MovieChat Forums > Lorenzo's Oil (1993) Discussion > Something I didn't understand (maybe spo...

Something I didn't understand (maybe spoilers)

posted 18 years ago by TartFromTomorrow
15 replies | jump to latest

I didn't understand something about Lorenzo's Aunt Deirdre and her condition.
She says to Michaela that 'my blood levels are just as high' (or words to that effect) and then we see her taking Lorenzo's oil which clearly is intended to normalize levels of fat in her blood. NOW:
The fact that she has levels of fat in her blood (which supposedly would be normalised by that oil) implies that she has the condition that Lorenzo has. But clearly she isn't sick like him, and in any case the doctor says earlier on that women are only the carriers and don't get the disease.
PLEASE EXPLAIN!!

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[–] hakimwwf 18 years ago

its because ald only effects the males due to the male chromosome.women are carriers but they do not suffer the effects, but they do pass it down to their sons.

[–] onlybegottenson88 18 years ago

Exactly! Just the same as Lorenzo's mother did not have the disease even though she was a carrier.

[–] shavingthekids 18 years ago

So if they would have had a daugher instead of a son, the daughter will not become ill?

[–] geae 18 years ago

There are a rare cases of girls who have ALD, but its very much like hemophilia and muscular dystrophy - girls CARRY it and boys get it. In theory girls are not generally able to get the disease.

[–] KISSWOMAN 18 years ago

It is similar in genetics to hemophylia that it passed from mother to son.

[–] Snoopy11208 18 years ago

i think she's taking the oil because, being that she now knows that she's a carrier, i think she's trying to prevent her son (if she ever has one) from ending up like Lorenzo. so i guess if she takes the oil now, her son would be healthier than if she didn't take it. i donno though, that's my opinion on it.

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[–] slyfox21892 18 years ago

She is not taking the oil to protect sons, she is taking the oil because she is a valid test. She does not display an illness, but has unnaturally high levels of such a fat. Thus, these levels can be tested and she is more able to voice effects.

[–] allisimlover 18 years ago

Because that a female has 2 X chormosones but a male only has one. If one X chromosone breaks the second one takes it's place. If the X chromosone breaks in the male, there's no other one to help, so that's why males can get screwy and not females. Now I'm really glad that I'm a girl.

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[–] ryper-hr 18 years ago

Exactly that! Nicely said, that explains everything. You women really do bring trouble :))

[–] 18 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Snoopy11208 18 years ago

man, it would've been nice if i paid attention in biology...

If I'm not back in 5 minutes, just wait longer.
-Jim Carrey

[–] Burnsider 18 years ago

I think she meant that her blood levels were just as high as Michaela which makes sense since they are both carriers and, being female, they have an extra X chromosome to help compensate. Hence, while their blood levels would be higher than you and I, they wouldn't be as high as Lorenzo.

[–] samago2786 18 years ago

A relative in my family is a carrier of ALD, and her son died of the disease back in the late 1970's. Although this particular film alludes to the fact that carriers of the disease experience no symptoms (other than the high fat levels), it is in fact, entirely false.

This relative of mine is classified as disabled by the Government and suffers from balance issues, a slight speech impediment, bone/muscle deterioration, as well as extreme fatigue and exhaustion, and she is only in her 50's. Her daughter, also a carrier, is unable to conceive children, which in its own right is very devastating.

This is an extremely dehabilitating disease for the carriers. as well as the more clearly suffering afflicted.

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[–] Mango_Molly 18 years ago

She was juat taking it to see if there would be any side effects, because, when the oil was tested on rats, they devoloped a heart problems. the doctors didn't know if the oil would have the same affect on humans as it did on rats. so her volunteered to be the human "rat."

[–] reba_frog 18 years ago

^^^ Thats right, she even says words to that effect "I am here to be Lorenzo's rat". She is taking it because she thinks it doesn't matter if she gets sick from it. Michaela can't afford to get sick as she is looking after Lorenzo so she volenteers to be the "rat" to see if the oil affects humans as it does the rats. In most drug testing they will test on animals, then humans volenteer to take it to see what will happen (drug trials). Since the oil was Michaela and Augusto's "project" and not that of the chemist, they had to do all the reserch and testing themselves.

Thats what I thought anyway :)

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