Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

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 (video re-release) | UK:12 | 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:

Lorenzo's actual secretary (Rita Chapman, née Fussey) had an uncredited walk on part in the film.

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 Bargearse (1993) (TV)

Susan shines and who would expect any less??

Susan Sarandon is one of the greatest actresses ever, in my opinion. Some may not agree, but I would surely have a strong argument, with her performance in Lorenzo's Oil as my just part of my evidence. I have come to expect a lot of Susan, after her performances in Rocky Horror, Bull Durham and Thelma & Louise and she didn't disappoint me here. As Michaela Odone, the mother of Lorenzo, who has a terminal disease ALD, she perfectly skates that fine line between being a caring parent and a crazed mother obsessed with keeping her son alive, and if the nurses don't like it, too bad. Even Michaela's own sister is told to leave, because she thinks Michaela is losing it. Susan exquisitely shows the pain and sacrifice of a mother watching her son deteriorate while she is basically powerless to stop it. "How can I enjoy anything when he enjoys nothing?" This question truly reveals Michaela's agony. I think she was criminally robbed of an oscar. I would watch this movie for her performance alone. However, this is not all the movie has to offer. Nick Nolte also delivers as the father, Augusto, showing a slightly different angle with his side of the story. Together, they create what I consider to be a masterpiece. 10/10