Awakenings(1990)

Oscar Nominee – Best Picture ; Best Actor (Robert De Niro) ; Best Adapted Screenplay.
POOPER: (Thanks Curt, The Grand Poop-bah)
The effects of l-Dopa are temporary, and the patients revert to their original state.

Longer version:
Leonard’s (Robert De Niro) second chance at life, as a result of the apparent success of L-DOPA used on him, also puts him at odds with the restrictions bestowed upon him as a patient of the hospital and he rebels against it, expressing to Dr. Sayer (Robin Williams) and the Hospital Administration his wish to freely come and go, to which the latter obviously object. Meanwhile, L-DOPA continues to be given to many other hospital patients previously affected by encephalitis lethargica and, slowly, they awaken from their catatonia and rejoice in it. Particularly worthy of mention is elderly Lucy (Alice Drummond), who was previously seen catching a ball while catatonic and now even gets to show her love for dancing.

Unfortunately, the joy of the breakthrough is short-lived. Sayer and the staff come to realize -when Leonard starts showing signs of uncontrollable tics that gradually worsen- that the effects of L-DOPA will only work for so long, even if the dosage of the drug is increased, and that everyone awaken by it will surely revert to their previous catatonic state. Leonard himself appears to struggle the most with it; his tics increase, he can barely walk without dragging himself and ends up developing stiffness and painful spasms that all but impide him to properly function or communicate; nonetheless, he keeps a positive attitude and, understanding his inevitable fate, he begs Sayer to film him while still awake, so that, at least, his misfortune can serve to educate and help others.

Paula (Penelope Ann Miller), the daughter of a fellow patient, in whom Leonard had developed a romantic interest, comes to see him one last time at the hospital; saddened by his increasingly deteriorated condition, she tearfully accepts it when Leonard tells her they will have to stop seeing each other. Before parting ways, however, she asks him to dance together, to which he reluctantly agrees; it so happens, though, that he seems to calm, relax and move smoothly and during this time, allowing them to have a sweet moment. Shortly after, having made peace with Sayer -and after the reassurance they’d be there for each other-, Leonard reverts to catatonia and, one by one, the rest of the patients follow suit.

Sayer is later seen explaining to a group of potential donors how, despite how brief the L-DOPA-induced awakenings were, they had a lasting effect on everyone involved, as patients themselves became highly appreciative of this borrowed time and seemed to show some additional awareness they didn’t have before, even after returning to a catatonic state; moreover, Sayer himself, always withdrawn and extremely shy, finds himself more open and willing to experience the world around him and gathers the nerve to ask Nurse Costello (Julie Kavner) out. As the movie ends, we are informed that there was further experimenting with L-DOPA to see its effects on the condition, which led to more awakenings, yet all even briefer than the ones experimented in 1969 by the patients of the hospital and ending in the same sad result. Also, the staff shows a greater deal of empathy towards the patients; Paula still came to visit Leonard every once in a while; and the final scene has Leonard and Sayer ready to have a conversation through the Ouija board -as Sayer had promised-.

It is also worthy to mention that Vin Diesel made his first film appearance here -uncredited- as one of the hospital orderlies.