Lorenzo's Oil

PG-13

Released Jan 15, 1993

2 hr. 15 min.

Drama

List

93%

40 Reviews

Tomatometer

80%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

True-life drama of a father and mother who battled against the odds to save their son's life. Augusto and Michaela Odone are dealt a cruel blow by fate: five-year-old Lorenzo is diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease, but the Odones' persistence and faith leads to the cure which saves their boy and re-writes medical history.

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Critics Consensus

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.

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Ilson SimÃ£o S

Chato, não consegui ver tudo

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/03/24

Full Review

Audience Member

Thought provoking but in t summary very disturbing and sometimes boring

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

bob p

Susan Sarandon delivers an unbelievable performance as the mother of child with 24 to 36 months left to live. Her performance is off the charts and the epitome of parent belief in their child regardless of the obstacles and challenges. Nolte was good too but the Italian accent was hard to hear. Hats off to a great job telling a true story of love and belief.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Very well acted and directed film surrounding a devastating disease, but stumbles from some very 90s cliches. Miller does a good job directing the whole film but I think he gets a bit lost with Nolte's character especially during the library scene when he's rushing around and has a whole chain of paperclips engulfing his desk. However, Greenberg and Sarandon do amazing jobs at portraying their characters. The seizure scenes are very hard to watch and that's due to the phenomenal performance Greenberg gives. Sarandon is also spectacular portraying Lorenzo's mother by displaying her grief, hope and paranoia as her son is taken away by this devastating disease. Sarandon was deservedly nominated for the Best Actress Oscar for her role. I also thought she was better than her competitors (from the films I have seen) including Pfeiffer, Deneuve and the eventual winner Thompson. I thought Nolte, who portrays the father, was miscast. There were times when I couldn't help myself from laughing at his accent. The rest of the cast from Ustinov to the nurses also do great jobs at giving different perspectives to Lorenzo's suffering. Overall, a really good film that is dragged down a bit by some over exaggerated cliches.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It has no easy villains or heroes as each character is observed with a nuance that gives their individual perspectives weight. One of the most emotionally satisfying and important movies about the delicate balance required for activism in medicine.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/13/23

Full Review

steve d

Somehow the performance moved it beyond the melodrama.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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George Miller

Director

Nick Nolte

Augusto Odone

Susan Sarandon

Michaela Odone

Peter Ustinov

Professor Nikolais

Kathleen Wilhoite

Deirdre Murphy

Gerry Bamman

Dr. Judalon

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David Ansen

Newsweek

The questions this movie raises about the medical establishment, drug testing and the clash between science and compassion cannot fail to evoke the battles raging over AIDS. Lorenzo's Oil is strong medicine indeed.

Apr 3, 2018

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

If any movie of recent years deserves to be called "inspirational"--a much-abused term that one hesitates to revive apart from exceptional circumstances--this one certainly does.

Oct 7, 2012

Full Review

Angie Errigo

Empire Magazine

Exhausting, intelligent and undeniably moving.

Rated: 4/5

Oct 7, 2012

Full Review

Steve Warren

Southern Voice (Atlanta)

Director George Miller sometimes wrings extra emotion from a story that has more than it needs, but don't let that discourage you from seeing this moving tribute to patient advocacy.

May 9, 2023

Full Review

Mark Jackson

Epoch Times

"Lorenzo's Oil" is suddenly current again in the COVID-19 era, what with tracks leading to Big Pharma and a famed UFC commentator extolling the virtues of Ivermectin, essentially making it the Lorenzo's Oil of the 2020s.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 28, 2022

Full Review

James Kendrick

Q Network Film Desk

Miller imbues the film with such emotional intensity and conviction that you can't help but get caught up in their plight, cheering them on through every obstacle even as we recognize that whatever victory they may attain can only be partial.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 13, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

True-life drama of a father and mother who battled against the odds to save their son's life. Augusto and Michaela Odone are dealt a cruel blow by fate: five-year-old Lorenzo is diagnosed with a rare and incurable disease, but the Odones' persistence and faith leads to the cure which saves their boy and re-writes medical history.

Director: George Miller
Executive Producer: Arnold Burk
Screenwriter: George Miller, Nick Enright
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Production Co: Universal Pictures
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 15, 1993, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 17, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.9M
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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