Still Alice

Read the book, See the movie
By Regina McNamara

As many of our colleagues, employees, clients and their families are aware, my mother, Kelly ‘s grandmother, Jean Fornaci ,died of Alzheimer’s in July 2012. She would have been 88 on March 12th. We miss her every day.

Having read the book, Still Alice, shortly after its publication, I was of course anxious to see the film.

Lisa Genova, the book’s author is a Neuroscientist at Harvard with years of experience in Alzheimer’s research and an extraordinary talent of portraying so accurately the effects on both the patient as well as her family of the ravages of early onset Alzheimer s disease.

Like Ms. Genova, Alice in the film is a highly esteemed professor at an Ivy League university. As the disease slowly robs her of the ability to express herself, remember simple things and finally she suffers indignities and decline as she struggles against such a ravaging assault at her relatively young age.

Julianne Moore, clearly at her finest, portrays the heroine in all her complexity, confusion and finally, her debilitating losses.

Ms. Moore’s performance was extraordinary as was surprisingly (for me, anyway) that of the young actress Kristin Stewart who portrayed her wayward, non-conformist daughter.

The Oscar, and the Golden Globe awards were both well deserved by this magnificent actress, now in her prime. But she also left us with some important insights:

• The person with Alzheimer’s is still there. She is still the mother, the grandmother, the lover she has always been. The common misperception, that the Alzheimer’s person is “no longer my mother” (husband, sibling) is simply wrong, unfair, and unjust. As her family adjusts to allow her to enjoy as many of the activities long important to her, we all learn along with them.

• There is no easy way out of Alzheimer’s. In both the film and the book, she carefully plans but is unable to execute the “perfect” ending for herself.

• The family members who in the end are the most loving, helpful, and accepting are not always those we all assume will take on that particular role.

• The people closest to the person with Alzheimer’s as the disease progresses, may well not be a family member at all.

Julianne Moore most importantly, has put a face (and a beautiful one at that) on Alzheimer’s disease, especially early onset. She delivered a newly raised awareness to the movie audiences of the devastation as well as small moments of joy in the lives of people with Alzheimer’s and those who care for them.

We are all grateful. Bravo, Ms. Moore! ■