A couple of years ago I wrote a blog about the novel Still Alice, which explored early onset Alzheimers for an esteemed university psychologist. It is a thoughtful novel and deserved to be a bestseller. Now it is a motion picture starring Julianne Moore as the professor. Every review praises Moores performance even though some feel the rest of the film is uneven. The New York Times review offers these comments:
...one of the tragedies of Alzheimer’s for the friends and family of the afflicted person is that the sufferer seems present and absent at the same time. “Still Alice” examines both the philosophical and emotional aspects of this paradoxical situation, and the principal vehicle for the inquiry is Ms. Moore’s exquisitely nuanced performance. From the early scenes, when brief memory lapses signal that something is wrong, through the subsequent deterioration of her cognitive ability, she conveys both the collapse of Alice’s inner world and the panic it causes.
Will I go to see Still Alice? I'm not sure. Dementia is such a prevalent aspect of ministry as congregations age and it has been for me. The way we address this miserable reality is a sign of our Christian compassion and love. Now a beloved aunt is descending deeper into Alzheimer's and her sunny personality is disappearing. I'm not sure that I want to see the film,although Moore's performance pique's my curiosity.
How about you? Will you go see it? Do you have loved ones living with dementia? What about the role of the church
Ordinarily, I would probably want to see this too, but unfortunately my Mom is going through delirium/dementia and has been hospitalized for over a month. It really seemed to come on quite suddenly, with some very eerie and bizarre delusions.
ReplyDeleteI think I will give this one a pass.
My friend, who was visiting this past weekend, read this book a couple of years ago, and is now dealing with her mother's dementia... I think it helped her to know what to expect and how better to deal with it...
ReplyDeleteI did read this book a few years ago and found it very helpful in understanding early onset Alzheimers. It was also interesting to read of the children's interaction with their Mother's illness. I enjoy Julianne Moore's acting and will definitely go to see this movie. We are on the cusp of dealing with a family member who is at this stage in her life and it is so hard to see the confusion in her eyes when she can't remember. One of the ladies I visit at the nursing home has dementia and seems only present physically yet her smile and gentle manner portrays the very special lady she is and was, so sad for the family to see their loved one slip away. I know first hand that whatever our Church does in their role of assisting the patient and their family is deeply appreciated. These are people who led a vibrant life with their families and in the community, they were there for us and now we need to be there for them.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all three of you for your comments. Your last sentence is so true Doreen.
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