| Lorenzo's Oil | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | George Miller |
| Written by |
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| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | John Seale |
| Edited by | |
| Music by | Stewart Copeland |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Universal Pictures |
Release dates |
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Running time | 125 minutes |
| Countries |
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| Languages | English Italian |
| Budget | $30 million[1] |
| Box office | $7.2 million[2] |
Lorenzo's Oil is a 1992 Americandrama film directed and co-written byGeorge Miller. It is based on the true story ofAugusto and Michaela Odone, parents who search for a cure for their sonLorenzo'sadrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), leading to the development ofLorenzo's oil. The film was shot inPittsburgh, Pennsylvania, primarily from September 1991 to February 1992.[3] It had a limited release in North America on December 30, 1992, with a nationwide release two weeks later, on January 15, 1993. Though it was a box office disappointment, grossing $7.2 million against its $30 million budget, the film was generally well received by critics and garnered two nominations at the65th Academy Awards.
Lorenzo is a bright and vibrant young boy living in theComoro Islands, as his fatherAugusto Odone works for theWorld Bank and is stationed there. However, after relocating with his parents to the United States, he begins to show signs of neurological problems (such as falling, loss of hearing, tantrums, etc.). The boy is diagnosed as havingadrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), which is fatal within two years. Failing to find a doctor capable of treating their son's rare disease, Augusto and his wife,Michaela, set out on a mission to find a treatment to save their son. In their quest, the Odones clash with doctors, scientists and a support group that is skeptical that anything could be done about ALD, much less by laypeople. But they persist, setting up camp in medical libraries, reviewing animal experiments, enlisting the aid of Professor Gus Nikolais, badgering researchers, questioning top doctors all over the world and even organizing an international symposium about the disease.
Despite research dead-ends, 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 possible therapy. The Odones sponsor an international meeting of scientists doing research on ALD, requiring two conditions ahead of time. First they insist that the meeting focus on potential treatments and second, they require that they be allowed to participate, despite being non-scientist laypeople. The pivotal scene in the movie portrays this meeting, in which the scientists are presenting their research. When Dr. William B. Rizzo mentions his studies in which the addition of oleic acid to cultured cells blocked accumulation of the factors which cause ALD, the Odones jump into the conversation, asking if thisoil might help their son. Although the scientists play down their hope, pointing out that it would take years of work to produce the oil and test in clinical trials, the Odones seize the promise of this possible curative treatment. As the scene ends, Michaela Odone is shown beginning the effort to find someone able and willing to produce the same oil Dr. Rizzo gave to his cells. They obtain oleic acid from an industrial manufacturer of lubricants, but this only lowers Lorenzo's levels by 50% before leveling off, and they realize they are only countering some of the shorter chains produced by one enzyme. To remove the other, they will have to add a distillation oferucic acid. They contact over 100 firms around the world until they find an elderly British chemist, Don Suddaby, who is working forCroda International and is willing to take on the challenge of distilling the proper formula.
The Odones obtain a precious vial of the oil (actually containing two specificlong chain fatty acids, isolated fromrapeseed oil andolive oil) and add it to their son's diet. This treatment proves successful in normalizing the accumulation of the very long chain fatty acids (which had been causing their son's steady decline), as measured in blood levels. This treatment halts the progression of his disease and is dubbed "Lorenzo's Oil". This oil is soon found to be successful in preventing the progression of harm in other patients with ALD. Meanwhile, Lorenzo has a great deal of neurological damage, and the Odones are dismayed to see that the oil can reverse their son's symptoms only very, very slowly. The Odones realize that more rapid improvement of their son's severe condition will require treatments to repair themyelin sheath (alipid insulator) around the nerves, and Augusto is shown taking on the new challenge of organizingbiomedical efforts to heal myelin damage in patients.
Finally, Lorenzo, at the age of 14, shows definite improvement (swallowing for himself and answering "yes" or "no" questions by blinking) and it is revealed that he has regained his sight, can move his head from side to side, vocalize simple sounds and is learning to use a computer. The movie ends with scenes of ALD patients who were treated with Lorenzo's Oil earlier in the course of their disease. In these patients the devastating neurological degeneration from which Lorenzo suffered was able to be prevented.
Principal photography forLorenzo's Oil began on September 9, 1991 in thePittsburgh suburb ofBen Avon, Pennsylvania and continued throughout the city and area.[6]
Possibly to emphasize the "everyman" aspect of the plot (the notion that a cure could affect families and individuals anywhere), many smaller roles were played by inexperienced actors or non-actors with unusual physical features and mannerisms.[citation needed] For example, the poetJames Merrill was noticed by a casting director at a New York public reading of his poetry. His rarefied speaking cadences were utilized in a symposium scene in which he played a questioning doctor.
The film usesAllegri'sMiserere,Edward Elgar's cello concerto, as well asBarber'sAdagio for Strings andMozart'sAve verum corpus K.618.
The opening song is "Kijana Mwana Mwali" (Swahili, "Song about a Young Lady"), sung by the Gonda Traditional Entertainers.
A 1960 recording ofMaria Callas with theLa Scala orchestra and chorus is heard singing selections from Bellini'sNorma at several points.
The music for the Easter Midnight Mass scene is aRussian Orthodox Church hymn, "Bogoroditse Devo" (Rejoice, O Virgin) from "Three Choruses from 'Tsar Feodor Ioannovich'", taken from the albumSacred Songs of Russia byGloriae Dei Cantores.
Other music includeBarber'sAgnus Dei andMahler'sSymphony No. 5.
The original music from the motion picture soundtrack was scored and composed byStewart Copeland.
Roger Ebert of theChicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars and called it an "immensely moving and challenging movie", adding that "it was impossible not to get swept up in it."[7]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."[8]
Review aggregation websiteRotten Tomatoes retrospectively collected reviews from 40 critics to give the film a score of 93%, with an average rating of 7.10/10, as of May 2023[update]. The website's consensus reads, "A harrowing tribute to the heroism of parental love,Lorenzo's Oil is kept from abject misery by George Miller's sensitive direction and outstanding performances from Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon."[9] OnMetacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[10] Audiences polled byCinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[11]
Though the film seemed to accurately portray the events related to the boy's condition and his parents' efforts during the time period covered by the film, it was criticized for falsely painting a picture of a miracle cure.[12] Subsequent research with Lorenzo's oil has not clearly proven its long-term effectiveness in treating ALD after its onset.[13] However, it prevented the onset of ALD in two-thirds of the susceptible boys.[14] The actual subject of the film, Lorenzo Odone, died of pneumonia in May 2008 at the age of 30, having lived two decades longer than originally predicted by doctors.[15]
Hugo Moser, on whom the character of Professor Nikolais was based, called the film's portrayal of him "an abomination".[16]
The film grossed $7,286,388 domestically with a budget of around $30 million.[1][2]
| Award | Category | Nominee(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academy Awards | Best Actress | Susan Sarandon | Nominated | [17] |
| Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen | George Miller andNick Enright | Nominated | ||
| Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | Best Actress | Susan Sarandon | Nominated | [18] |
| Golden Globe Awards | Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama | Nominated | [19] | |
| National Society of Film Critics Awards | Best Actress | 2nd Place | [20] | |
| New York Film Critics Circle Awards | Best Actress | Runner-up | [21] | |
| Writers Guild of America Awards | Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen | George Miller and Nick Enright | Nominated | [22] |
