MovieChat Forums > Lorenzo's Oil (1993) Discussion > Movie = Disgrace to real life events.

Movie = Disgrace to real life events.

posted 18 years ago by tmccormick2010
25 replies | jump to latest

Im sure the real lorenzo would agree with me. The movie was horrible. Painfully melodramatic, very "woe is me". The Cinematography could have been better and the movies flow was painful. By replacing real people by actors who dont truly feel for these people (as we can tell). Hollywood has disgraced this boy.
Anyways... facts are this movie is pretty bad... really bad actually. One of the worst ive seen in awhile.

Juts my two cents.

"Im not an Athiest because i havent read the Bible, im an Athiest because i have." - T.A. McCormick

[–] just_another_angel_tear 18 years ago

susan sarandon is now a spokesperson for ALD.

[–] andaction 17 years ago

Shame on you for thinking that this film was made solely to entertain you with pretty cinematography and production craftsmanship. Your cents are not facts and you should get that straight when making an opinion.

The film tells a true story about hope and willpower in a very powerful and dramatic way. As many have claimed, the film has touched them emotionally and has helped spread awareness about rare diseases and medical research. In terms of benefit and story telling, no film could ask for anything more.

[–] carthur27 12 years ago

"In terms of benefit and story telling, no film could ask for anything more."

One could ask for honesty about the actual benefit of Lorenzo Oil. Of course, if the truth had been told about its lack of efficacy, there wouldn't have been a film.

[–] x4nt1 17 years ago

Dude, you are unbelievably stupid.

[–] TroubledTroubadour 17 years ago

I met the person that Susan Sarandon portrayed (She's wasn't in good shape herself then herself, i think she might have MS) a few years ago. She had a summer cottage in the area of the store I used to work at. She said that it was a good movie. I never even heard of this movie until I talked to the woman. I only talked to her a few times, I never learned her name or asked any family related questions. I saw the movie a year ago which was like 2 years aftewr I last talked to her. I'm sure she was just happy to get her story out there

[–] WOJet923 17 years ago

Uh, okay pompous thread-starter. Your two cents are worthless. Just my two cents though.

[–] Molly-31 17 years ago

Michaela Odone. She had cancer, and she died of it a few years ago.

[–] TroubledTroubadour 17 years ago

Jeez that's too bad. She was a nice person, thanks for the update.

[–] Molly-31 17 years ago

You're welcome. I am sorry too. She wore herself out. God bless her.

[–] damon_x 17 years ago

I met the person that Susan Sarandon portrayed (She's wasn't in good shape herself then herself, i think she might have MS) a few years ago........ I saw the movie a year ago which was like 2 years aftewr I last talked to her. I'm sure she was just happy to get her story out there

Well, considering that she died in 2000 (yes, that's EIGHT years ago) you're a liar.

What else can be said??

[–] TroubledTroubadour 17 years ago

I'm not a liar, I made a mistake. If I was gonna lie I'd lie about something a bit more glorious, I'm not a fan of Susan Sarandon's movie roles. Anyhoo, I'm man enough to admit I made a mistake, I am sorry to offend. I'll see my priest in the morning.
(And I'm not a liar, it was just a case of broken-telephone, the person I met was apparently not that woman, I have only met her once or twice, I'll never see her again. So anything I write, do the fact-checking for me Damon, I'll then edit my posts so they're more factual)

"Without you, today's emotions would be the scurf of yesterday's."-Hipolito

[–] damon_x 17 years ago

Sorry, that was a bit much of me, I'll admit. Just bad timing.

[–] TroubledTroubadour 17 years ago

Yeah and I admit, I just got off work and was tired when I wrote my reply to you. So y'know, I might have wrote it a bit more pissy than I should have. Anyhoo, it's all good.

"Without you, today's emotions would be the scurf of yesterday's."-Hipolito

[–] Molly-31 17 years ago

Actually you're quite wrong. The Odones approved the picture. If you know anything about Michaela you know that she wouldn't allow anything on the screen that was discrediting to Lorenzo or her family.

[–] sjp1980 17 years ago

Quite sad really. there was a feature on TV last night (not 60 minutes but that kind of show) in NZ and it focused on NZ kids with ALD and it also had a piece on Lorenzo and his family. He requires 24 hour care as the oil was too late to save him. However, his father apparently said that he does recognise certain things - he plays a video of Lorenzo as a child. It is played repeatedly.

Very very sad i thought.

[–] kridge200 17 years ago

I thought this movie did a good job of avoiding melodrama.

[–] taylorje 17 years ago

Me too. I watched it again not long ago, not having seen it since it premiered. I was impressed by the fine performances of all the actors.

[–] Florida2 17 years ago

My very first impression was that it was melodramatic in spots, but, that said, after seeing it again, I began to see past it's weaknesses and realized that it is a good film, since the foundation of the film is Lorenzo's parents continual struggle to find a cure for their sick child...

What I also found interesting about the film was the fact that they eventually accepted the thinking that perhaps their back-breaking efforts were not necessarily for their own child, but, for the many boys to come, and, in real life, that is exactly how it turned out...

[–] geae 17 years ago

1: Lorenzo was never meant to be "cured" by the oil, and the fact that he lived so long was proof that it did work.
2: Remyelination is not yet possible, so the damage caused by ALD was not going to be fixed by the oil.
3: Lorenzo was blind - he recognised sounds and familiar touch.
4: Michaela and Augusto approved every scene of the movie, if you attack it, then you are attacking them.
5: What would you do to save your kid?

[–] orgastic-naddy 17 years ago

# 5 is the real question. There are so many people who argue over the fact that the Odone's kept him alive, "torturing him" because he was a vegetable. Can't really make that judgement unless you are a parent yourself and your child is gravely ill. Do you give up? Or hope?

[–] Florida2 17 years ago

I can only say what was witnessed in real life - I can remember an ALD patient at the local children's hospital during my volunteer life about 15-20 years ago, and, I'll always remember his Mom's devotion to her son...

She always sat quietly by his bedside, for the long periods that he was a patient, and, her own patience and devotion was a testimony to a Mother's love for her son...

As for the movie being a disgrace to real events, no - as others said, the Odone's approved of each scene, and, again I can say from what I've witnessed more than once, the parents of chronically ill children often do become fighters for their child's health...

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] red_rackham_77 16 years ago

Be glad that Lifetime didn't touch this story, they dramatizes everything to the freakin extreme, this story is fragile and just so overwhelming for anyone. When you think of the worst disease that anyone could have or even you could have, you begin to be appriciated all that you have and your own health.

[–] orangeisthenewawesome 16 years ago

I enjoyed the movie and while perhaps the Odones approved of the movie it seems like others didn't appreciate their portrayal in the film. The doctor played by Ustinov was quite offended at appearing like a bumbling, unsympathetic clod. The leukodystrophy foundation was also upset with how their foundation was portrayed.

Also, the oil apparently is not a cure for ALD as it is made out to be in the film. There are a couple of different types of ALD, one of which is very minor and the other which Lorenzo had and is shown in the film. The montage of boys helped by Lorenzo's oil may have been those who never would have developed the severe form of ALD. There are scores of testimonials online about people who've been diagnosed with ALD and never took the oil and never developed severe symptoms.

Anyway, I actually love the movie though it is not completely accurate. The acting is great and it's a well made movie. I loved the discovery of the biochemistry behind the disease process. I didn't think it was overly melodramatic - it could have been way worse.

Even if it means me taking a chubby, I will suck it up! - Tobias Funke