Running on Empty- Family Dynamics

Taking a look at the Pope family we can see that they did not go through the same family crises that most families go through. This could perhaps be due to the parents running away from their past, putting the family in an extraordinary situation which in turn creates a different way to cope. We can see that the older son, Danny, (played by River Phoenix) who has grown up running away from his parents past life seems to be able to cope as he does not know anything else. Only when he is confronted with a decision that would bring a stop to the running, we as the audience start to see that he isn’t as composed as his exterior makes him out to be. Like most teenagers the issue of going to university arises but in Danny’s case this decision is truly life changing as if he went to university he would never be able to see his family again.

Danny also finds a romantic interest, Lorna Phillips (played by Martha Plimpton) and comparing the two families we can see that they can’t be more different.  In Lorna’s case, which is most common in most teens of that age, we can see that she is very private about her life towards her parents and feels that they do not truly understand her; this is shown by her constant disputes against her farther.  In Danny’s case his connection with his family is very warm and loving, as they show understanding towards each other due to the situation that they are in.  The closeness of the family and the support that they provide each other makes Danny’s decision to go to university is more perplexing then it is for most teenagers.  Danny’s father engrained that “we are only as strong as a weakest unit”, making Danny believe that he needed them in order for them to continue the life that they are living. This was opposed to the family needing Danny, which is similar to most families, the classic empty nest syndrome.

Lorna was a predominant figure that helps Danny see that he should not be held back by the regrettable decision made by his parents. Danny liking towards Lorna leads him to disclose his true feelings about his given situation and the confusion that follows, yet Lorna stays by his side making him feel less alone given her understanding.  This gave Danny a bit more security, as well as his acceptance to Julliard but this also made his decision more confusing. When Danny made up his mind to stay, bringing it up to his dad was a different situation altogether. As the family was picking up to run again Danny brings up the topic to his father, which was not new for him as his wife had already made arrangements for his going to university. His father however is torn by the thought of losing his son as seeing him again would be near impossible. Refusing his son’s choice led Danny to accept the choice as this only confirmed his place needed within the family. Only before they leave Danny’s father lets him go so he can truly live his own life without the consequences put forth because of the parents past. As Danny is left behind and his family drives off, we the audience get a sense of relief and sadness at the same time as this choice although common to most families the situation of potentially never seeing ones family again is truly much harder to determine the outcome.

Dr. Seyers Awakenings

The movie begins with an over achieving boy named Leonard (Robert Deniro) who didn’t stray too far from the norms, as he had friends, hobbies and many other activities young boys engage in. However, Leonard fell victim to a chronic disorder which caused muscle to become catatonic due to deficiencies within the brain causing him to be unresponsive to the world around him. This, however disheartening, gave way to a peculiar relationship between Leonard and the researcher,  Dr. Malcolm Sayer (Robin Williams), who was assigned to the ward 30 years after Leonard fell into his catatonic state. This relationship would in turn prove to teach Dr. Sayer more than anyone would have expected.

Dr. Sayers area of expertise revolve around the area of research and lacks the human interactions required by  most doctors, however due to many qualities such as being quite nurturing, shown through his delicate care with his plants, and his inability not to give up in the face of adversity showed that he too can impact other’s lives. Dr. Sayer belief that many of the patients still have the capability to recover from this affliction lead to the recognition of encephalitis as the cause of many of the catatonic patients which lead to the introduction of the L-DOPA drug which in turn stimulated areas of the brain and bring patients back to their previous state before the incident.

fighting encephalitis

Leonard saw the effort put forth by Dr.Sayer affirming his kind heart, yet Leonard couldn’t see why people were so caught up with their lives that they tend to neglect the little things that will indeed make them happy. In Dr. Sayer’s case he spent the majority of his time in the hospital working for the better of other people yet neglecting his own desires such as relationships, friendships or even a life outside the hospital. This is best symbolized through the hospital window Dr. Sayer continuously looks out on to the outside world depicting that he is the one who is trapped behind bars even though he is free to leave anytime. Only after his witnessing Leonard’s innocence does he learn that everything he ever needed was in front of him and will always be there, from the friendships he gains with his patients and colleagues, potential relationships and of course the ability to do enjoy whatever he has got no matter how small. Unfortunately the L-DOPA effects became less effective which lead to Leonard and the other patients falling back in a catatonic state but as the process was slow Leonard wanted Dr. Sayer to learn from him, not just for the purpose of potentially benefiting the other victims but also to learn from his ability to enjoy all the things he couldn’t for 30 years and are generally taken for granted (walking in any direction). The Awakening was not just for the patients but also for Dr. Seyers new outlook on life.