Whose Life Is It Anyway? (1981) on Netflix

Plot summary

Ken Harrison is a sculptor in Boston. A car crash leaves him paralyzed below the neck, able to speak and move his head but unable to use his hands, walk, feed himself or make love. He wants to end his life, yet he cannot do so without help. Dr. Emerson, the hospital administrator, refuses to discharge him and is firmly against euthanasia. Ken turns to Carter Hill, a lawyer who takes the case with reluctance, and petitions for the right to decide his own future. A young orderly, John, and a nurse, Mary Jo, spend time with him and try to keep his spirits up.