Awakenings Movie Review

The movie titled Awakenings was directed by Penny Marshall and was a story by Oliver

Sacks. Awakenings is the story of a doctor’s extraordinary work in the Sixties with the group of

Catatonic patients he finds languishing in a Bronx hospital. Speculating that their rigidity may be

Akin to an extreme form of Parkinsonism, he seeks permission from his sceptical superiors to

Treat them with L-dopa, a drug that was used to treat Parkinson’s disease at the time. In the year

1969, Dr. Malcolm Sayer is a dedicated and caring physician at a local hospital in the New York

City borough of The Bronx. Because of working extensively with the catatonic patients who

Survived the 1917-1928 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica, Sayer

After seeing this movie I also became a huge fan of Dr. Oliver Sacks' writing and recommend it to anyone, especially those who enjoyed "Awakenings." His case studies are fascinating. An excellent movie. Do yourself a huge favour and see it.” (ConnickFan,

17 December 1999). “It's a tale about a doctor(Robin Williams) taking on a new job in the

Bronx. His new patients are something of the unusual. A handful of them share an unexplainable disease. The rare disease has left these people frozen in time. One of his main patients is a man named Leonard Lowe, played by Robert Deniro. Doctor Sayer begins a diligent study. To the

\present day, there are still many questions surrounding this strange disease. During one amazing season in the late 60's, a miracle happened. In my opinion, both Robin Williams and Robert

Deniro should have won Oscars for this film. I always say that Williams with a beard equals an amazing performance. His role as the meek Dr. Sayer is heartwarming. He plays perfectly off

Deniro's character. Robert Deniro is golden as Leonard, the disease afflicted patient that gives all of his consciousness to help Dr. Sayer. With the help of a large dose of medicine and care all