Film Analysis: Still Alice

The movie Still Alice is a fantastic film based off the book written by Lisa Genova. Dr. Alice Howland who is played by Julianne Moore, is a respected, well known linguistics professor at Columbia University. She is also the author of a known and successful textbook. Alice is diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s Disease at the age of 50. While she is speaking at a presentation at ULCA she suddenly can’t find a word she is looking for to say, laughs it off, continues with her speech but also feels as if there is something just not right. Words and communication are what Alice lives for, she enjoyed playing Words With Friends and could score 66 point words! We see that her diagnosis is devastating for her. She actually admitted to her husband “I wish I had cancer instead.” (James Brown, 2014). And throughout the film, we can see why. We are able to notice signs of the disorder from the beginning of the film when Alice forgets her word to when she gets lost while jogging around Columbia’s campus which is a very familiar place for her. Throughout the …show more content…
I think it is a strong film that could change the way people see patients with any type of Alzheimer’s Disease. I was really moved by this film. The type of disease Alice has is a rare one, but it is also fatal. I honestly feel for those who have it and feel sorry that they have to forget everything they have worked for in their life. This movie actually touches apart of my heart, as I have a aunt who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s she is in her 90’s and we will be sitting there and she will say hello to everyone, but then in s few minutes ask if someone is coming over for dinner, when she just said hello to them. It saddens me every time I go to see her, knowing that she may or may not remember who I am that day. I also loved how Alice’s family supported her no matter what, even when she didn’t recognize her own daughter. But it’s like Alice said – “it’s about love.”. (James Brown,