Movies Depicting Alzheimer's Disease

Photo by Simon Shek. 

Alzheimer's Disease radically interferes with a person's life. Scientists and health care professionals have done much to gather information and to offer support.

Hollywood has responded as well.  Filmmakers have already portrayed Alzheimer Disease in a number of films in this century. With the number of older adults increasing in the next three decades, I expect we'll see more and more depictions of dementia on screen.

Here are just a few to consider. (Last updated May 6, 2013 to add Age-Old Friends. )

Robot & Frank (2012). Retired jewel thief Frank (played by Frank Langella) lives by himself and is having a few memory issues. His son brings him an electronic personal assistant--a robot.  Soon Frank figures out a way to have the robot help him return to his old ways, but not without complications.

A Separation (2011).  This film from Iran doesn't use Alzheimer's as the central conflict, but it plays a significant role that is carried through the entire film. A couple is separating and considering a divorce. The husband's father has Alzheimer's and requires a caregiver. The adult son hires a woman caregiver, setting of a series of conflicts that grow more and more complex as the film progresses.

Iron Lady (2011).  This biopic of Margaret Thatcher's political life is framed by her experience with vascular dementia (brought on by a series of strokes) in her final years.  Thatcher (played by Meryl Streep) reminisces about her past through conversations with her beloved late husband Denis (played by Jim Broadbent).

All Together (2011). A French film featuring an ensemble cast of seasoned actors (including American actresses Jane Fonda and Geraldine Chaplin). The actors range from age 66 to age 82 at the time of release.  Two married couple and a confirmed bachelor have been friends for more than 40 years.  When health and memory problems plague a few of the members, they decide to live in the largest house owned by one of the couples.  Complexities emerge, some of them age-related, some of them borne from personality conflicts, some from long-held secrets.

Poetry (2010). Winner of Best Screenplay at the Cannes for its year, this film from S. Korea dwells very little on the character's new diagnosis of Alzheimer's. The conflict focuses more on the misdeeds of her grandson. However, she has compounding limitations when trying to marshal resources in response. I have a feeling that the diagnosis contributed to the film's ending, but it's only implied.

Lovely, Still (2008).  Artist Robert Malone (played by Martin Landau) meets a lovely woman his age named Mary (played by Ellen Burstyn)  For the first half of the film, you watch him stumble through asking her on some dates and meeting her family. As the film progresses, you learn that Alzheimer's Disease threatens the relationship and causes chaos for them both.  

Away from Her (2006).  This film was based on a short story "The Bear Came over the Mountain" by Alice Munro, who won the Man Booker Prize for the body of her work. Starring Julie Christie, Gordon Pinset and Olympia Dukakis, Away from Her shows how isolating Alzheimer's Disease can be for the caregiving spouse.  In early stages of the disease, the person with the diagnosis usually struggles much with anxiety and depression. However, once a person moves to late-stage dementia, they have little awareness of what they have lost. It's the spouse who struggles more to relate to a person who no longer remembers them.  

The plot device that claims spouses can't visit for 30 days bugs me. That's not realistic. Nevertheless, I can see why the screenwriter did it. This gap in time between visits helps dramatize how dementia alters relationships -- even long-term marriages -- in ways that seem unfathomable. 

Aurora Borealis (2005). Donald Sutherland plays a supporting role as a grandfather with Parkinson's and a growing case of dementia.  His increased dependency presents challenges for his wife, his grandson but primarily for himself as he struggles with depression and suicidal ideation.

Iris (2001).  This film is biographical, based on the the life of British novelist Iris Murdock as described in  her husband John Bayley's memoir, An Elegy for Iris.  The film spans decades, so it's not solely about the way Alzheimer's Disease changed their relationship.  Nevertheless, by first seeing her manner in the years prior to onset, the film gives the viewers a greater understanding of how dementia altered Iris.  Wonderful performances by Kate Winslet as the younger Iris and Judi Dench as the mature Iris.  Jim Broadbent deservingly won an Academy Award for his supporting role as the mature John Bayley. 

Age-Old Friends (1989). Hume Cronyn stars as John Cooper the anti-hero in this play-turned-film about a widower pushing back hard against the realities of age. He lives in an assisted living center where he jokes around with his best friend Michael Aylott (Vincent Gardenia) to demonstrate that they are still "doing fine, can't complain."  Over a series of a few weeks, marked by Sunday visits by his daughter, Cooper's tenacious grip on life starts to loosen.  How will he manage the ever-changing challenges of aging? 

No available trailer.

Others I haven't' viewed yet:

• Amour (2012)
• Terri (2011)
• Barney's Version (2010)
• Happy Tears (2009)
• Diminished Capacity (2008) 
• U Me Aur Hum (2008)
• Choke (2008)
• The Savages (2007)
• Memories of Tomorrow (2006) Japanese 
• Sundowning (2005)
• The Notebook (2004)
• A Moment to Remember (2004)
• Quick Brown Fox (2004)
• Memory of a Killer (2003)
• A Time To Remember (2003)
• Firefly Dreams (2001)
• A Song for Martin (2001) 
• Son of the Bride (2001)
• Safe House (2000)
• Going Home (1999)
• Murder or Mercy (1987)

If you have others to recommend or if you want to suggest which of the films in the list above I should see next, please leave a comment.

Related:

Register with API for Information on Alzheimer's
Films Featuring Older Adults
Prevalence of Dementia and Diagnostic Tools
Is It Dementia or Delirium?
Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)