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Lorenzo's Oil
1992 135 min Australia PG-13 12+
★8.1
Drama
Director: George Miller
Trailers
EN
EN
Description
Lorenzo Odone, a Virginia 5-year-old, develops a degenerative nerve disease so rare that nobody is working on a cure, so his parents decide to immerse themselves in research and tackle the problem themselves.
Budget:
$30M
US Gross:
$7.29M
Worldwide:
$7.3M
Starring
Nick Nolte
Actor
Susan Sarandon
Actor
Peter Ustinov
Actor
Awards
Golden Globe 1993
— Best Actress (Drama)
Academy Awards 1993
— Best Actress
Academy Awards 1993
— Best Screenplay
Key opinion
Lorenzo's Oil is widely regarded as a harrowing yet deeply life-affirming drama that chronicles the real-life struggle of parents fighting a terminal diagnosis. While the film is praised for its documentary-like realism and emotional intensity, critics and audiences remain conflicted over its moral framing of suffering.
| Acting | Susan Sarandon delivers a raw, layered, and haunting performance that serves as the emotional anchor for the film. | |
| Direction | George Miller’s commitment to documentary-style realism and meticulous scientific detail provides an authentic, grounded foundation for the medical drama. | |
| Emotion | The film effectively balances a heavy, devastating portrayal of a child's decline with a hopeful, life-affirming conclusion. | |
| Acting | The acting of Nick Nolte is a point of contention, with some viewers finding his performance powerful and expressive, while others find his portrayal of the father less convincing. | |
| Theme | The film’s unflinching naturalism is divisive; while many find it essential to the story's gravity, others feel it borders on exploitative or hides a questionable moral agenda. |