Lorenzo's Oil (film)

Infobox Film
name = Lorenzo's Oil


image_size =
caption = Movie poster
director = George Miller
producer = George Miller
Doug Mitchell
writer = George Miller
Nick Enright
narrator =
starring = Nick Nolte
Susan Sarandon
Peter Ustinov
music = Willie Thurlow (theme from "Lorenzo's Oil")
James Horner (Universal logo only)
cinematography = John Seale
editing = Marcus D'Arcy
Richard Francis-Bruce
distributor = Universal Pictures
released = December 30 1992
runtime = 129 mins
country = USA
language = English, Italian
budget = $30,000,000 (estimated)
preceded_by =
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:30056
imdb_id = 0104756

"Lorenzo's Oil" is an Academy Award–nominated 1992 drama film directed by George Miller. It is based on the true story of Augusto and Michaela Odone, two parents in a relentless search for a cure for their son Lorenzo's adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD).

Plot

Failing to find a doctor capable of treating their young son Lorenzo's rare disease, Augusto and Michaela Odone seek their own cure. They set out on a mission to find a treatment and save their child. In their quest for a treatment the Odones clash with doctors, scientists, and support groups, who are skeptical that anything could be done about ALD, much less by laypeople. But they persist, setting up camp in medical libraries, reviewing animal experiments, badgering researchers, questioning top doctors all over the world, and even organizing an international symposium about the disease. Despite dead ends of research, the horror of watching their son's health decline, and being surrounded by skeptics (including the coordinators of the support group they attend), they persist until they finally hit upon a therapy involving adding a certain kind of oil (actually olive oil with two specific long chain fatty acids removed) to their son's diet. They contact over 100 firms around the world until they find an elderly British chemist working for Croda International who is willing to take on the challenge of distilling the proper formula. It proves successful in normalizing the accumulation of the very long chain fatty acids in the brain that have been causing their son's steady decline, thereby halting the progression of the disease. There is still a great deal of neurological damage remaining which cannot be reversed until new treatments are found to regenerate the myelin sheath (a lipid insulator) around the nerves.

The film ends with Lorenzo at the age of 14 showing definite improvement (he can swallow for himself and answer yes or no questions by blinking) but indicating more medical research is still needed. The end credits of the film note that Lorenzo also regained his sight and was learning to use a computer.

Postscript

The actual Lorenzo Odone was able to communicate using modified sign language. Augusto Odone went on to receive an honorary doctorate from the University of Stirling. Lorenzo died on May 30, 2008 at the age of 30 from aspiration pneumonia, brought about by food becoming stuck in his lungs. [ [http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9437355?source=rss Lorenzo Odone, inspired ALD film] ] Doctors had predicted he would not live past the age of 8. [ [http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080530/ap_en_mo/obit_lorenzo_odone Boy whose parents made Lorenzo's oil dies at 30] ] Aspiration pneumonia is a common cause of death in patients with severe neurologic disease. Lorenzo's oil has a protective effect which can stop ALD from progressing.

Cast

* Nick Nolte as Augusto Odone
* Susan Sarandon as Michaela Odone (nominated for Best Actress Oscar)
* Peter Ustinov as Prof. Gus Nikolais
* Kathleen Wilhoite as Deirdre Murphy
* Gerry Bamman as Dr. Judalon
* Margo Martindale as Wendy Gimble
* James Rebhorn as Ellard Muscatine
* Ann Hearn as Loretta Muscatine
* Maduka Steady as Omuori
* Mary Wakio as Comorian Teacher
* Don Suddaby as himself
* Colin Ward as Jake Gimble
* Latanya Richardson as Nurse Ruth
* Jennifer Dundas as Nurse Nancy Jo
* William Cameron as Pellerman
* Laura Linney as Young Teacher

Actors as Lorenzo Odone

*Noah Banks
*Elizabeth Daily (voice, some shots only)
*Michael Haider
*Billy Amman
*Cristin Woodworth
*Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Awards

Lorenzo's Oil was nominated twice at the 65th Academy Awards for Best Actress in a Leading Role (Susan Sarandon) and Best Original Screenplay (George Miller & Nick Enright).

Susan Sarandon was also nominated for Best Actress at the 50th Golden Globe Awards.

The film was also nominated for Best Original Screenplay Written Directly for the screen at the WGA Awards.

Reception

Lorenzo's Oil received mostly positive reviews from critics, and currently holds a 91% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times gave it four out of four stars and called it an "immensely moving and challenging movie". He added, "it was impossible not to get swept up in it" and James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave it three out of four stars and claimed "it was about the war for knowledge and the victory of hope through perseverance."

References

External links

*
* [http://carbon.cudenver.edu/~bstith/loren.htm "Lorenzo's Oil" as a teaching tool]
* [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/27/AR2007012701542_pf.html "Washington Post" article on the recent death of Lorenzo's doctor]
* [http://www.post-gazette.com/healthscience/20010508hlorenzo1.asp The mixed legacy of 'Lorenzo's Oil'] . By Christopher Snowbeck, "Post-Gazette" (May 08, 2001).
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3907559.stm 'Lorenzo's Oil - The Full Story - BBC Story]
* [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7429221.stm Lorenzo's Oil boy is dead at 30]