X
- 1992
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 9 m
- 1992
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 9 m
Summary 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.
Directed By: George Miller
Written By: Nick Enright, George Miller
- 1992
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 9 m
- 1992
- PG-13
- Universal Pictures
- 2 h 9 m
Lorenzo's Oil
80
8.2
Where to Watch
Summary 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.
Directed By: George Miller
Written By: Nick Enright, George Miller
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
80
90% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
10% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 21 Critic Reviews
80
90% Positive
19 Reviews
19 Reviews
10% Mixed
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
You could trust that Miller would not shoot this tale in the sentimental style of a TV movie of the week, and he hasn't. He has made an impassioned medical thriller as energized as an action movie, as emotionally and stylistically flamboyant as the operas heard on the soundtrack. [04 Jan 1993, p.50]
In its own quiet way this is an astonishing film, both as a medical detective story that sustains taut interest over an extended running time and as a piece of cinema combining unusually resourceful acting and direction. If any movie of recent years deserves to be called inspirational--a much-abused term that one hesitates to revive apart from exceptional circumstances--this one certainly does.
Lorenzo's Oil begins with an epigram stating that life has meaning only in the struggle. As the film unfolds over 2 hours and 15 minutes, those words take on a greater and deeper significance, resonating throughout a remarkable real-life drama that pulls the viewer through an almost unbearable ordeal to arrive at a pinnacle of triumph and almost miraculous perseverence. [15 Jan 1993, p.03]
Lorenzo's Oil is as grueling a medical case study as any audience would ever want to sit through. A true-life story brought to the screen intelligently and with passionate motivation by George Miller, pic details in a very precise way how a couple raced time to save the life of their young son after he contracted a rare, always fatal disease.
In short, the film removes any possible shred of gloss or glamorization of the situation. It's gritty, honest and admirable. Sarandon is perfect as the combative mother. You can't take your eyes off her. And Nolte eventually is touching as the dogged father determined to find a cure in the Library of Congress. [15 Jan 1993, p.45]
Could Lorenzo's Oil have been better? Easily. Does it still have real power? No question. [22 Jan 1993, p.G4]
Lorenzo's Oil, which is further encumbered by its funereal pacing and woebegone score, is definitely a remarkable story, but as told by Miller it isn't really an uplifting one.
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 17 User Ratings
8.2
100% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
User Score
Universal Acclaim
Based on 17 User Ratings
8.2
100% Positive
17 Ratings
17 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
Awards
Academy Awards, USA
• 2 Nominations
Golden Globes, USA
• 1 Nomination
Writers Guild of America, USA
• 1 Nomination
