This is one of those films that never really appealed to me but found myself watching because there was nothing else on. Overall, I'm glad I did. Awakenings is a sincere and moving account of a true episode in which several patients in (for want of a better phrase) a near-vegetative state) awoke from their condition after being administered L-Dopa, a wonder drug used in the treatment of Parkinson's Disease. All things considered, it's quite a surprise that Hollywood took more than 20 years to make a film about it.
There's plenty of room for over-sentimentality here, but for the most part director Penny Marshall and writer Steve Zaillan manage to sidestep the obvious pitfalls, straying only occasionally into Hollywood schmaltz. Robert De Niro delivers a convincing performance as Leonard, the middle-aged man who lapsed into this vegetative state when he was 20-years-old after suffering encephalitis as a child. Robin Williams tones down his manic persona for the role of the shy doctor who brings about this miracle cure - and given that he couldn't have been an obvious casting choice he does extremely well.
Although it avoids overt sentimentality, the film does contain some typical Hollywood touches which, given the nature of the story, may be unavoidable. For example, people who haven't spoken or moved freely for 30 years are able to speak and move with little difficulty while in reality they would, like coma patients, need months of physio and speech therapy. But unless, like me, you're naturally cynical about the amount of truth contained in 'based on a true story' films, this can be written off as nit-picking on my part I suppose.
There's plenty of room for over-sentimentality here, but for the most part director Penny Marshall and writer Steve Zaillan manage to sidestep the obvious pitfalls, straying only occasionally into Hollywood schmaltz. Robert De Niro delivers a convincing performance as Leonard, the middle-aged man who lapsed into this vegetative state when he was 20-years-old after suffering encephalitis as a child. Robin Williams tones down his manic persona for the role of the shy doctor who brings about this miracle cure - and given that he couldn't have been an obvious casting choice he does extremely well.
Although it avoids overt sentimentality, the film does contain some typical Hollywood touches which, given the nature of the story, may be unavoidable. For example, people who haven't spoken or moved freely for 30 years are able to speak and move with little difficulty while in reality they would, like coma patients, need months of physio and speech therapy. But unless, like me, you're naturally cynical about the amount of truth contained in 'based on a true story' films, this can be written off as nit-picking on my part I suppose.