Tag Archives: still alice

March 14, 2015 · 10:08 am

Determination in the face of disease

This week, Richard Glatzer, the co-director of “Still Alice,” died. He was only 63 years old. He had been courageously battling ALS since 2011, another debilitating disease that like Alzheimer’s, takes so much from a person and is devastating to watch as a family.

Glatzer saw the connection too, telling NPR that he almost didn’t want to adapt Lisa Genova’s book for the big screen, because it cut too close to the bone.

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But it was Glatzer’s personal connection to independence-robbing illness that gave “Still Alice” a greater authenticity. The movie focused just as much or more on what the main character, dealing with early-onset Alzheimer’s, was feeling about her condition as it did about her family’s reaction to her declining mental state. This is the book’s running theme, and preserving that in the film offers a much more impactful experience than making it just another family illness drama.

But what impressed me most about Glatzer’s direction was his determination. Glatzer used a text-to-speech app on his iPad with one finger to communicate during the film’s shooting.

The next time I make excuses about not focusing upon my personal writing, I’m going to think of the fearless determination that those with devastating illnesses demonstrate, as they strive to leave their mark on the world or accomplish a personal goal before they depart.

 

 

 

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February 23, 2015 · 3:04 pm

Spotlight on devastating diseases at the Oscars

I’ve heard a lot of criticism about this year’s Oscars regarding the lack of racial diversity of the top nominees. But from my perspective, there was quite a bit of diversity when it came to showcasing people living with debilitating diseases. For image-conscious Hollywood, and its obsession with being forever young and perfect, I think this was a big step in the right direction that is being overlooked.

Of course, with my main focus on Alzheimer’s, I was thrilled to see Glenn Campbell’s final song receive an Oscar nomination. I’m not a Tim McGraw fan, but he did a beautiful and sensitive rendition of the song. Gwyneth Paltrow introduced McGraw and talked about Alzheimer’s.

BSM Studio/Sony Pictures Classic

BSM Studio/Sony Pictures Classic

Julianne Moore, as expected, won best actress for her portrayal of a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s in “Still Alice.” I was thrilled, as she is one of my favorite actresses. She researched and spent time with those who have Alzheimer’s so she could deliver an authentic performance. During her acceptance speech, Moore talked about making Alzheimer’s more visible to the general public so we can raise awareness.

But there was more than just Alzheimer’s represented at the Oscars. The equally devastating disease, ALS, was also in the spotlight. Not only did the best actor award go to Eddie Redmayne, who portrayed the famous physicist Stephen Hawking in “The Theory of Everything,” but Richard Glatzer, one of the directors of “Still Alice,” is living with ALS. In fact, Moore mentioned during her acceptance speech that his condition prevented him from being at the Oscars.

So to many, the Oscars may have been boring and lacking in diversity, but for those of who have been touched by one or both of these terrible diseases, it was a night to remember.

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February 11, 2015 · 8:00 am

Movie review: ‘Still Alice’ offers haunting, devastating look at Alzheimer’s disease

I read Lisa Genova’s fictional account of a professor diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease quite a while ago, and was quite moved by the novel. I was excited to learn that Julianne Moore, one of my favorite actresses, was playing the lead role. It is rewarding to see the film receive so many positive reviews, and Moore collect many awards and accolades for her sensitive portrayal of the main character. The fact that one of Hollywood’s most respected actresses took on this role and is now receiving Oscar buzz will hopefully help raise awareness.

Some have questioned the focus on the familial form of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, which is quite rare, but I think there is value in showing the general public that Alzheimer’s is not just an “old person’s” disease. The more readers and moviegoers can sense how profoundly this disease can destroy someone at the prime of their life, and the devastating impact the disease has on families, hopefully the more donations will come in for research and care funding.

BSM Studio/Sony Pictures Classic

BSM Studio/Sony Pictures Classic

It’s worth noting that one of the film’s directors, Richard Glatzer, has ALS, another disease that slowly robs one of their independence.

I went to see the movie on a Monday afternoon, and was pleasantly surprised to see about 30-40 other theater patrons. I expected only a handful. Let’s face it, the movie is not escapist, blockbuster entertainment.

I thought Julianne Moore offered a very sensitive and realistic performance. She spent a lot of time talking with those who have early-onset Alzheimer’s disease, as she was determined not to show anything in the film that was not accurate. The movie mainly follows the book, with some changes that I didn’t think hurt the story.

As for the rest of the cast, Kristen Stewart was well-cast as the youngest “black sheep” daughter. What I found most profound about the film was that Alice so wants her youngest daughter, who is an aspiring actress, to be like her other children (one’s a lawyer, the other in med school.) Before the disease, she cannot see how her own profession, as a linguistics professor, is more closely aligned to the theatre world than law or medicine. As the disease progresses, Alice and her youngest are able to bond over language, even as Alice is rapidly losing her ability to communicate.

I thought Alec Baldwin was miscast as the husband but he gave a surprisingly restrained performance (not easy for him!)

So definitely a must-see. Perhaps because I read the book and knew what was going to happen, I didn’t find it to be a total tear-jerker, but it did leave me profoundly moved.

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May 19, 2014 · 4:39 pm

A moment of feeling lost

As I mentioned recently, I just finished the excellent novel, “Still Alice” which is told from the perspective of a woman with early-onset Alzheimer’s. One facet of the book that seemed very realistic and frightening to me is how the character gets lost on her travels through her neighborhood. I love to walk around my neighborhood (the character in the book loves to run or ride her bicycle). I have lived in my neighborhood since 1997, and like to think I know it like the back of my hand.

blank street sign

But an experience last week gave me just the tiniest insight into how disconcerting feeling lost amidst the familiar can be.

I was going to a dentist appointment, and my dentist had moved his office to a condo building just off the park that is in the center of my neighborhood. I made a note of the new address, and then made an assumption of where I thought it was located. Ironically, I was actually reflecting on “Still Alice” as I was walking to my appointment!

So I reached the corner where I thought the office would be, and no condo building. Then I realized that I was probably a couple of blocks off. But in my mind, I could not picture where this condo building would be along the street that matched the address. I started walking hurriedly, not wanting to be late. A car honked, and a co-worker of mine shouted out my name and waved to me, distracting me further. I was about halfway down the street and thought for sure that there was no condo building at the end of the street. But there had to be! It was hard to see the house numbers so I couldn’t use that as my gauge. I finally broke out Google Maps on my phone but the sun was shining bright and it was hard to follow the arrow to see if I was walking in the right direction.

I was reaching a mild panic at this point, and also felt embarrassed. How could I be lost in my own neighborhood?

Suddenly, like magic, the condo building appeared. It is newish, and I don’t walk down this street very often, but as it turned out, I went out of my way to get to it because of my careless planning. My heart was pounding a bit as I stepped into the dentist’s office, with a few minutes to spare.

The experience gave me a better understanding of disorientation, a common symptom of Alzheimer’s. It also reminded me how often we put ourselves on auto-pilot as we go about running errands and performing daily tasks. We take so much for granted. Alzheimer’s shows us how much we have to lose when our brain function falters.

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May 8, 2014 · 9:28 am

Alzheimer’s from the inside out

I finally read “Still Alice” by Lisa Genova. The book came out over five years ago and has been sitting on my must-read list for almost that long. After recently hearing about the upcoming movie adaptation starring Julianne Moore, one of my favorite actresses, I put aside my other reading selections and immediately dived in to the novel.

still-alice-2

“Still Alice” is unique because it attempts to capture the Alzheimer’s experience from a character with early-onset Alzheimer’s as she experiences the early to middle stages of the disease. This is Genova’s first novel, but as a neuroscientist, she has another important angle to add to the book.

While the main character, Alice Howland, is a respected Harvard professor, I still connected with her and could imagine my reactions being very similar to hers if I should ever be cursed with this dreaded disease. Genova does a great job of showing how those in the earlier stages of Alzheimer’s work so hard to cover up their symptoms and appear “normal.” Then one day, even their best efforts are not enough. Genova also illustrates how much fear and dread those with Alzheimer’s experience, most of it retained in an internal dialogue that their loved ones may be completely unaware exists. Some readers may be turned off by how the husband is presented in the book, but I think his response to his wife’s disease is pretty realistic, if unfortunate.

The story immediately draws you in and the main character is well-developed. She is a witty, sensitive intellectual which makes her mental decline all the more heartbreaking.

I highly recommend the book if you haven’t read it yet. If you have, let me know what you thought about the story.

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