Summary Of Awakenings

Awakenings: A Review Summary: This 1990 film is based on the neurologist Oliver Sacks’ and his story. The movie is based on two main characters, Dr. Malcolm Sayer and Leonard Lowe. The main basis for the film is that Dr. Sayer has gotten a new job at a clinic with human patients, however, he is used to working in labs with non-living subjects. At this clinic, he is faced with many patients who were apart of an encephalitis epidemic years, and years ago, and have been in a catatonic state ever since. We are first introduced to Leonard when he is a normal, young child, but he slowly begins to take on Parkinson’s-like symptoms, such as shaking and tremors. Many years pass, and we are reintroduced to Leonard as a patient at the hospital. He

Sayer asks to give the drug to all of the patients. Originally, his boss denies the request due to the amount of money it would cost, but after employees donate paychecks towards the cause, the hospital is able to supply each patient with the drug. Once the drug takes its effect, the patients wake up and begin living their lives. However, once they realize that they have aged, they are not as happy with the new outcome. Time passes, and we are able to see the side effects of the drug on Leonard. His tremors began to come back; he was unable to control his anger, and other symptoms. Leonard’s mother asks for him to be taken off of L-Dopa. Once the drug wore off, Leonard and the other patients were back to their catatonic state. Once each of the patients returned to their catatonic state, Dr. Sayer mentions that even though the medicine did not have long-term effects, it still allowed for the patients to live a little more than they would have. On top of that, the nurses and other doctors now treat the patients with more respect because they know that there is a person behind the blank faces and stares. Lastly, even though the patients returned to their original state, the nurses are still able to incorporate the music, the games, and the other things that they learned would allow for a reflex from the patients, in their daily routines and

The symptoms from encephalitic lethargica are like those of the flu and Parkinsonism. Those who suffer are left catatonic because the disease attacks the brain. Originally, it was believed that these patient’s brains were dead, but we learn that that is not the case. The patient’s were actually conscious, but never fully there. They barely moved, did not speak, and had no energy or motivation. Once it was learned that the patient’s brains could become stimulated, doctors wanted to learn