Lorenzo's Oil

Last updated

Lorenzo's Oil
Lorenzo's Oil.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by George Miller
Written by
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography John Seale
Edited by
Music by Stewart Copeland
Production
company
Distributed by Universal Pictures
Release dates
  • December 30, 1992 (1992-12-30)(United States)
  • February 26, 1993 (1993-02-26)(United Kingdom)
Running time
129 minutes
Countries
  • Australia
  • United States
LanguagesEnglish
Italian
Budget$30 million [1]
Box office$7.2 million [2]

Lorenzo's Oil is a 1992 American drama film directed and co-written by George Miller. It is based on the true story of Augusto and Michaela Odone, parents who search for a cure for their son Lorenzo's adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), leading to the development of Lorenzo's oil. The film was shot in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, primarily from September 1991 to February 1992. [3] It had a limited release in North America on December 30, 1992, with a nationwide release two weeks later, on January 15, 1993. Though it was a box office disappointment, grossing $7.2 million against its $30 million budget, the film was generally well received by critics and garnered two nominations at the 65th Academy Awards.

Contents

Plot

Lorenzo is a bright and vibrant young boy living in the Comoro Islands, as his father Augusto Odone works for the World Bank and is stationed there. However, after relocating with his parents to the United States, he begins to show signs of neurological problems (such as falling, loss of hearing, tantrums, etc.). The boy is diagnosed as having adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), which is fatal within two years. Failing to find a doctor capable of treating their son's rare disease, Augusto and his wife, Michaela, set out on a mission to find a treatment to save their son. In their quest, the Odones clash with doctors, scientists and a support group that is skeptical that anything could be done about ALD, much less by laypeople. But they persist, setting up camp in medical libraries, reviewing animal experiments, enlisting the aid of Professor Gus Nikolais, badgering researchers, questioning top doctors all over the world and even organizing an international symposium about the disease.

Despite research dead-ends, the horror of watching their son's health decline and being surrounded by skeptics (including the coordinators of the support group they attend), they persist until they finally hit upon a possible therapy. The Odones sponsor an international meeting of scientists doing research on ALD, requiring two conditions ahead of time. First they insist that the meeting focus on potential treatments and second, they require that they be allowed to participate, despite being non-scientist laypeople. The pivotal scene in the movie portrays this meeting, in which the scientists are presenting their research. When Dr. William B. Rizzo mentions his studies in which the addition of oleic acid to cultured cells blocked accumulation of the factors which cause ALD, the Odones jump into the conversation, asking if this oil might help their son. Although the scientists play down their hope, pointing out that it would take years of work to produce the oil and test in clinical trials, the Odones seize the promise of this possible curative treatment. As the scene ends, Michaela Odone is shown beginning the effort to find someone able and willing to produce the same oil Dr. Rizzo gave to his cells. They obtain oleic acid from an industrial manufacturer of lubricants, but this only lowers Lorenzo's levels by 50% before leveling off, and they realize they are only countering some of the shorter chains produced by one enzyme. To remove the other, they will have to add a distillation of erucic acid. They contact over 100 firms around the world until they find an elderly British chemist, Don Suddaby, who is working for Croda International and is willing to take on the challenge of distilling the proper formula.

The Odones obtain a precious vial of the oil (actually containing two specific long chain fatty acids, isolated from rapeseed oil and olive oil) and add it to their son's diet. This treatment proves successful in normalizing the accumulation of the very long chain fatty acids (which had been causing their son's steady decline), as measured in blood levels. This treatment halts the progression of his disease and is dubbed "Lorenzo's Oil". This oil is soon found to be successful in preventing the progression of harm in other patients with ALD. Meanwhile, Lorenzo has a great deal of neurological damage, and the Odones are dismayed to see that the oil can reverse their son's symptoms only very, very slowly. The Odones realize that more rapid improvement of their son's severe condition will require treatments to repair the myelin sheath (a lipid insulator) around the nerves, and Augusto is shown taking on the new challenge of organizing biomedical efforts to heal myelin damage in patients.

Finally, Lorenzo, at the age of 14, shows definite improvement (swallowing for himself and answering "yes" or "no" questions by blinking) and it is revealed that he has regained his sight, can move his head from side to side, vocalize simple sounds and is learning to use a computer. The movie ends with scenes of ALD patients who were treated with Lorenzo's Oil earlier in the course of their disease. In these patients the devastating neurological degeneration from which Lorenzo suffered was able to be prevented.

Cast

Production

Principal photography for Lorenzo's Oil began on September 9, 1991 in the Pittsburgh suburb of Ben Avon, Pennsylvania and continued throughout the city and area. [6]

Possibly to emphasize the "everyman" aspect of the plot (the notion that a cure could affect families and individuals anywhere), many smaller roles were played by inexperienced actors or non-actors with unusual physical features and mannerisms.[ citation needed ] For example, the poet James Merrill was noticed by a casting director at a New York public reading of his poetry. His rarefied speaking cadences were utilized in a symposium scene in which he played a questioning doctor.

Music

The film uses Allegri's Miserere, Edward Elgar's cello concerto, as well as Barber's Adagio for Strings and Mozart's Ave verum corpus K.618.

The opening song is "Kijana Mwana Mwali" (Swahili, "Song about a Young Lady"), sung by the Gonda Traditional Entertainers.

A 1960 recording of Maria Callas with the La Scala orchestra and chorus is heard singing selections from Bellini's Norma at several points.

The music for the Easter Midnight Mass scene is a Russian Orthodox Church hymn, "Bogoroditse Devo" (Rejoice, O Virgin) from "Three Choruses from 'Tsar Feodor Ioannovich'", taken from the album Sacred Songs of Russia by Gloriae Dei Cantores.

Other music include Barber's Agnus Dei and Mahler's Symphony No. 5.

The original music from the motion picture soundtrack was scored and composed by Stewart Copeland.

Reception

Critical response

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times gave the film four out of four stars and called it an "immensely moving and challenging movie", adding that "it was impossible not to get swept up in it." [7] James Berardinelli of ReelViews gave it three out of four stars and claimed, "it was about the war for knowledge and the victory of hope through perseverance." [8]

Review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes retrospectively collected reviews from 40 critics to give the film a score of 93%, with an average rating of 7.10/10, as of May 2023. The website's consensus reads, "A harrowing tribute to the heroism of parental love, Lorenzo's Oil is kept from abject misery by George Miller's sensitive direction and outstanding performances from Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon." [9] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [10] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale. [11]

Medical response

Though the film seemed to accurately portray the events related to the boy's condition and his parents' efforts during the time period covered by the film, it was criticized for falsely painting a picture of a miracle cure. [12] Subsequent research with Lorenzo's oil has not clearly proven its long-term effectiveness in treating ALD after its onset. [13] However, it prevented the onset of ALD in two-thirds of the susceptible boys. [14] The actual subject of the film, Lorenzo Odone, died of pneumonia in May 2008 at the age of 30, having lived two decades longer than originally predicted by doctors. [15]

Hugo Moser, on whom the character of Professor Nikolais was based, called the film's portrayal of him "an abomination". [16]

Box office

The film grossed $7,286,388 domestically with a budget of around $30 million. [1] [2]

Accolades

AwardCategoryNominee(s)ResultRef.
Academy Awards Best Actress Susan Sarandon Nominated [17]
Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen George Miller and Nick Enright Nominated
Chicago Film Critics Association Awards Best Actress Susan SarandonNominated [18]
Golden Globe Awards Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama Nominated [19]
National Society of Film Critics Awards Best Actress 2nd Place [20]
New York Film Critics Circle Awards Best Actress Runner-up [21]
Writers Guild of America Awards Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen George Miller and Nick EnrightNominated [22]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adrenoleukodystrophy</span> Medical condition

Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) is a disease linked to the X chromosome. It is a result of fatty acid buildup caused by failure of peroxisomal fatty acid beta oxidation which results in the accumulation of very long chain fatty acids in tissues throughout the body. The most severely affected tissues are the myelin in the central nervous system, the adrenal cortex, and the Leydig cells in the testes. The long chain fatty acid buildup causes damage to the myelin sheath of the neurons of the brain, resulting in seizures and hyperactivity. Other symptoms include problems in speaking, listening, and understanding verbal instructions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorenzo's oil</span> Mixture of modified vegetable oils used in treating adrenoleukodystrophy

Lorenzo's oil is a liquid solution made of 4 parts glycerol trioleate and 1 part glycerol trierucate, which are the triacylglycerol forms of oleic acid and erucic acid. It is prepared from olive oil and rapeseed oil. It is used in the investigational treatment of asymptomatic patients with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), a nervous system disorder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mustard oil</span> Oil derived from mustard plants

Mustard oil can mean either the pressed oil used for cooking, or a pungent essential oil also known as volatile oil of mustard. The essential oil results from grinding mustard seed, mixing the grounds with water, and isolating the resulting volatile oil by distillation. It can also be produced by dry distillation of the seed. Pressed mustard oil is used as cooking oil in some cultures, but sale is restricted in some countries due to high levels of erucic acid. Varieties of mustard seed low in erucic acid have been cultivated.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zellweger syndrome</span> Congenital disorder of nervous system

Zellweger syndrome is a rare congenital disorder characterized by the reduction or absence of functional peroxisomes in the cells of an individual. It is one of a family of disorders called Zellweger spectrum disorders which are leukodystrophies. Zellweger syndrome is named after Hans Zellweger (1909–1990), a Swiss-American pediatrician, a professor of pediatrics and genetics at the University of Iowa who researched this disorder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leukodystrophy</span> Group of disorders characterised by degeneration of white matter in the brain

Leukodystrophies are a group of, usually, inherited disorders, characterized by degeneration of the white matter in the brain. The word leukodystrophy comes from the Greek roots leuko, "white", dys, "abnormal" and troph, "growth". The leukodystrophies are caused by imperfect growth or development of the glial cells which produce the myelin sheath, the fatty insulating covering around nerve fibers. Leukodystrophies may be classified as hypomyelinating or demyelinating diseases, respectively, depending on whether the damage is present before birth or occurs after. While all leukodystrophies are the result of genetic mutations, other demyelinating disorders have an autoimmune, infectious, or metabolic etiology.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michaela</span> Name list

Michaela is a female given name. It is a female form of the Hebrew name Michael (מִיכָאֵל), which means "Who is like God".

Cristina Patricia Odone is an Italian-British journalist, editor, and writer. She is the founder and chair of the Parenting Circle Charity. Odone is formerly the Editor of The Catholic Herald, Deputy Editor of the New Statesman. She is currently Head of the Family Policy Unit at the Centre for Social Justice.

Augusto Daniel Odone and Michaela Teresa Murphy Odone were the parents of Lorenzo Michael Murphy Odone, who had adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). They became famous for developing a controversial treatment using Lorenzo's oil for their son's incurable illness. This quest was recounted in the film Lorenzo's Oil (1992). Augusto had previously been an economist for the World Bank.

The Myelin Project was a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization established in 1989 by Augusto Odone and his wife, Michaela and their friend Patti Chapman. Their son, Lorenzo, suffered from adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), the most common of the leukodystrophies. The story of the Odones' struggle was dramatized in the 1992 Hollywood film Lorenzo's Oil, starring the well-known actors Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon and Peter Ustinov. After 20 years, the Myelin Project was merged into another organization called ALD Connect in July 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ABCD1</span> Protein-coding gene in humans

ABCD1 is a protein that transfers fatty acids into peroxisomes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nervonic acid</span> Chemical compound

Nervonic acid is a fatty acid. It is a monounsaturated analog of lignoceric acid (24:0). It is also known as selacholeic acid and cis-15-tetracosenoic acid. Its name derives from the Latin word nervus, meaning nerve or sinew.

Hugo Wolfgang Moser (1924–2007) was a Swiss-born American research scientist and director of the Neurogenetics Research Center at the Kennedy Krieger Institute. Moser was also University Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University. His research on peroxisomal disorders achieved international recognition.

Nutricia is a specialized medical nutrition company. It is part of the Medical Nutrition Division of Groupe Danone, Paris. Nutricia manufactures products used in the management of severe allergic and gastrointestinal disorders, metabolic conditions as well as other conditions requiring nutritional therapy, including intractable epilepsy.

A very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) is a fatty acid with 22 or more carbons. Their biosynthesis occurs in the endoplasmic reticulum. VLCFA's can represent up to a few percent of the total fatty acid content of a cell.

Odone is a surname and given name. Notable people with the name include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kennedy Krieger Institute</span> Hospital in Maryland, United States

The Kennedy Krieger Institute is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, Johns Hopkins affiliate located in Baltimore, Maryland, that provides in-patient and out-patient medical care, community services, and school-based programs for children and adolescents with learning disabilities, as well as disorders of the brain, spinal cord, and musculoskeletal system. The Institute provides services for children with developmental concerns mild to severe and is involved in research of various disorders, including new interventions and earlier diagnosis.

Voglia di vivere is a 1990 Italian drama television film directed by Lodovico Gasparini. It is based on real life events of Augusto and Michaela Odone and their son Lorenzo Odone. The same events inspired the 1992 film Lorenzo's Oil. It was shot between Capri and San Francisco.

Elivaldogene autotemcel, sold under the brand name Skysona, is a gene therapy used to treat cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD). It was developed by Bluebird Bio and was given breakthrough therapy designation by the US Food and Drug Administration in May 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rapeseed oil</span> Vegetable oil

Rapeseed oil is one of the oldest known vegetable oils. There are both edible and industrial forms produced from rapeseed, the seed of several cultivars of the plant family Brassicaceae. Historically, it was restricted as a food oil due to its content of erucic acid. Laboratory studies about this acid have shown damage to the cardiac muscle of laboratory animals in high quantities. It also imparts a bitter taste, and glucosinolates, which made many parts of the plant less nutritious in animal feed. Rapeseed oil from standard cultivars can contain up to 54% erucic acid.

Ann Boody Moser is an American biochemist specializing in neurology. She researches the development of therapies for adrenoleukodystrophy. Moser is an associate professor emerita in neurology at the Johns Hopkins University. She is a research associate in neurology and the co-director of the peroxisomal diseases laboratory at the Kennedy Krieger Institute.

References

  1. 1 2 "Lorenzo's Oil - Production Details". www.ozmovies.com.au. Retrieved September 13, 2022.
  2. 1 2 "Lorenzo's Oil". Box Office Mojo . Retrieved September 24, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Pittsburgh - City lands good share of movies". The Vindicator. December 10, 1995.
  4. ↑ Rizzo, WB; Leshner, RT; Odone, A; Dammann, AL; Craft, DA; Jensen, ME; Jennings, SS; Davis, S; Jaitly, R; Sgro, JA (November 1989). "Dietary erucic acid therapy for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy". Neurology. 39 (11): 1415–22. doi:10.1212/wnl.39.11.1415. PMID   2682348 . Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  5. ↑ Rizzo, WB; Watkins, PA; Phillips, MW; Cranin, D; Campbell, B; Avigan, J (March 1986). "Adrenoleukodystrophy: oleic acid lowers fibroblast saturated C22-26 fatty acids". Neurology. 36 (3): 357–61. doi:10.1212/wnl.36.3.357. PMID   3951702 . Retrieved February 22, 2024.
  6. ↑ Blank, Ed (August 31, 1991). "Producer excited about Ben Avon as site for movie 'Lorenzo's Oil'". Pittsburgh Press . Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  7. ↑ Ebert, Roger (January 15, 1993). "Lorenzo's Oil". Chicago Sun-Times . Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  8. ↑ "Lorenzo's Oil". ReelViews . Retrieved November 21, 2010.
  9. ↑ "Lorenzo's Oil". Rotten Tomatoes . Retrieved April 1, 2022.
  10. ↑ "Lorenzo's Oil Reviews". Metacritic . CBS Interactive . Retrieved April 2, 2022.
  11. ↑ "LORENZO'S OIL (1991) A". CinemaScore . Archived from the original on December 20, 2018.
  12. ↑ "Lorenzo's Oil: The full story". BBC News . BBC News. July 21, 2004. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  13. ↑ Moser, H. W.; Moser, A. B.; Hollandsworth, K.; Brereton, N. H.; Raymond, G. V. (2007). ""Lorenzo's oil" therapy for X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: Rationale and current assessment of efficacy". Journal of Molecular Neuroscience. 33 (1): 105–113. doi:10.1007/s12031-007-0041-4. PMID   17901554. S2CID   21333247.
  14. ↑ Lerner, Barron H (March 2009). "Complicated lessons: Lorenzo Odone and medical miracles". The Lancet. 373 (9667): 888–889. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60534-1. PMID   19291841. S2CID   38174463.
  15. ↑ "Lorenzo loses battle for life but legacy of hope lives on". The Guardian . Guardian News and Media Ltd. May 31, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2012.
  16. ↑ "Hugo Moser, 82; neurologist's portrayal in 'Lorenzo's Oil' belied his real character". Los Angeles Times . January 26, 2007. Retrieved May 7, 2017.
  17. ↑ "The 65th Academy Awards (1993) Nominees and Winners". Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS). Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
  18. ↑ "1988-2013 Award Winner Archives". Chicago Film Critics Association . January 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2021.
  19. ↑ "Lorenzo's Oil – Golden Globes". HFPA . Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  20. ↑ "Past Awards". National Society of Film Critics . December 19, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  21. ↑ "1992 New York Film Critics Circle Awards". New York Film Critics Circle . Retrieved July 5, 2021.
  22. ↑ "Awards Winners". wga.org. Writers Guild of America. Archived from the original on December 5, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.