Week 2 - Awakenings

Awakenings

Plot 

This film touches the lives of Dr. Sayer and people with normal lives whom have had their lives and freedom taken away from them by catatonia, and are given a second chance at life only to be taken away again in a short while. For me, this film touches many themes as it follows the growth and transformation of Dr. Sayer.

Dr. Malcom Sayer

Dr. Sayer is portrayed to be clumsy, nervous, forgetful, shy, lacking in confidence, all over the place, all in all, an introverted man who is hungry for knowledge.

When interviewed for the position of a doctor at a chronic hospital, he showed up, apologized and packed as he mentions that he is a researcher and not a doctor “doctor” in the interview. It was clear that he would not have gotten the job if one of the interviewers did not insist.

Limiting Belief

One of his beliefs is that he is not good with people. He thinks and feels that people are not predictable and that it’s hard to communicate with them. That’s why he may have consciously or unconsciously avoided social interactions.

Learned Helplessness

Dr. Sayer may have a case of learned helplessness towards making a human connection with people around him outside of work.

He eats alone every day in his little comfort zone, and has no change in his approach to socializing. How is he expected to make a meaningful connection if he eats alone and does everything alone?

Maybe his past experiences with people may have contributed and conditioned him that trying to connect with someone is too hard for him and that’s when he stopped trying.

When offered an invitation for coffee by a beautiful and caring nurse, he denied it and didn’t take the chance. A woman was interested in him and he could not even see it because of his belief, creating a phenomena similar to a scotoma.

Hunger for Knowledge

Many patients were classified as having an “Atypical Dementia”, where one has no will of one’s own, and that’s all. Dr. Sayer tried to take it a step further, to understand them, asking “What is it like to be them?”

For a man with limiting beliefs of his own capacity to connect with others, he certainly shows strong empathy as well. He took the extra mile and asked Leonard’s mother of his condition and her experience with this type of dementia.

He also spent many nights looking through files of these patients, and nothing seemed to connect. That is, until he rested and had an insight to the cause of the disease. Perhaps incubation played a role on this sudden revelation of his.

Ethical Concerns

He got news of a new drug called L-dopa which is used to help patients with Parkinson’s after connecting the dots, he hypothesizes that it may help his catatonic patients. He wants to cure his patients, but he doesn’t know if it would work. 

His supervisor mentioned to “Let the Chemists do the damage”, 

but he still insisted on giving it a try.

Even though he has many hours of research put into this hypothesis, I still find myself asking many questions.

" What happens if it doesn’t work? "

" What happens if it does? "

" What happens if it worsens the patient’s condition? "

" What happens if it heals them completely? "

" What happens if it were to heal them but only for a while? "

The Four Lettered Word - Hope

After Dr. Sayer explained to Leonard’s mother about what L-Dopa has to possibly offer Leonard, that it is a new drug, and it has not been tested on cathartic patients before, Leonard’s mother decided to bet on the drug, on Dr. Sayer, and on hope itself. Hope that this drug is able to bring her child back to her.

Ethical Concerns - Part II.

Dr. Sayer increased the dosage of L-Dopa on Leonard after his mother left the hospital. At this point of time, it was a gamble with a person’s life. But it worked! If he didn’t, Leonard may not be given a second chance at life like he was.

Again, the question “What if it didn’t work?” popped up.

Leonard Lowe

Leonard is a well mannered chap with a big heart, and in this movie, an inspiring teacher as well.

Perspective

After the "Awakening", we join Leonard as he explores the new world around him, driving down town, having ice cream, visiting the bench he carved his name on when he was younger, taking a walk, then a swim by the river, Leonard sure knows how to live life.

Leonard visited he same bench he carved his name in when he was a child. 

Instead of seeing it as he lost literally years of his life, he managed to reframe the situation and sees it as a second chance at life and is fully committed to living in the moment.  

Presence

We all know that we should appreciate life, but we sometimes take it for granted. I occasionally find myself on automatic pilot, not living purposefully, wishing that time goes by faster on some days.
I experienced the funeral phenomenon at the end of the movie, when Leonard and the rest of the patients went back into a catatonic state, it hit me that the gift of life is so precious because at the end of the day, I don't know if I will even be able to wake up tomorrow. 

I was reminded of my own mortality and that made me want to really live life. There are people who would give up so much just to be in my position, so I asked myself : 

" What am I doing with my life? "

" Is there something I've been wanting to do, but lack courage? "

" Am I giving it my all right now? "

I didn’t think much of it until I questioned myself further and it was a good wake up call for week 2 of the semester. I don't know how much time I have left, so I am committed to the following :

"I am a creator and the source of fun and loving moments,

for both myself and the ones around me."