Rare is the movie I will watch twice in one weekend. But when one finds a good story, one wants others to discover it as well. So, a week or two ago, we were encouraged to watch a 1990 film Awakenings. Friday night, Barb and I watched it, and Sunday night, we watched it again, this time with many of our family members around.
This is not an original story. More incredibly, it is based on real events from the summer of 1969 in the life of a reclusive neurologist at a hospital for the chronically ill. But it is, as a story, more than that. At the end, Robin Williams, playing the neurologist, sums up the lessons of the summer, and says this:
“Another awakening took place. The human spirit is more powerful than any drug, and that is what needs to be nourished. Work, play, friendship, family. These are things that matter. This is what we’ve forgotten. The simplest things.”
Geoffsnook
Great movie. I probably saw the movie like 15 years ago. I was simply amazed that the folks in a catatonic state could react and actually catch and throw objects. Makes you wonder how aware some folks in those states are. I know this had nothing to do with your post. But I just thought it was an amazing movie. Even when I was a teenager!
Gus/Adri
Adri said we watched it a long time ago, but I can’t remember. It’s on order from library.gus