Lorenzo's Oil (1992)

A boy develops a disease so rare that nobody is working on a cure, so his father decides to learn all about it and tackle the problem himself.

Director:

George Miller

Writers:

George Miller, Nick Enright

Stars:

Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon, Peter Ustinov

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Nick Nolte	...	Augusto Odone
Susan Sarandon	...	Michaela Odone
Peter Ustinov	...	Professor Nikolais
Kathleen Wilhoite	...	Deirdre Murphy
Gerry Bamman	...	Doctor Judalon
Margo Martindale	...	Wendy Gimble
James Rebhorn	...	Ellard Muscatine
Ann Hearn	...	Loretta Muscatine
Maduka Steady	...	Omouri
Mary Wakio	...	Comorian Teacher
Don Suddaby	...	Himself
Colin Ward	...	Jake Gimble
LaTanya Richardson Jackson	...	Nurse Ruth (as La Tanya Richardson)
Jennifer Dundas	...	Nurse Nancy Jo
William Cameron	...	Pellerman

Storyline

Until about the age of 7, Lorenzo Odone was a normal child. After then, strange things began to happen to him: he would have blackouts, memory lapses, and other strange mental phemonenons. He is eventually diagnosed as suffering from ALD: an extremely rare incurable degenerative brain disorder. Frustrated at the failings of doctors and medicine in this area, the Odones begin to educate themselves in the hope of discovering something which can halt the progress of the disease.

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Plot Keywords:

hope | doctor | reference to jesus christ | what happened to epilogue | ends with real life footage | 

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Taglines:

Some people make their own miracles.

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Genres:

Drama

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for a child's life threatening ordeal

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

29 January 1993 (USA)

Also Known As:

Un milagro para Lorenzo

Filming Locations:

Washington Dulles International Airport - 45020 Aviation Drive, Sterling, Virginia, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$30,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$7,286,388

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures,Kennedy Miller Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

129 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby SR

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Currently, the only film of George Miller's that doesn't touch upon anything fantastical.

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Quotes

Augusto Odone: When we first went to the Comoros, what did we do? We got to know the country, right?
Michaela Odone: Yes
Augusto Odone: We studied, we got to know the language, resources, its law. We studied, right? We should threat Lorenzo's illness like another country.
Michaela Odone: I don't quite see the analogy.
Augusto Odone: All right, all right. ALD has many dimensions, right?
Michaela Odone: Yes
Augusto Odone: So, in order to understand it, we need to command genetics, biochemistry, microbiology, neurology, ology-ology.
Michaela Odone: Augusto, we don't have time to go to medical school.
Augusto Odone: Michaela, the ...
[...]

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Crazy Credits

Lorenzo's scream is heard right at the very end of the film.

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Connections

Referenced in Difficult People: Kessler Epstein Foundation (2016)

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Soundtracks

Kijana Mwana Mwali
Written by Idylio Cortini and Roberto Marini
Performed by Gonda Traditional Entertainers

User Reviews

Don't Miss it!

No doubt Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon are two great actors who have been part of wonderful movies. In "Lorenzo's Oil" they're even better than usual. The story is about a boy who has a rare disease that affects him little by little. His parents, played by Nolte and Sarandon, make their best to help the boy. Great direction by George Miller.

My Rate 8/10