving herself, much to the distress of her mother. When she finds plates with food under her bed, she confronts her and realizes that Nancy is lying.

Nancy resists any attempts at help and doesn't even respond when she is forced to eat. Her mother asks her in tears why she is doing it, but she doesn't explain. Tommy is afraid that she will soon die. Meanwhile, she becomes extremely sick from malnutrition, and is eventually hospitalized because of a kidney disease. Her parents feel that they can't do anything but watch her die.

Desperate, Sally decides to go to Dr. Partana to ask how their family can help Nancy. The doctor informs Sally that Nancy needs to have someone become her medical guardian. Tom, Nancy's father, decides to go to court against Nancy for the guardianship. Realizing that her parents are only trying to help her, Nancy gives in and lets her father become her guardian. Tom sends Nancy back to the hospital, where Nancy admits having anorexia nervosa and in the end gains weight and starts to regain a normal life. She now feels open to talk about her anorexia.

• Tracey Gold as Nancy Walsh
• Jill Clayburgh as Sally Walsh
• Cameron Bancroft as Patrick Walsh
• Mark-Paul Gosselaar as Tommy Walsh
• Deanna Milligan as Debbie
• Michael MacRae as Uncle Tommy
• William Devane as Tom Walsh
• Garwin Sanford as Dr. Partana
• Michael Buie as Mike

• For the Love of Nancy at IMDb