Still Alice

 
 Still Alice is a story about a woman who develops early onset Alzheimer's disease. When Alice discovers that she is losing her memory, she, her family, and her colleagues are stunned. It seemed like she had everything together and under control; she was a brilliant linguistics professor, a fit and athletic runner, a healthy eater. In addition, she had a loving and supportive relationship with her husband and children, who were as smart and successful as herself. In short, her life was marked by every indicator of success and long life. Still Alice chronicles her decline as she succumbs to the effects of her disease.

If you haven't seen this movie, there are spoilers coming. Just skip down to the end for the rating and caveat specatator if you don't want to know about the story ahead of time.

The first main focus of the movie is Alice's personal struggle to accept what is happening to her. Alice's condition deteriorates very quickly. I'm a little confused about the timeline (I think it skips over a whole at least once), but it is still a very short period of time. At the beginning of the movie, she is only starting to forget the occasional word or getting lost on her own campus. By the end of the movie, she often does not remember where things are and occasionally does not recognize her own family members. In the last scene, her condition has deteriorated so much that she can barely speak.

The other main focus is the support her family gives her. Alice's family is loves her very much. This does not mean that they are always patient with her; on the contrary, they are sometimes so upset about what is happening that they erupt in angry shouting. But more often, they are there to help her when she loses things or when she wets herself as she gets lost in her own house looking for the bathroom or just when she needs someone to weep with her. Alice's husband is there for her at every point, showing her truly selfless love. Her youngest daughter turns out to be the most supportive of the children, going all the way to put her acting career on hold to stay with her mom. This is something of a surprise, because Lydia had always kind of been viewed as a loser by her older siblings due to her refusal to go to college. Unfortunately, the movie did not develop Lydia's role as much I would have liked. Kristen Stewart actually wasn't terrible in this role (a pleasant surprise given her reputation in Twilight) and it would have given her a chance to shine a little more. But more importantly, it could have developed her relationship with her mom a little more.

Still Alice struck a note with me because my great-grandfather had Alzheimer's disease when I was a child. I can barely remember a time before Grandpa had Alzheimer's disease (much like Alice's twin grandchildren will never know her without the disease if she lives long enough for them to get to know her), but I do remember how he declined as time went by. I remember him yelling at my Grandmother (his primary caregiver) and never seeming to know who anyone was. It took a serious toll on everyone around him, especially my Grandma. Alzheimer's has always kind of terrified me ever since. I almost think I would rather have any ailment than lose my mental capacity. Alice talks about how much she relied on her intellect and tells her husband "I wish I had cancer!" And she's right – society looks much more highly on those who suffer a debilitating disease that hurts their body than one that makes a person lose their mind.

The terror of Alzheimer's is really the terror of death. We can try to keep our minds in tip-top shape, our bodies trim, and our diet the most nutritious and healthy, but in the end death catches us. And it is happens with no regard to our best attempts to delay it. Our attempts to be in control of our lives are the façade we use to convince ourselves that we will be the exception, that we will never die. Still Alice ends with Alice surrounded by love, but it is still a tragedy. Alice's bright mind is gone forever, at least in this life. It doesn't have to be a tragedy, however. For the Christian, even the loss of our minds is a temporary loss, a brief waiting for the moment when "everything sad [is] going to come untrue."

I really enjoyed this movie. Julianne Moore was especially brilliant. Her portrayal of the ups and downs, the sorrow, and the fear of descending into the fog is touching. I also appreciated the affirmation of life – Alice at one point attempts to escape Alzheimer's through death. This fails and the film attempts to show that she is still part of her family and is still loved; in essence that she is still valued and is, despite all the changes and losses, still Alice.

Rating: 4.5

Not quite a 5 since this is not a movie I'm going to watch over and over, but I loved it, especially Julianne Moore's performance. Very thought provoking.

Caveat Spectator:

There is definitely some language in this movie as well as a brief sexual conversation between a husband and wife. Common Sense Media and IMDB say there is brief nudity ("side of woman's butt"), but it must have been very brief because I didn't notice it.