Awakenings Critique

Awakenings evokes the true story of Dr. Oliver Sacks (portrayed as Malcolm Sayer by Robin Williams) and his discovery of the temporarily dramatic effects of the drug L-Dopa in patients suffering from encephalitis lethargica. Patients who were in a state of catatonia were “awakened” as a result of the administration of L-Dopa. However, the astounding benefits of the drug soon ware off and we are left witnessing the gradual withdrawal of the patients back into their previously catatonic states.
I have watched Awakenings many times, however, the frank portrayal of the patients’ and staff members’ joy and sorrow never fails to stun me. It was difficult to watch the helplessness of both doctors and family members of those inflicted with EL due to the obscurity of the disease. It also left me grappling for answers to a number of questions, such as, was it moral to administer the drug to Leonard Lowe and his fellow patients, giving them a false sense of hope and a tantalizing whiff of the life they could have been leading, only to have it taken away from them. It was very difficult for me to watch Leonard revert painfully back to a vegetative state. However, it was even more disconcerting and heartbreaking to watch the other patients witness what would eventually happen to them. This once again begs the question of moral authority.
Awakenings was very powerful in reinforcing the fact that not everyone in a vegetative state should be considered as being “brain dead.” I can’t even begin to imagine the horror of being trapped in an immobile body with barely any proper human contact.
What angered me greatly was the indifferent, and oftentimes condescending, manner of the neurologists in response to Dr. Sayers’ theories regarding L-Dopa and the disease gripping the patients. It is frightening to think that physicians, at times, do not think outside the box, especially if there is a significant sum of money involved. We saw this in both Awakenings as well as Lorenzo’s Oil.
I admire Leonard Lowe for allowing his temporary recovery and excruciating withdrawal to be filmed and shown to large numbers of people. Even though the money could not bring Leonard or his fellow patients back again, it did help raise awareness of what could (and couldn’t) be done with L-Dopa.

* Biography of Oliver Sacks:
<http://www.oliversacks.com/about.htm>

*A brief description of encephalitis lethargica:
< http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/encephalitis_
lethargica/encephalitis_lethargica.htm>