I haven't read the book. I was just scrolling through Netflix for the umpteenth time trying to find something good to watch. I watched the trailer, saw a good number of user reviews were positive and decided to give it a chance.
It starts off a little slow, but I think it's necessary to show that Susannah was a healthy, young woman living her life. Even so, they don't waste any time to show how her symptoms are starting to appear. Once she gets deeper into her mysterious illness, the movie really picks up. I rolled my eyes at the doctor who clearly heard her say she didn't drink excessively but then told her parents that she was drinking and partying too hard. You really feel what it's like to be on the patient/caregiver's side by seeing what the doctors are not even if it means telling the doctor they're wrong and going elsewhere.
I would have rated this ten stars -- the acting, the direction, the writing, everything was on point -- but my only con is I wish it wouldn't have ended with the jump from the diagnosis and the ability to treat to Susannah being almost fully recovered. I wouldn't have minded another 30 minutes if it meant we could've seen the treatment being administered and Susannah learning all her functions again. I wanted to see her transition from being fully catatonic to saying a word for the first time again and then taking her first steps.
Even if you don't have personal experience with her revealed illness and even if you haven't read the book, watch the movie. Anyone who faces difficulties either as a patient or caregiver needs to see it. Anyone who isn't currently facing those difficulties needs to see it.
It starts off a little slow, but I think it's necessary to show that Susannah was a healthy, young woman living her life. Even so, they don't waste any time to show how her symptoms are starting to appear. Once she gets deeper into her mysterious illness, the movie really picks up. I rolled my eyes at the doctor who clearly heard her say she didn't drink excessively but then told her parents that she was drinking and partying too hard. You really feel what it's like to be on the patient/caregiver's side by seeing what the doctors are not even if it means telling the doctor they're wrong and going elsewhere.
I would have rated this ten stars -- the acting, the direction, the writing, everything was on point -- but my only con is I wish it wouldn't have ended with the jump from the diagnosis and the ability to treat to Susannah being almost fully recovered. I wouldn't have minded another 30 minutes if it meant we could've seen the treatment being administered and Susannah learning all her functions again. I wanted to see her transition from being fully catatonic to saying a word for the first time again and then taking her first steps.
Even if you don't have personal experience with her revealed illness and even if you haven't read the book, watch the movie. Anyone who faces difficulties either as a patient or caregiver needs to see it. Anyone who isn't currently facing those difficulties needs to see it.
