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

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

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:

Although a medical drama might seem an odd choice for the director of the "Mad Max" movies, George Miller is in fact a qualified doctor.

Quotes:

Ellard Muscatine: When Michael, our first boy, got sick, we searched around looking for anything that might help him. You know what was the best thing that happened? He was taken quickly. Now Tommy... he has lasted three years, for two of them, he's been without his sight, his mind, everything that makes him a human being, he's a vegetable. Y'know if you would just stop all this denial, you wouldn't do a thing to prolong your boy's suffering and indignity one minute longer.
Loretta Muscatine: Has it occurred to you that maybe he doesn't want to be around anymore?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Critic: Dial 'M' for Mother (#1.3)" (1994)

This highly emotional story features peerless acting

A family returns to the U.S. from Africa only to discover that their son has acquired a very rare disease called A.L.D. While told to give up and let their son die because there is no cure in sight, the father goes to the library everyday after work to research into a possible cure. The greatest opposition he receives comes from the doctors who tell him to "let the professionals handle it" and from other parents whose children have the same illness who condemn him for "spreading false hopes". While scientists around the world are competing over each other to find a cure, Lorenzo's parents bring them together to consult. My all-time favourite film, this highly emotional true story features peerless acting, especially from Sarandon.