Here, ill share with you what i know, what i continue to learn, and any wisdom, questions, or comfort i find along the way from people touched by alzheimers and this book s journey. In fact, the way its filmed beautifully parallels the way the book is written. In this sense, she has ceased to be alice oftheworld and becomes alice outsidetheworld. This is especially true when comparing still alice to a couple of recent films that have tackled the same territory. Damn she doesnt even need to look at the book anymore. The film accurately portrays many of the signs across the three stages of alzheimers. Still alice is in this respect a companion piece to surgeon atul gawandes recent being mortal. Lisa genovas writing of alices experience rings so true to me as a mere observer. Still alice is a 2014 american independent drama film written and directed by richard glatzer and wash westmoreland and based on lisa genovas bestselling 2007 novel of. Now, her cognition all but gone, alice watches the video on her computer. Other aspects of her life are equally storybook perfect. Terrifying, yes, but not depressing, and surprisingly beautiful. The movie is based on neuroscientist lisa genovas novel about a. On this front, still alice actually provides reassurance.
Acclaimed as the oliver sacks of fiction and the michael crichton of brain science, lisa genova is the new york times bestselling author of still alice, left neglected, love anthony, and inside the obriens. It is rated pg and is an adapted screenplay written by the directors richard glatzer and wash. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a. When words begin to escape her and she starts becoming lost on her daily jogs, alice must come facetoface with a devastating diagnosis. Alice, who wants only the best for her, pressures her to go to college, but lydia will not change her plans. Alice howland, played by julianne moore, was diagnosed with alzheimers disease at the young age of fifty. Piles it on, not to cleanse or beautify, but to erase. I found this novel to be utterly convincing and absorbing. Still alice is a good film, but it feels as if there was a great film somewhere within, waiting for a better screenplay to find it. Im not a person with dementia but have met people with dementia including people with early onset dementiawhat is known as younger onset dementia yod here in australia. Sarah polley s haunting away from her and michael haneke s unflinching amour. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she. Although not known for daring cinematic fireworks or experimentation, the directors tackle a subject where a.
Alice is seen unraveling, a prospect that could be very upsetting for youngermore sensitive viewers. Feb 23, 2015 alices husband spends a lot of that time away from alice. Her youngest daughter is the one that uses this time to get to know her mother, especially since their relationship has always been somewhat strained. In the end, she is the only one who treats alice as though she were still alice. To us it still looks beautiful, but to this woman whos a professor and celebrated linguist, losing words and hence her identity to alzheimers, its the face of a stranger, or perhaps a face shes no longer able. The movie still alice does not stray far from the book. Still alice remains as polite, as informed, and as cautiously compassionate as the society that it depicts. Still alice has a concentration and urgency in the telling that the other films lack. When words begin to escape her and she starts becoming lost on her daily jogs, alice must come face to face with a devastating diagnosis. Welcome to book club babble, the site for busy people who love books. Book club questions for still alice book club babble. This study guide consists of approximately 48 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of still alice.
If youre planning to see the oscarwinning movie, let me give you a spoiler alert. Alice, now struggling to even form words, communicates that the passage was about love. John finds it a month later in the freezer, but alice thinks it has only been missing for a day. Still alice is above all a mediation on the end of our lives. The author of still alice on alzheimers and why she writes about disease duration. Alice comparing cancer to alzheimers not being at all at a place in my life like alice, i still found myself connecting her life to my own. Still alice is a triumph for julianne moore, but the rest of film is. Theres a moment in still alice when julianne moore, looking at herself in the mirror, slathers her face with cream. Alec baldwin plays her husband, john, and kristen stewart, kate. Alice, a crazy workout addict who loves her coffee and perfect routine, hits her head and cant remember the last 10 years of her life including the birth of any of her three children, who posthead trauma, are just little needy strangers to her.
Stewart expresses language in its raw form, not simplified and not as if alice is too far gone to understand or appreciate. Alices husband spends a lot of that time away from alice. Still alice is shockingly accurate people living with. There was the longest silence in the cinema at the end of this film. Still alice is a 2007 novel by lisa genova, set in boston. Our final images of alice are that, although the disease has taken its toll, and her decline is inevitable, at the end of the book she is still herself, still alice. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the. Apr 10, 2015 t he most intrepid scene in the gorgeous, piercing still alice is between julianne moore and herself the heroine of lisa genovas 2007 novel is a linguistics professor, dr alice howland, who. The message seems to be, shes lost her memory and no longer recognizes her husband or her children, but shes somehow still alice, so its not so bad after all. The film stars julianne moore as alice howland, a linguistics professor diagnosed with familial alzheimers disease shortly after her 50th birthday. If you re planning to see the oscarwinning movie, let me give you a spoiler alert. Lisa genova, the author, is a trained neuroscientist who understands the science behind alzheimers from a clinical point of view, but she also comprehends the personal tragedy that accompanies one losing a loved one who is standing. This story was amazing due to the accuracy and the support alice recieved from her daughters. Still alice is a movie that addresses a nightmarish circumstance with calm, compassionate sensitivity.
But theres controversy surrounding that hopeful ending. In still alice, a professor slides into alzheimers. An accomplished linguistics professor at columbia university, alice julianne moore lives in a brainy world full of words and neural nimbleness. Alice is always loveable, and remains still alice, but towards the end of the novel, she is a very different version of the alice we first meet. When she receives a diagnosis of earlyonset alzheimers disease, alice. And, as alice s condition worsens, lydia decides to become her caregiver. When alice speaks to lydia for the last time about postsecondary, she is able to explain herself well and lydia considers what alice has to say. Alice howland, a 50yearold woman, is a cognitive psychology professor at harvard and is a worldrenowned linguistics expert. I like to consider myself an intelligent person, but i began to think about what would happen if that was all gone. Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold womans sudden descent into early onset alzheimers disease, written by firsttime author lisa genova, who holds a ph. The story begins with the books path to publication. Learn about alzheimers through the interpretation of the film still alice. Its about alice, a woman beloved by her family and. Yet another enjoyable, nondepressing book about dementia.
Parents need to know that still alice tracks the frighteningly fast progression of earlyonset alzheimers disease in alice an excellent julianne moore, a columbia university professor. Look for lisa genovas latest novel inside the obriens. Her husband, john alec baldwin, is a successful researcher and professor, too, and her children are hyperverbal overachievers except for her youngest, lydia kristen stewart, a young actress who relies on her gut as much, if not more, than her. I loved at the end of the book how alice was still a person, who could. Julianne moore kristen stewart still alice final scene. The film also provides an accurate depiction of the difficulties and. The author has done her research, and really knows her subject. Supersummary, a modern alternative to sparknotes and cliffsnotes, offers highquality study guides for challenging works of literature.
The novel is about a woman who suffers earlyonset alzheimers disease. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who. Shortly afterwards the author spoke in our area and we went to hear her. Still alice is about the life of alice howland, who is stricken with alzheimers disease. It makes sure, from the start, that we grasp the irony of alices plight. That bond is based on love and is a very spiritual act. Lisa graduated valedictorian from bates college with a degree in. Alice requests see a neurologist on her second doctors appointment.
Still alice was adapted into an oscarwinning film starring julianne moore, alec baldwin, and kristen stewart. So when her hyperlucidity goes, when the distance begins to lengthen between. John moves away to take another job to support the family and because he cant bear to see his wife get steadily worse, and lydia moves back home to care for alice. This 54page guide for still alice by lisa genova includes detailed chapter summaries and analysis covering 25 chapters, as well as several more indepth sections of expertwritten literary analysis. Differences between still alice book vs movie page 1. The character has the same name in both the book and the movie. Jul 29, 2012 i thought the ending was perfect we see alice being loved and cared for in the bosom of her family, despite the fact that ambitious john is just a weekend husband. Jan 16, 2015 now, her cognition all but gone, alice watches the video on her computer. Alice howland is a 50yearold professor of psychology at harvard university. With julianne moore, alec baldwin, kristen stewart, kate bosworth. A wwii combat veteran, he had gone to college on the gi bill, earned a degree in mechanical engineering, and. The alice in the video seems so bright and alive and intelligent. Still alice mass market paperback december 16, 2014. Still alice, propelled by the blazing artistry of moores performance, is an emotional powerhouse.
In 24 months, 49yearold harvard psychology professor alice howland exchanges the role of highachieving teacher, wife and mother of three for that of a disoriented, inarticulate, forgetful shell. But if you loved the book, if it stays with you after you finish the last page, if you talk about the book with friends and at book club, if you travel this particular road over and over, or in other words, if you practice and rehearse this information, lisa genova is the author of. Every 72 seconds another american develops alzheimers disease. Still alice is written not from the outside looking in, but from the inside looking out. I thought the ending was perfect we see alice being loved and cared for in the bosom of her family, despite the fact that ambitious john is just a weekend husband. Afterwards, alice returns to work and cant remember what she is supposed to be teaching. Jan 01, 2009 first novel efficiently showcases the experience of developing earlyonset alzheimers. The story begins with the book s path to publication. Alice wanted to discover more about lydias relationship with malcolm, but the embers of lydias emotions still glowed hot, and alice feared igniting another fight. It is rated pg and is an adapted screenplay written by the directors richard glatzer and wash westmoreland from the book still alice by lisa genova.
With a combination of power and grace, julianne moore elevates still alice above its madeforcabletelevision trappings, and delivers one of the more memorable performances of her career. The book ends with alice still living a happy life, surrounded by her family, bathed in the warmth of their love, cuddling a grandbaby in her lap. Still alice is a 2014 drama film based on the 2007 novel also titled still alice. The flat lighting, the frequent use of maudlin music, a heavy reliance on medium shots and some awkward cutaways for. After i read still alice, i wanted to stand up and tell a train full of strangers, you have to get this book. First novel efficiently showcases the experience of developing earlyonset alzheimers.
The literary agents who said genovas book wouldnt sell are wrong. And, as alices condition worsens, lydia decides to become her caregiver. Still alice book to movie still alice comes out january 16, 2015. In this one, its a mystery where the main character has. She has a husband who is a physician named john and three children, lydia, anna, and tom. Wanting to preserve their characters dignity, they dedramatize the horror, spare us the messiest and most alienating symptoms of alzheimers, allowing. John asks why she is still in cambridge because she was supposed to attend a conference in chicago. Genova goes easy on readers only in slightly scanting the rage alzheimers sufferers sometimes display. Alice howland julianne moore is a renowned linguistics professor at columbia university.
There is work to be done, but all we want to do is read. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children, is a renowned linguistics professor who starts to forget words. This deeply affecting film doesnt shy away from its depiction of a tragic and unrelenting condition. Still alice has an authentic voice and a pitchperfect tone even as alice loses control of her own words. In writing still alice, ive come to know a lot about life with alzheimers disease. T he most intrepid scene in the gorgeous, piercing still alice is between julianne moore and herself the heroine of lisa genovas 2007 novel is a linguistics professor, dr alice howland, who. The message seems to be, shes lost her memory and no longer recognizes her husband or her children, but. Still alice is a 2014 american independent drama film written and directed by richard glatzer and wash westmoreland and based on lisa genovas bestselling 2007 novel of the same name. Its about alice, a woman beloved by her family and respected by her colleagues, who in the end, is still.
The film also provides an accurate depiction of the difficulties and emotions experienced by a person with alzheimers. In the final scene, lydia reads from angels in america and asks alice what she took from it. At the end of the day, john asks why she is still in cambridge because she was supposed to attend a conference in chicago. On another level, still alice, may mean that this vibrant, ambitious, gogetter of a person who never stopped moving whether giving lectures, writing books, or preparing meals for her family, has stopped. This is no small feat, given the depth and breadth of moores filmography and her consistent ability to produce great work, from playing a porn star in boogie nights to an eccentric artist in. The eponymous title from the book by lisa genova that has been adapted by writerdirectors richard glatzer and wash westmoreland underlines the idea that alice remains alice to the end. A linguistics professor and her family find their bonds tested when she is diagnosed with alzheimers disease. Apr 14, 2017 still alice is in this respect a companion piece to surgeon atul gawandes recent being mortal. Apr 14, 2014 the author of still alice on alzheimers and why she writes about disease duration. She goes to visit her daughter lydia kristen stewart and they go out to eat.
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