The Ryan White Story

The Ryan White Story is a 1989 American made-for-television biographical drama film starring Lukas Haas, and Judith Light, directed by John Herzfeld. The film first aired on the ABC network on January 16, 1989. It is based on the true story of the American teenager Ryan White, who became a national poster child for HIV/AIDS in the United States, after being expelled from middle school because of his infection. Nielsen ratings estimated that the movie was seen by 15 million viewers on the original airing.

Upon airing, some residents of White's hometown of Kokomo, Indiana felt that the film unfairly portrayed the town in a negative light. The office of Kokomo mayor Robert F. Sargent was flooded with complaints from across the country. Others in the film included Nikki Cox as Ryan's sister Andrea, Sarah Jessica Parker as a sympathetic nurse, George Dzundza as Ryan's doctor, and George C. Scott as Ryan's attorney from Vaughan & Vaughan, who legally argued against school board authorities. The real life Ryan White made a cameo appearance in the film as another hemophiliac AIDS sufferer named Chad. The film's final scene was filmed at South Iredell High School in Statesville, North Carolina. After its airing, the film was released on VHS in the UK.