Awakenings Movie Psychology

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The movie “Awakenings” directed by Penny Marshall reveals the victims of an encephalitis epidemic from 1917-1928. The patients at Bainbridge Hospital in Bronx, New York 1969 are all living with a rare disease that puts them into a comatose or frozen state and completely unresponsive due from swelling of the brain. Dr. Malcolm Sayer is a driven man that attempts to awaken all of his patients, using observation, interviews, experiments and topical research he tries to find a cure. Leonard Lowe and Lucy Fishman are two of many patients that have this rare disease. Through the work of Dr.Sayer and his assistant Eleanor Costello there were able to “Awaken” all of their patients and able to bring joy back to many of the patients families, one of …show more content…

Through these Dr.Sayer was able to learn more about Encephalitis and continue to work to find a more permanent cure. Dr,Sayer gave the satisfaction to his patients of their “awakening” and getting to experience what life was like again! Not only do the patients “awaken” but it also is an awakening to Dr.Sayer and everyone influenced by Leonard nd the Encephalitis patients. Leonard says “Read the newspaper. What does it say? All bad. It's all bad. People have forgotten what life is all about. They've forgotten what it is to be alive. They need to be reminded. They need to be reminded of what they have and what they can lose. What I feel is the joy of life, the gift of life, the freedom of life, the wonderment of life!” Leonard is trying to get everyone to realize that life is so precious and we need to enjoy it while we can because you never know what life can bring your way. The human spirit is more powerful than any drug - and that is what needs to be nourished: with work, play, friendship, and family. These are the things that matter. This is what we'd forgotten - the simplest things. Dr.Sayer continued to try and find a cure for his patients none of his accomplishments were as good as the first, and never found a

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