“Everyone with a brain is at risk for Alzheimer’s.” (Facts and Figures)
Alzheimer’s Disease is defined as a common form of dementia with memory loss and the loss of other intellectual abilities.
Odell Public Library and Odell Public Library Friends will offer both an award-winning film, “Still Alice,” and a discussion led by Nancy Sweitzer from the Dixon Chapter of Alzheimer’s. The program will be on Sunday afternoon, October 18, 2015, beginning at 1:30 p.m. in Odell’s Program Room. This message matters to all of us, because this disease has touched all of us–either with family members or friends.
2015 Oscar winner Julianne Moore, playing the part of Alice, delivers a performance of power and grace as Dr. Alice Howland. She is an esteemed professor of linguistics, who finds she is suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. At the film’s beginning, it seems 50-year-old Alice has everything: a loving husband, a distinguished career, and three grown children. She radiates confidence and competence. But soon, the words that have so fascinated her begin to elude her. She becomes disoriented on her daily jog around campus. She starts losing things and forgetting scheduled events.
A visit to a neurologist reveals that Alice has a rare form of Alzheimer’s, and it is genetic. Because she is so intelligent, she’s able to play tricks on her brain and find shortcuts to mask her illness. But soon, the bottom drops out from underneath her. It is heartbreaking to watch.
“Still Alice” is about how she reacts to her deterioration, reassesses it, and finds ways to cope. This is not done with quiet dignity at all times. But the story is also about how her family reacts to her in unexpected ways. Heartfelt, emotional, and with realism this family struggles to understand what is happening.
On a sobering and poignant note, the co-director of the film was himself diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He is all too familiar with the struggle to remain creative and vital. The fact that this is a personal story, sincerely told and filled with hope, shines through the movie.
In addition, Nancy Sweitzer from the Dixon Chapter of Alzheimer’s will answer questions and distribute educational material. This is a subject that is all too real. However, it is one that cannot be ignored.