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DVD Awakenings
Based on the acclaimed book by neurologist Oliver Sacks, director Penny Marshall's hit 1990 drama stars Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer. Sayer is a neurologist who discovers that the drug L-Dopa can be used to "unlock" patients in a mental hospital from the mysterious sleeping sickness that has left them utterly immobilized. Leonard (Robert De Niro) is one such patient who awakens after being in a comatose state for 30 years, leaving Sayer to guide Leonard in adjusting to the world around him. Penelope Ann Miller costars as the daughter of another patient, with whom Leonard falls tenuously in love. Earning Oscar nominations for best picture, actor, and screenplay, this moving fact-based drama was a hit with critics and audiences alike. --Jeff Shannon
This is a great piece of work from two Oscar winning actors, Robin Williams and Robert DeNiro.
Soul Touching
Awakenings is one of the most beautiful movies you will have ever seen. It is a must. Made by Penny Marshall in 1990 Awakenings is based on the acclaimed book and real-life story of neurologist Oliver Sacks. Back in the 1960s, Dr. Sacks preformed some extraordinary work with his patients, who were diagnosed with various mental disorders. In the movie, Dr. Malcolm Sayer (played by extraordinary Robin Williams) refuses to write off the consciousness and humanity of his patients in the mental hospital where he had recently been appointed.
Dr. Sayer, a lover of books and music, is an introverted and shy person who is "not very good with people" and even fears the friendly dog of his neighbor. However, he is an extremely compassionate human being who loves his patients and refuses to accept the previous diagnoses given over many decades to them by their various doctors. Thus, he keeps an open mind and tries new ways to get through to his patients.
One day, when he discovers that a new catatonic patient diagnosed with dementia catches up her glasses to prevent them from falling on the floor, he develops the theory that "they are alive inside". He tried to prove that theory by using a tennis ball to test similar patients who respond in the same way. When he shows his colleagues the patients' strange behavior saying that they were "borrowing the will of the ball", his colleagues make fun of him and walk away. Supported by his assistant, who shares his opinion, Dr. Sayer continues to follow his intuition and finds ways to get access to these patients through various means including music, a tennis ball, supported walking, stories, games, and patterns on the floor. He discovers that all of the patients with that same pattern of behavior suffer from the same disorder: encephalitis lethargica, which was caused by a virus about three decades earlier.
When he discovers that the brain waves of one of his patient Leonard (played by Robert de Niro) respond when his own name is being called, Dr, Sayer feels his theory confirmed that his patients "are alive inside" regardless of what his colleagues say. He identifies L-Dopa as a possible new drug to be used in this case although it had been developed for Parkinson's disease. Furthermore, he pursues his boss to approve using the drug on Leonard and when Leonard's mother agrees, Dr. Sayer begins his healing experiment continuing to listen to his inner voice, which seems to dictate him the proper dosage for his patient. He succeeds and one night he wakes up to find Leonard sitting at a desk writing his name. Dr. Sayer continues his quest for healing and manages to bring back to life for one summer all of his patients. After falling in love with the daughter of one of the patients in the hospital, Leonard goes even so far to request his right to go alone for a walk when he wishes to. When his request is denied he becomes very upset and the drug almost stops to have its effect on him. Unfortunately, the drug ceases to work all together after a couple of months and all patients go back to they catatonic state.
After noticing that all the news in the newspaper are negative, Leonard calls Dr. Sayer at home late one night. He wants to "tell them" that they "got it all wrong", "remind them that life is good" and that "people have forgotten what it means to be alive". Leonard points out that those who consider themselves to be healthy live actually in a deep trance and are victims of their self made social hypnosis. Although he lives in a biologically impaired body, which is dependent upon the drug, Leonard displays all the signs of a healthy person and seems more alive than most normal people. He encourages Dr. Sayer to "remind them how good it is... People have forgotten about what life is all about". In fact, almost all awakened patients show a zest for life and remind the others of the gifts they have and don't seem to appreciate enough. They want to go dancing, be beautiful, eat their favorite meals and connect with each other. They teach the normal people what it really means to have the gift of life.
Dr. Sayer shows an incredible love of people especially his patients and remains undisturbed by the ironic remarks of his ignorant colleagues. He pursues his passion and manages to convince his manager and the patrons of the hospital to fund his new research. Dr. Sayer uses his intelligence and sensibility to access the souls of his very difficult patients. He doesn't give up until he succeeds. He is a very compassionate person, who plays the piano as a meditation and relaxation. He continues to grow and is in my view a self-actualizing person. Dr. Sayer believes in the human spirit that "is more powerful than any drug and that's what needs to be nourished".
Tragic and compelling.
This movie is a large blend of hope and disappointment, triumph and tragedy. A story about a sickness that basically leaves people as vegetables until a doctor makes a discovery. He is able to find a "healing" drug that brings these people "back to life." This movie is so uplifting and beautiful until the reality strikes. The people start to revert back and the medicine is stopped. De Niro and Williams are very good in their roles. Even with the tragic ending you know you have watched a very special story. If you aren't touched by this film you may want to see what's wrong with you!
Patch Adams raises two schools of thought: There are those who are inspired by the true story of a troubled man who finds happiness in helping others--a man set on changing the world and who may well accomplish the task. And then there are those who feel manipulated by this feel-good story, who want to smack the young medical student every time he begins his silly antics.
Staving off suicidal thoughts, Hunter Adams commits himself into a psychiatric ward, where he not only garners the nickname "Patch," but learns the joy in helping others. To this end, he decides to go to medical school, where he clashes with the staid conventions of the establishment as he attempts to inject humor and humanity into his treatment of the patients ("We need to start treating the patient as well... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Robin Williams Director(s): Tom Shadyac DVD Release Date: Released the 22 June 1999 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Robin Williams stars as an English teacher who doesn't fit into the conservative prep school where he teaches, but whose charisma and love of poetry inspires several boys to revive a secret society with a bohemian bent. The script is well meaning but a little trite, though director Peter Weir (The Truman Show) adds layers of emotional depth in scenes of conflict between the kids and adults. (A subplot involving one father's terrible pressure on his son--played by Robert Sean Leonard--to drop his interest in theater reaches heartbreaking proportions.) Williams is given plenty of latitude to work in his brand of improvisational humor, though it is all well-woven into his character's style of instruction. --Tom KeoghMore Info about this DVD Actor(s): Robin Williams - Robert Sean Leonard - Ethan Hawke Director(s): Peter Weir DVD Release Date: Released the 10 November 1998 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Arthurian mythology and modern day decay seem perfect complements to each other in this Terry Gilliam drama/comedy/fantasy. Shock jock Jack Lucas (Jeff Bridges) makes an off-handed radio remark that causes a man to go on a killing spree, leaving Lucas unhinged with guilt. Lucas's later, chance meeting with Parry (Robin Williams), a homeless man suffering from dementia, gets him involved in the unlikely quest for the Holy Grail. The rickety, and patently unrealistic stand that insanity is just a wonderful place to be, and that the homeless are all errant knights, wears awfully thin, but there are numerous moments of sad grace and violent beauty in this film. The screenplay by Richard LaGravenese launched his successful career and his smart wordplay helped garner Mercedes Ruehl an Oscar as... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Jeff Bridges - Robin Williams Director(s): Terry Gilliam DVD Release Date: Released the 28 August 2001 Usually ships in 24 hours
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With this powerful 1992 drama, director-producer George Miller (The Road Warrior) proved that a movie about a disease doesn't have to be a typical disease-of-the-week movie. Based on the real-life case of the Odones family, the story concerns 5-year-old Lorenzo, suffering mightily from an apparently incurable and degenerative brain illness called A.L.D. His parents, an economist (Nick Nolte) and a linguist (Susan Sarandon), refuse to accept the received wisdom that there is no hope, and set about learning biochemistry to pursue a cure on their own. The film becomes an intriguing scientific mystery mixed with a story of pain, grief, and the strain on the two adults. In other words, Lorenzo's Oil is similar to all those medical-mayhem TV flicks but with some key... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Nick Nolte - Susan Sarandon - Peter Ustinov Director(s): George Miller (II) DVD Release Date: Released the 06 April 2004 Usually ships in 24 hours
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A Beautiful Mind manages to twist enough pathos out of John Nash's incredible life story to redeem an at-times goofy portrayal of schizophrenia. Russell Crowe tackles the role with characteristic fervor, playing the Nobel prize-winning mathematician from his days at Princeton, where he developed a groundbreaking economic theory, to his meteoric rise to the cover of Forbes magazine and an MIT professorship, and on through to his eventual dismissal due to schizophrenic delusions. Of course, it is the delusions that fascinate director Ron Howard and, predictably, go astray. Nash's other world, populated as it is by a maniacal Department of Defense agent (Ed Harris), an imagined college roommate who seems straight out of Dead Poets Society, and an orphaned girl, is so... More Info about this DVD Actor(s): Russell Crowe - Ed Harris Director(s): Ron Howard DVD Release Date: Released the 08 February 2005 Usually ships in 24 hours
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