Lorenzo’s Oil *** (1992, Nick Nolte, Susan Sarandon, Peter Ustinov) – Classic Movie Review 10,727

Producer-director George Miller’s 1992 drama Lorenzo’s Oil tells the real-life story of an American couple’s battle for the life of their son, Lorenzo Odone, struck down at the age of five by an extremely rare incurable degenerative brain disorder disease called Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). It turns out that the disease so rare no one is working on a cure, so his father decides to take charge.

Lorenzo’s Oil was nominated for two Oscars: Best Actress (Susan Sarandon) and Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen (George Miller and Nick Enright).

The Oscar-nominated Susan Sarandon is marvellous, driven and haunted as the boy’s single-minded mother, Michaela Odone, though Nick Nolte is terribly handicapped by being miscast as the Italian dad Augusto Odone, and he can’t get his tongue round the accent, nor get comfortably into character, so that his performance is always off balance. Disappointingly, Peter Ustinov has little to do in a mean-spirited part as Professor Nikolais, the doctor who wants to proceed cautiously.

Also in the cast are Kathleen Wilhoite, Gerry Bamman, Margo Martindale, Zack O’Malley Greenburg, James Rebhorn, Ann Hearn, Colin Ward, Maduka Steady, Noah Banks, E G Daly, Michael Hady, Bill Amman and Sandy Gore. It is the theatrical movie debut of Laura Linney (Young Teacher). Don Suddaby (who appears as himself) is the British biochemist who synthesised the pure oil (erucic acid) used to treat Lorenzo. Suddaby was born in Kingston upon Hull, England, where he has a street named after him. Lorenzo’s real-life secretary Rita Chapman has an uncredited cameo.

Director Miller films efficiently, sometimes startlingly, getting in close on his actors, using odd angles and lots of tracking shots, all to keep an episodic nine-year-long story moving along and gripping.

But, running 135 minutes, it is a long haul, and, even as it tries to be about determination and the triumph of the human spirit, it is often more depressing and harrowing than the elevating heart-warmer it was envisaged as presumably, though it ends with real life footage and a message of hope, even if Lorenzo’s scream is heard at the very end of the film.

George Miller, the director of the Mad Max movies, is a qualified doctor. and also co-wrote the script, so his medical background lends considerable accuracy to the film.

Zack O’Malley Greenburg (Lorenzo) never acted again. He became a senior editor for Forbes magazine.

Lorenzo’s Oil is directed by George Miller, runs 135 minutes, is released by Universal, is written by George Miller and Nick Enright, is shot by John Seale, is produced by George Miller and Doug Mitchell, is scored by Christine Woodruff, with special effects by John D Milinac and production designs by Kristi Zea.

[Spoiler alert] Lorenzo Odone, who doctors had predicted would die in childhood, died of adrenoleukodystrophy on 30 May 2008, one day after his 30th birthday. Michaela Odone died on 10 June 2000 of lung cancer.

 © Derek Winnert 2020 Classic Movie Review 10,727

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