Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

George Miller

Writers:

George Miller (written by) &
Nick Enright (written by)

Release Date:

15 January 1993 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Some people make their own miracles.

Plot:

A boy develops a disease so rare that nobody is working on a cure, so his father decides to learn all about it and tackle the problem himself.

Plot Keywords:

Disease | Erucic | Oleic Acid | Medical | Alternative Medicine

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

Nick Nolte	...	Augusto Odone
Susan Sarandon	...	Michaela Odone
Peter Ustinov	...	Professor Nikolais
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Deirdre Murphy
Gerry Bamman	...	Doctor Judalon
Margo Martindale	...	Wendy Gimble
James Rebhorn	...	Ellard Muscatine
Ann Hearn	...	Loretta Muscatine
Maduka Steady	...	Omuori
Mary Wakio	...	Comorian Teacher
Don Suddaby	...	Don Suddaby
Colin Ward	...	Jake Gimble
LaTanya Richardson	...	Nurse Ruth (as La Tanya Richardson)
Jennifer Dundas	...	Nurse Nancy Jo
William Cameron	...	Pellerman

Runtime:

129 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Italian

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Certification:

Iceland:L | UK:12 | UK:12 (video re-release) | UK:15 (video) | Australia:PG | South Korea:12 (DVD rating) | South Korea:All | Brazil:Livre | Argentina:16 | Finland:K-10 | Germany:12 | Peru:14 | Spain:T | Sweden:11 | USA:PG-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Carnegie Mellon University - 5000 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Laura Linney's movie debut.

Quotes:

Augusto Odone: Dr. Nikolias, what about the other boys, what results are you seeing in them?
Professor Nikolias: As with Lorenzo it's too early to tell. We need this study to run for the full six months.
Augusto Odone: And that would tell you what is obvious right now? That avoiding apple skins and pizza has no effect on this brutal disease?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Critic: Dr. Jay (#1.10)" (1994)

Very touching

Recently there was a case of adrenoleukodystrophy in my hospital. The first case in over 20 years. The professor told us about this film and urged the staff to watch it. I am so glad I watched it! This film is very touching. It also enhanced my understanding of the psychosocial aspects of a genetic disease and its impact on the family.

I find the pace a bit fast in the first hour. I did not expect Lorenzo to have disabling symptoms just 10 minutes into the film. The scene where the parents reading about the disease is so effective. Seeing Nick Nolte crying helplessly on the stairs is probably the most effective scene in the whole film. It really conveys to the audience about how it feels to find about the inevitable fate.

In the film we can see how love shines in the dark. The love of parents is truly unconditional. One can easily feel the love, and be touched by it. Susan Sarandon is so convincing in portraying the relentless mother! Her performance deserves an Oscar award!

I was also particularly impressed by the child actors who played the diseased children. Their performance is so convincing that I would easily say that the symptoms were real and not faked. I wonder how these children manage it!

Lay people may find the technical and scientific details overwhelming and hard to follow. However, the technical details are well explained so it should not be a problem.

I wholeheartedly recommend this film to everyone. Parents will find it especially touching as the film echos the unconditional love they have for their children.