If any movie of recent years deserves to be called "inspirational"--a much-abused term that one hesitates to revive apart from exceptional circumstances--this one certainly does.
Lorenzo's Oil
Some people make their own miracles.
1992 · 2h 15m · PG-13
Drama
Directed by
George Miller
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Lorenzo's Oil
Overview
Lorenzo Odone, a Virginia 5-year-old, develops a degenerative nerve disease so rare that nobody is working on a cure, so his parents decide to immerse themselves in research and tackle the problem themselves.
Director and cast
- George Miller Director
- Nick Nolte as Augusto Odone
- Susan Sarandon as Michaela Odone
- Peter Ustinov as Professor Nikolais
- Ann Hearn as Loretta Muscatine
- Maduka Steady as Omuori
- Aaron Jackson as Francesco Odone
- Laura Linney as Young Teacher
- Kathleen Wilhoite as Deirdre Murphy
- Gerry Bamman as Doctor Judalon
- Margo Martindale as Wendy Gimble
Critics on Rotten Tomatoes
Top critics, in their words
Sarandon ... convincingly conveys a fierceness and tenacity that is almost frightening. The character never lets up, and neither does the film.
The film comes over as a tour de force version of the disease-of-the-week TV movie: half scientific detective story, half domestic drama, replete with scenes of suffering.
This film has an appealingly brisk, unsentimental style and a rare ability to compress and convey detailed medical data.
It takes a heartbreaking story and pushes it to the limit, showing us the lengths of courage and imagination that people can summon when they must.
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