Lorenzo's Oil
Intense film about a boy's fatal illness has heavy themes.
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Based on 2 reviews
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Lorenzo's Oil
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Lorenzo's Oil, a 1992 drama, is based on the real quest two parents embarked on in the 1980s to find a treatment for their young son's devastating, untreatable fatal nerve disease, ALD. The story highlights how catastrophic illness affects all family members. Scenes of the boy's failing health, including falls, bloody bruises, seizures, and other manifestations of painful suffering, may be too emotional and disturbing for young children, not to mention parents of young children. An adult smokes cigarettes. Prescribed medicines are seen at a boy's bedside table. Parents administer therapeutic oil through a child's feeding tube.
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What's the Story?
LORENZO'S OIL is based on the real 1980s quest of the Odones, two parents seeking a treatment for Lorenzo, their 6-year-old son succumbing to the rare and devastating terminal nerve disease ALD. Finding a treatment required fighting the medical establishment, which in their eyes seemed more interested in saving scientific reputations than in saving suffering children. Even the leaders of the ALD parent organization refused to disseminate new research the Odones introduced showing that medical trials run by the so-called experts were harming the children. The movie ends on a hopeful note, as the treatment discovered by the Odones reversed some of Lorenzo's symptoms -- he recovered his sight and the ability to swallow. While Lorenzo died at age 30 in 2008, far outliving predictions of his prognosis, the Odones' dedication created a treatment that has stopped the disease completely in children diagnosed early enough to benefit.
Is It Any Good?
This 136-minute film flies by owing in part to stellar performances by Susan Sarandon (nominated for an Oscar) and Nick Nolte as the Odones. Nolte would seem an odd choice to play a native Italian, but even as he chews his way through a heavy Italian accent, his emotional authenticity keeps the audience firmly in the action. The script by director George Miller and Nick Enright also clearly communicates the Odones' intellectual curiosity, grit, and pain, all factors that drove them to help their son. At the same time as showing us that pain, the writing recounts just enough of the chemistry at the heart of the story to help explain what went wrong in Lorenzo's body and how the treatment they discovered could help him and others afflicted with the same disease. This may owe something to the fact that Miller was a medical doctor before he became a director. Lorenzo's Oil is recommended for teens mature enough to handle the emotional intensity. Bring Kleenex.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the difficulty of helplessly watching a loved one suffer. What does Lorenzo's Oil say about family members who work for a cure that might not be ready in time to help the loved one who inspired the effort?
The movie was made within a few years of the time the Odones were working to help Lorenzo, and the fruits of their efforts have saved many children from Lorenzo's fate. Now that Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone have all died, what does this movie seem to say about working to leave a legacy that lives on to help others?
This movie is emotionally intense. How can you tell if you're mature enough to handle a movie with heavy themes?
How do the characters in Lorenzo's Oil demonstrate compassion and empathy? What about courage and perseverance? Why are these important character strengths?
Movie Details
- In theaters: August 29, 1992
- On DVD or streaming: June 1, 2010
- Cast: Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte, Zack O'Malley Greenburg
- Director: George Miller
- Studio: Universal Studios Home Entertainment
- Genre: Drama
- Character Strengths: Compassion, Courage, Empathy, Perseverance
- Run time: 136 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: for a child's life-threatening ordeal
- Last updated: March 30, 2022
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