Awakenings

The victims of an encephalitis epidemic many years ago have been catatonic ever since, but now a new drug offers the prospect of reviving them.

• Director: Penny Marshall
• Genre:Drama
• Runtime:113 minutes

Cast

Robert De Niro : Leonard Lowe
Robin Williams : Dr. Malcolm Sayer
Julie Kavner : Eleanor Costello
Ruth Nelson : Mrs. Lowe
John Heard : Dr. Kaufman

In the year 1969, Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams) is a dedicated, caring physician at a local hospital in the Bronx section of New York City. He has some social issues who finds it easy to grow close to his patients but difficult to connect with others; we witness his social awkwardness early in the film when nurse Eleanor Costello (Julie Kavner) invites Sayer out for a friendly cup of coffee, which he declines with mild discomfort, much to her confusion. We see that while the two colleagues connect easily in the professional environment, Sayer struggles with casual social acquaintance.

After working extensively with the catatonic patients who survived the 1917-1928 epidemic of encephalitis lethargica, Sayer and Eleanor discover certain things will reach beyond the patients’ respective catatonic states; actions such as catching a ball thrown at them, hearing specific genres of music, and experiencing human touch all have unique effects on particular patients and offer a glimpse into their worlds. Leonard Lowe (Robert De Niro) proves elusive in this regard, prompting Sayer to visit Leonard’s mother (Ruth Nelson) at home to better understand his patient. A daily visitor and carer for Leonard, she tells Sayer that Leonard had been an avid reader during much of his pre-catatonic early confinement with the encephalitis. Sayer soon discovers that by using a Ouija board with Leonard’s hands on the planchette and Sayer’s hands on top, Leonard is able to communicate. He spells out “RILKE PANTHER”, and on a hunch Sayer heads to the local library and discovers a book of Rainer Maria Rilke poems, one of which is entitled “The Panther.” Sayer is more determined than ever to find a breakthrough to help his patients return to reality.

After attending a lecture at a local university on the subject of the L-Dopa drug and its success with patients suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, Sayer believes the drug may offer a breakthrough for his own group of patients. A trial run with Leonard Lowe yields astounding results as Leonard completely “awakens” from his catatonic state; this success inspires Sayer to ask for funding from donors so that all the catatonic patients can receive the L-Dopa medication and experience “awakenings” back to reality. Indeed, the patients “awaken” seemingly en masse after receiving the drug as the hospital staff scrambles to manage the care of what is effectively a completely different group of patients, each with their own personality and care needs. The staff help the patients come to terms with the new time period they find themselves in, which is more difficult for some than for others. Read more

Watch full Awakenings online streaming for free