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{{Infobox film
| name           = Lorenzo's Oil
| image          = Lorenzos Oil movie.jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[George Miller (filmmaker)|George Miller]]
| producer       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Doug Mitchell (film producer)|Doug Mitchell]]
* George Miller
}}
| writer         = {{Plainlist|
* George Miller
* [[Nick Enright]]
}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Nick Nolte]]
* [[Susan Sarandon]]
* [[Peter Ustinov]]
* [[Zack O'Malley Greenburg]]
}}
| cinematography = [[John Seale]]
| editing        = {{Plainlist|
* [[Richard Francis-Bruce]]
* [[Marcus D'Arcy]]
}}
| studio         = [[Kennedy Miller Mitchell|Kennedy Miller]]
| distributor    = [[Universal Pictures]]
| released       = {{Film date|1992|12|30|United States|1993|02|26|United Kingdom}}
| runtime        = 129 minutes
| country        = {{Plainlist|
* Australia
* United States
}}
| language       = {{Plainlist|
* English
* Italian
}}
| budget         = $30 million
| gross          = $7.2 million<ref name="mojo" />
|rating={{PG-13}}}}

'''''Lorenzo's Oil''''' is a 1992 American [[Drama film|drama]] film directed and co-written by [[George Miller (filmmaker)|George Miller]]. It is based on the true story of [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Augusto and Michaela Odone]], parents who search for a cure for their son [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Lorenzo]]'s [[adrenoleukodystrophy]] (ALD), leading to the development of [[Lorenzo's oil]]. The film was shot in [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]], primarily from September 1991 to February 1992.<ref>{{cite news | title= Pittsburgh - City lands good share of movies| url= https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=V19cAAAAIBAJ&pg=1397%2C300980|date= 10 December 1995|work= The Vindicator}}</ref> It had a limited release in North America on December 30, 1992, with a nationwide release two weeks later, on January 15, 1993. Though it was a box office disappointment, grossing $7.2 million against its $30 million budget, the film was generally well received by the critics and garnered two nominations at the [[65th Academy Awards]].

==Plot==
[[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Lorenzo]] is a bright and vibrant young boy living in the [[Comoro Islands]], as his father [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Augusto Odone]] works for the [[World Bank]] and is stationed there. However, after relocating with his parents to the United States, he begins to show signs of neurological problems (such as falling, loss of hearing, tantrums, etc.). The boy is diagnosed as having [[adrenoleukodystrophy]] (ALD), which is fatal within two years. Failing to find a doctor capable of treating their son's rare disease, Augusto and his wife, [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Michaela]], set out on a mission to find a treatment to save their son. In their quest, the Odones clash with doctors, scientists and a support group that is skeptical that anything could be done about ALD, much less by laypeople. But they persist, setting up camp in medical libraries, reviewing animal experiments, enlisting the aid of Professor Gus Nikolais, badgering researchers, questioning top doctors all over the world and even organizing an international symposium about the disease.

Despite research dead-ends, the horror of watching their son's health decline and being surrounded by skeptics (including the coordinators of the support group they attend), they persist until they finally hit upon a possible therapy. The Odones sponsor an international meeting of scientists doing research on ALD, requiring two conditions ahead of time. First they insist that the meeting focus on potential treatments and second, they require that they be allowed to participate, despite being non-scientist laypeople. The pivotal scene in the movie portrays this meeting, in which the scientists are presenting their research. When Dr. William B. Rizzo mentions his studies in which the addition of oleic acid to cultured cells blocked accumulation of the factors which cause ALD, the Odones jump into the conversation, asking if this [[Lorenzo's oil|oil might help their son]]. Although the scientists play down their hope, pointing out that it would take years of work to produce the oil and test in clinical trials, the Odones seize the promise of this possible curative treatment. As the scene ends, Michaela Odone is shown beginning the effort to find someone able and willing to produce the same oil Dr. Rizzo gave to his cells. They contact over 100 firms around the world until they find an elderly British chemist, Don Suddaby, who is working for [[Croda International]] and is willing to take on the challenge of distilling the proper formula.

The Odones obtain a precious vial of the oil (actually containing two specific [[long chain fatty acids]], isolated from [[rapeseed oil]] and [[olive oil]]) and add it to their son's diet. This treatment proves successful in normalizing the accumulation of the very long chain fatty acids (which had been causing their son's steady decline), as measured in blood levels. This treatment halts the progression of his disease and is dubbed "Lorenzo's Oil". This oil is soon found to be successful in preventing the progression of harm in other patients with ALD. Meanwhile, Lorenzo has a great deal of neurological damage, and the Odones are dismayed to see that the oil can reverse their son's symptoms only very, very slowly. The Odones realize that more rapid improvement of his son's severe condition will require treatments to repair the [[myelin sheath]] (a [[lipid]] insulator) around the nerves, and Augusto is shown taking on the new challenge of organizing [[The Myelin Project|biomedical efforts to heal myelin damage in patients]].

Finally, Lorenzo, at the age of 14, shows definite improvement (swallowing for himself and answering "yes" or "no" questions by blinking) and it is revealed that he has regained his sight, can move his head from side to side, vocalize simple sounds and is learning to use a computer. The movie ends with scenes of ALD patients who were treated with Lorenzo's Oil earlier in the course of their disease. In these patients the devastating neurological degeneration from which Lorenzo suffered was able to be prevented.

==Cast==
* [[Nick Nolte]] as [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Augusto Odone]]
* [[Susan Sarandon]] as [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Michaela Odone]]
* [[Zack O'Malley Greenburg]] as [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Lorenzo Odone]]
* [[Peter Ustinov]] as [[Hugo Moser (scientist)|Professor Gus Nikolais]]
* [[Kathleen Wilhoite]] as Deirdre Murphy
* [[Gerry Bamman]] as Doctor Judalon
* [[Margo Martindale]] as Wendy Gimble
* [[James Rebhorn]] as Ellard Muscatine
* [[Ann Hearn]] as Loretta Muscatine
* [[Rocco Sisto]] as Murphy Family
* Carmen Piccini as [[Cristina Odone]]
* Maduka Steady as Omouri
* Mary Wakio as Comorian Teacher
* Don Suddaby as himself
* Colin Ward as Jake Gimble
* [[LaTanya Richardson|La Tanya Richardson]] as Nurse Ruth
* [[Jennifer Dundas]] as Nurse Nancy Jo
* William Cameron as Pellerman
* [[Peter Mackenzie]] as Immunosuppression Doctor
* [[Laura Linney]] as Young Teacher
* [[Elizabeth Daily]] as vocal effects for [[Augusto, Michaela, and Lorenzo Odone|Lorenzo]] 
* Eliot Brinton as William B. Rizzo, original discoverer of Lorenzo's oil

==Production==
Principal photography for ''Lorenzo's Oil'' began on September 9, 1991 in [[Ben Avon, Pennsylvania]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Blank|first1=Ed|title=Producer excited about Ben Avon as site for movie 'Lorenzo's Oil'|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19910831&id=vfkjAAAAIBAJ&pg=5983,8208963|access-date=May 12, 2015|work=[[Pittsburgh Press]]|date=August 31, 1991}}</ref>

Possibly to emphasize the “everyman" aspect of the plot (the notion that a cure could affect families and individuals anywhere), many smaller roles were played by inexperienced actors or non-actors with unusual physical features and mannerisms. For example, the poet [[James Merrill]] was noticed by a casting director at a New York public reading of his poetry. His rarefied speaking cadences were utilized in a symposium scene in which he played a questioning doctor.

===Music===
The film uses [[Gregorio Allegri|Allegri]]'s [[Miserere (Allegri)|Miserere]], [[Edward Elgar]]'s cello concerto, as well as [[Samuel Barber|Barber]]'s [[Adagio for Strings]] and [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]]'s [[Ave verum corpus (Mozart)|Ave verum corpus K.618]].

The opening song is "Kijana Mwana Mwali" ([[Swahili language|Swahili]], "Song about a Young Lady"), sung by the Gonda Traditional Entertainers.

A 1960 recording of [[Maria Callas]] with the [[La Scala]] orchestra and chorus is heard singing selections from Bellini's ''[[Norma (opera)|Norma]]'' at several points.

The music for the Easter Midnight Mass scene is a [[Russian Orthodox Church]] hymn, "Bogoroditse Devo" (Rejoice, O Virgin) from "Three Choruses from 'Tsar Feodor Ioannovich'", taken from the album ''Sacred Songs of Russia'' by [[Gloriae Dei Cantores]].

Other music include [[Samuel Barber|Barber]]'s [[Agnus Dei (Barber)|Agnus Dei]] and [[Gustav Mahler|Mahler]]'s [[Symphony No. 5 (Mahler)|Symphony No. 5]].

==Reception==

===Critical response===
[[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun Times]]'' gave the film four out of four stars and called it an "immensely moving and challenging movie", adding that "it was impossible not to get swept up in it."<ref>{{cite news |title=Lorenzo's Oil |work=[[Chicago Sun Times]] |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19930115/REVIEWS/301150303/1023 |url-status=dead |access-date=2010-11-21 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121010052213/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F19930115%2FREVIEWS%2F301150303%2F1023 |archive-date=2012-10-10}}</ref> [[James Berardinelli]] of ReelViews gave it three out of four stars and claimed, "it was about the war for knowledge and the victory of hope through perseverance."<ref>{{cite news|title= Lorenzo's Oil |work= [[ReelViews]]|url= http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/l/lorenzos.html|access-date=2010-11-21}}</ref>

[[Review aggregator|Review aggregation]] website [[Rotten Tomatoes]] retrospectively collected reviews from 40 critics to give the film a score of 93%, with an average rating of 7.10/10, {{as of|2023|May|lc=y|df=}}. The website's consensus reads, "A harrowing tribute to the heroism of parental love, ''Lorenzo's Oil'' is kept from abject misery by George Miller's sensitive direction and outstanding performances from Nick Nolte and Susan Sarandon."<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/lorenzos_oil/ |title = Lorenzo's Oil |website = [[Rotten Tomatoes]] |access-date=2022-04-01 }}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a weighted average score of 80 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web |title=Lorenzo's Oil Reviews |url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/lorenzos-oil |work=[[Metacritic]] |publisher=[[CBS Interactive]] |access-date=April 2, 2022 }}</ref> Audiences polled by [[CinemaScore]] gave the film a grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |title=LORENZO'S OIL (1991) A |work= [[CinemaScore]] |url-status= dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20181220122629/https://www.cinemascore.com/publicsearch/index/title/ |archive-date= 2018-12-20 }}</ref>

===Medical response===
Though the film seemed to accurately portray the events related to the boy's condition and his parents' efforts during the time period covered by the film, it was criticized for falsely painting a picture of a miracle cure. Subsequent research with Lorenzo's oil has not clearly proven its long-term effectiveness in treating ALD after its onset. The actual subject of the film, Lorenzo Odone, died of pneumonia in May 2008 at the age of 30, having lived two decades longer than originally predicted by doctors.<ref>{{cite news|title= Lorenzo loses battle for life but legacy of hope lives on|work= [[The Guardian]]|date=31 May 2008|publisher=Guardian News and Media Ltd|url= https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/jun/01/medicalresearch.genetics|access-date=2012-10-11}}</ref>

[[Hugo Moser (scientist)|Hugo Moser]], on whom the character of Professor Nikolais was based, called the film's portrayal of him "an abomination".<ref name=MoserObit>{{cite news|title= Hugo Moser, 82; neurologist's portrayal in 'Lorenzo's Oil' belied his real character|work= [[Los Angeles Times]]|date=26 January 2007|url= https://articles.latimes.com/2007/jan/26/local/me-moser26|access-date=2017-05-07}}</ref>

===Box office===
The film grossed $7,286,388 domestically with a budget of around $30 million.<ref name="mojo">{{cite web |title=Lorenzo's Oil |url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=lorenzosoil.htm |publisher=[[Box Office Mojo]] |access-date=24 September 2012}}</ref>

===Accolades===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|-
! Award
! Category
! Nominee(s)
! Result
! Ref.
|-
| rowspan="2"| [[65th Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| [[Susan Sarandon]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center" rowspan="2"| <ref name="Oscars1993">{{Cite news|url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993 |title=The 65th Academy Awards (1993) Nominees and Winners |access-date=22 October 2011 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109220926/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1993 |archive-date=9 November 2014}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen]]
| [[George Miller (filmmaker)|George Miller]] and [[Nick Enright]]
| {{nom}}
|-
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Awards 1992|Chicago Film Critics Association Awards]]
| [[Chicago Film Critics Association Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| rowspan="4"| Susan Sarandon
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://chicagofilmcritics.org/awards-blog/archives |title=1988-2013 Award Winner Archives |website=[[Chicago Film Critics Association]] |date=January 2013 |access-date=24 August 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[50th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama|Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama]]
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/lorenzos-oil |title=Lorenzo's Oil – Golden Globes |website=[[HFPA]] |access-date=5 July 2021 |ref={{harvid|HFPA|1993}}}}</ref>
|-
| [[1992 National Society of Film Critics Awards|National Society of Film Critics Awards]]
| [[National Society of Film Critics Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| {{draw|2nd Place}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://nationalsocietyoffilmcritics.com/about-2/ |title=Past Awards |website=[[National Society of Film Critics]] |date=19 December 2009 |access-date=5 July 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[1992 New York Film Critics Circle Awards|New York Film Critics Circle Awards]]
| [[New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| Runner-up
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nyfcc.com/awards/?awardyear=1992 |title=1992 New York Film Critics Circle Awards |website=[[New York Film Critics Circle]] |access-date=July 5, 2021}}</ref>
|-
| [[45th Writers Guild of America Awards|Writers Guild of America Awards]]
| [[Writers Guild of America Award for Best Original Screenplay|Best Screenplay – Written Directly for the Screen]]
| George Miller and Nick Enright
| {{nom}}
| align="center"| <ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551|title=Awards Winners|work=wga.org|publisher=Writers Guild of America|archive-url=https://archive.today/20121205095022/http://www.wga.org/awards/awardssub.aspx?id=1551|archive-date=2012-12-05|access-date=2010-06-06}}</ref>
|}

Also, the film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2006: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers]]&nbsp;– Nominated<ref>{{cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Cheers Nominees |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/cheers300.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313150517/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/cheers300.pdf |archive-date=March 13, 2011 |access-date=2016-08-14 |website=[[AFI's 100 Years...100 Movies]]}}</ref>

==See also==
*  ''[[Voglia di vivere]]'', a 1990 Italian television film depicting the same story.
*  ''Lorenzo'', a song by [[Phil Collins]], released on the 1996 album ''[[Dance into the Light]]'', is based on a poem Michaela Odone wrote about Lorenzo.
* ''[[Extraordinary Measures (film)|Extraordinary Measures]]'', a 2010 film depicting the true story of another set of parents' struggle to find a cure for their children's rare disease.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{IMDb title|0104756}}

[[Category:1992 films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1992 drama films]]
[[Category:Drama films based on actual events]]
[[Category:Directed by George Miller]]
[[Category:Produced by George Miller]]
[[Category:Films set in the Comoros]]
[[Category:Films set in Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Films shot in Pittsburgh]]
[[Category:Medical-themed films]]
[[Category:Universal Pictures films]]
[[Category:Produced by Doug Mitchell]]
[[Category:Films with screenplays by George Miller]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1980s]]
[[Category:Films set in the 1990s]]
[[Category:Films about mother–son relationships]]
[[Category:Films about father–son relationships]]
[[Category:American drama films]]
[[Category:American films based on actual events]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]
[[Category:Films about disability]]
[[Category:Starring Nick Nolte]]
[[Category:Starring Susan Sarandon]]