Lorenzo's Oil (1992) * * * *

Directed by: George Miller

Starring:  Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon, James Rebhorn, Peter Ustinov, Zack O'Malley Greenburg

Lorenzo's Oil tells a sometimes sad, sometimes uplifting, but altogether human story about a six-year old boy afflicted with a rare disease and his parents' tireless efforts to save him.      Before you say Lifetime Original Movie, understand that Lorenzo's Oil is a polar opposite.     Not to denigrate Lifetime movies, but they tend to scratch the surface of a story.     Lorenzo's Oil is perceptive and looks deeper.     Yes, Augusto Odone (Nolte) and Michaela Odone (Sarandon) are relentless in their pursuit to find a cure for their son's disease.     But, in a moment of true power and candor, the Odones come to the grim realization that the cure they seek may not save their child's life, but potentially other children's whose cases are not as advanced.      One doctor frankly tells the Odones, "We are dealing with a disease that six months ago didn't even have a name."

The disease is ALD (I won't spell out what it stands for), a rare disease that was fatal to those afflicted, which were mostly young children.     Not much is known about it, but in every library book Augusto reads, the prognosis is eventually death after about 18 months of the disease's destruction to the afflicted person's nervous system.      The Odones, in their grief and denial, refuse to accept this fate and begin their quest to find a cure.     Neither are doctors, but they seek help from doctors and push to have more research conducted.      They find this is not as easy as expected.     The doctors understand that finding a cure for any disease takes funding, years of research, testing of medicines, and trial and error.     This will not do for the Odones.     Meanwhile, their son's condition worsens to the point he can no longer function and lies in a custom-made bed in a catatonic state.   

The doctors are not cold bureaucrats.    They discover advances and more positive findings, but caution the Odones not to be too excited.      These doctors have seen too many cases in which all of their research goes for naught.     The lead doctor is Dr. Nikolais (Ustinov), who also works tirelessly to help the Odones while maintaining a professional detachment necessary to his job.     As a doctor, sometimes he must deal in cold reality.     This rule does not apply to the families.

Nolte and Sarandon deliver intensely felt powerhouse performances.     They are determined, exhausted, and relentless.     Michaela will not even entertain the possibility that her son will die.     The Odones alienate their loved ones and other parents in their quest.      They feel anyone who doesn't think or feel exactly like they do is not committed enough to the cause.     This is not correct, but their level of denial is so great it overshadows everything.     As is their will. 

The cure for ALD is eventually found and the montage over the ending credits shows children cured by the Odones medicine, known as "Lorenzo's Oil".     The powerful scenes showing progress are not accompanied by a swelling score or underlined heavily to tell us how to feel.     We get an inside look at the painstaking process of medicine.     One can not snap his fingers and find a cure.     Many will die in the process and the cure will likely be for the future, not the present.      Lorenzo's Oil understands this all too well and truly feels it from the inside out.

Footnote:  Lorenzo eventually died in 2008 from the effects of ALD.    He died 24 years after his initial diagnosis, but mostly in the catatonic state.     He outlived his prognosis by nearly 22 years, although he never regained use of his faculties.