In the end, alices mental abilities declined greatly and her past was almost fully erased from her memory. Jan 16, 2015 still alice is a triumph for julianne moore, but the rest of film is thin the movie is based on neuroscientist lisa genovas novel about a linguistics professor with earlyonset alzheimers. Genova selfpublished her first novel, still alice, in 2007. What if i see you, and i dont know that youre my daughter, and i dont know that you love me. Terrifying, yes, but not depressing, and surprisingly beautiful. The film successfully captures the tragedy of the disease, and moores portrayal of alice is riveting, which largely makes up for the films weaknesses. Alice howland, a 50yearold woman, is a cognitive psychology professor at harvard university and is a worldrenowned linguistics expert. A scenebyscene breakdown of the script for the movie still alice. I think that even if you dont know who i am someday, youll still know that i love you. Alice howland, an esteemed linguistics professor at columbia university who finds shes suffering from earlyonset alzheimers disease. Thankfully, still alice doesnt deify the woman she plays. Alice howland says at one point in still alice, a line adapted from the book by author lisa genova. Movie still alice october 14, 2016 july 6, 2019 last year i watched the movie still alice and was drawn into the heartbreak of alzheimers and last month i finally read the book. Its about alice, a woman beloved by her family and respected by her colleagues, who in the end, is still alice.
Alice howland is a 50yearold professor of psychology at harvard university. The makers of still alice have their own story of illness. In the last scene, lydia reads alice a beautiful but cryptic passage from the play angels in america, and alice. May 24, 20 alice is severely demented, but as the title tells us, shes still alice james sabin, m. When the novel opens, alice is unaware of her disease. If you live in the cambridge area, hold your meeting in one of the harvard square cafes. There is work to be done, but all we want to do is read. Jan 23, 2011 still alice has an authentic voice and a pitchperfect tone even as alice loses control of her own words. Lisa graduated valedictorian from bates college with a degree in. At the end of the day, john asks why she is still in cambridge because she was supposed to attend a conference in chicago.
Care conference is an affecting final public statement before her descent into fog and. My first thought was that i read the whole book expecting to see it through and it just ended. Alice s younger daughter lydia, an aspiring actress, decides not to be tested. The still alice community note includes chapterbychapter summary and analysis, character list, theme list, historical context, author biography and quizzes written by community members like you. Still alice, directed by ricard glatzer and wash westmoreland, was adapted by the pair from a novel of the same name by lisa genova. Dec 02, 2014 still alice by lisa genova alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping into her life. And we are thrilled to feature lisa genova, author of the book, still alice, in our lead story this spring issue. Afterwards, alice returns to work and cant remember what she is supposed to be teaching. Still alice book by lisa genova official publisher. A literary analysis of still alice 3068 words pages.
It additionally investigates the contrasts between the book and the film that was made dependent on the equivalent name fabulous story of the 50years of age woman. Once hes gone, alice is overwhelmed by her earlier experience. Alice has been away from home a lot over the summer and is preparing for a final presentation at stanford university before the start of the school year. Acclaimed as the oliver sacks of fiction and the michael crichton of brain science, lisa genova is the new york times bestselling author of still alice, left neglected, love anthony, and inside the obriens. Learn about alzheimers through the interpretation of the film still alice. She wanted to read every book she could before she could no longer read. With a combination of power and grace, julianne moore elevates still alice above its madeforcabletelevision trappings, and delivers one of the more memorable performances of her career. This is no small feat, given the depth and breadth of moores filmography and her consistent ability to produce great work, from playing a porn star in boogie nights to an eccentric artist in. Her suicide attempt by overdose which she set up soon after her diagnosis fails when she is interrupted and drops the pills.
Alice frequently uses her blackberry to set reminders for herself, but it also serves another purpose. This new technology plays a huge role in alice s experience with alzheimers. Like edna, alice considered drowning herself in the ocean near her familys beach house to put an end to her life before. As alice s memory begins to fade, she daydreams of her mother and sister, who died in a car crash when she was a teenager. Alice is not only a celebrated professor at the height of her career, but is also a worldrenowned.
Moving and haunting, with a knockout ending, still alice turns the unthinkable into art. Storying alzheimers disease in lisa genovas still alice brunel. Her suicide attempt by overdose which she set up soon after her diagnosis fails when she. Why does lisa genova choose to end the novel with john reading that. Still alice shares the struggle of a middleaged professor who is diagnosed with alzheimers disease. Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts how to read a screenplay. Still alice is a triumph for julianne moore, but the rest. The novel is about a woman who suffers earlyonset alzheimers disease. Theres a moment in still alice when julianne moore, looking at herself in the mirror.
Find still alice books or a way for potential participants to ac cess the. If you live in the cambridge area, hold your meeting in one of the harvard square cafzs. Although still alice portrays alzheimers accurately for the most part, it is worth asking whether it sells out at the end to appeal to audiences. On this front, still alice actually provides reassurance. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a forgetfulness creeping.
From the awardwinning new york times bestselling author of still alice and left neglected, comes a heartfelt novel about an accidental friendship that gives a grieving mother a priceless gift. The film stars julianne moore as alice howland, a linguistics professor diagnosed with familial alzheimers disease shortly after her 50th birthday. On a positive note, the success of the book and film has brought the subject of early onset dementia out into. Still alice and the ethics of dementia over 65 blogover.
In the last scene, lydia reads alice a beautiful but cryptic passage from the play angels in america, and alice appears to be listening. Eventually she remembers and when she gets home, she researches the symptoms of menopause. Alice worked at harvard university but as a psychology professor with a focus on linguistics. Its about alice, a woman beloved by her family and respected by her colleagues, who in the end, is still alice, not just her disease. Beverly beckham, the boston globe still alice is a heartbreakingly real. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade paperback version, and may vary in other editions. Still alice, lisa genovas extraordinary new york times and originally selfpubbed bestselling novel, is the story of an accomplished professor diagnosed with early onset alzheimers disease now an indie movie, starring alec baldwin, kristen stewart and julianne moore who won a welldeserved oscar for her role this past sunday parts of still alice can be more harrowing to watch and. The harvard university setting plays an important role in still alice.
Two women, each cast adrift by unforseen events in their lives, meet by accident on a. Alice s eldest daughter, anna, and son, tom, take a genetic test to find out if they will develop the disease. The more she thinks about it, however, the more she wonders if it is just menopause. Lisa genova, the author, is a trained neuroscientist who understands the science behind alzheimers from a clinical point of view, but she also comprehends the personal tragedy that accompanies one losing a loved one who is standing. Wanting to preserve their characters dignity, they dedramatize the horror, spare us the messiest and most alienating symptoms of alzheimers, allowing this highachieving woman to negotiate her own descent as far as. This is especially true when comparing still alice. It seems that john took the job and abandoned his whole family. Still alice was adapted into an oscarwinning film starring julianne moore, alec baldwin, and kristen stewart. Still alice book chat quality palliative care in long term care. Alec baldwin plays her husband, john, and kristen stewart, kate. Still alice study guide literature guide litcharts.
These discussion questions will help confirm students understanding of the storyline and. Alice returns home to cambridge and finds that her husband who is a scientist, john, is still working on his experiments at harvard. Still alice, by lisa genova, tells the story of a harvard cognitive psychology professor, alice howland, and her descent into earlyonset alzheimers disease. Book club questions for the couple next door by shari lapena. Still alice is written not from the outside looking in, but from the inside looking out. Book club questions for still alice book club babble. I m going to tell all, the entire story, including the ending, and ill look closely at scenes. If you liked still alice, youll love still alice, lisa genovas extraordinary new york times and originally selfpubbed bestselling novel, is the story of an accomplished professor diagnosed with early onset alzheimers disease.
Book club book club questions lisa genova still alice. The worst sad books end on a sad note, says rania nasreddine in this. She decides to go for a run and forgets the way home. Still alice is a novel about alice howland, a cognitive psychology professor at harvard, who finds out at age fifty that she has alzheimers disease. In still alice, alice howland strongly relates to edna pontellier, the protagonist of kate chopins the awakening, who chose to walk into the ocean and commit suicide rather than return to a stale and unhappy marriage. Our reading guide for still alice by lisa genova includes a book club. Alice howland, happily married with three grown children and a house on the cape, is a celebrated harvard professor at the height of her career when she notices a. After a first pass, its time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scenebyscene breakdown. Apr 14, 2017 still alice is in this respect a companion piece to surgeon atul gawandes recent being mortal.
The message seems to be, shes lost her memory and no longer recognizes her husband or her children, but shes somehow still alice, so its not so bad after all. Still alice book by lisa genova official publisher page. The book ends with alice still living a happy life, surrounded by her family, bathed in the warmth of their love, cuddling a grandbaby in her lap. Alice continues to deteriorate from her alzheimers disease, at a couple of points failing to recognize her children. Still alice is above all a mediation on the end of our lives. This study guide consists of approximately 48 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of still alice. Alice is still shaken up and tells him she wants him to stay, but he refuses and calls her needy before leaving. Dec 16, 2014 acclaimed as the oliver sacks of fiction and the michael crichton of brain science, lisa genova is the new york times bestselling author of still alice, left neglected, love anthony, and inside the obriens. Now a major motion picture starring julianne moore, alec baldwin, kate bosworth, and kristen stewart.
If you live in the cambridge area, hold your meeting in. In my mind, i saw the movie still alice, starring julianne moore as a. Still alice is a 2014 american independent drama film written and directed by richard glatzer and wash westmoreland and based on lisa genovas bestselling 2007 novel of the same name. Im afraid of looking at you and not knowing who you are. And even if it defeated her in the end, shed be able to look them knowingly in the eye and say goodbye before she left. A literary analysis of still alice still alice genova, 2009 is a captivating debut novel about a 50yearold womans sudden decline into early onset alzheimers disease. But they also dont tell this story with much nuance or artistry in adapting lisa genovas novel. The eponymous title from the book by lisa genova that has been adapted by writerdirectors richard glatzer and wash westmoreland underlines the idea that alice remains alice to the end.
Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold womans. Wash westmoreland underlines the idea that alice remains alice to. Still alice is also now a film starring academy award winner julianne moore in the role of alice. Still alice this book was so close to home as my mother had dementia and i wish i had read this story before my mother had died we could have become even closer by my understanding a little more of what she was experiencing please lisa continue writing your brilliant stories but let narrators like the brilliant kate rudd do so much more. She started confusing names of her children or forgetting about them at all. To learn more about still alice or to get in touch with lisa genova, visit. The eponymous title from the book by lisa genova that has been adapted by. Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold womans sudden descent into early onset alzheimers disease, written by firsttime. She was married to john, a researcher at harvard university.
Still alice is set in the early 2000s, an era which saw a massive boom in personal technology. The book is written by first time author lisa genova, who holds a ph. When she becomes increasingly disoriented and forgetful, a tragic diagnosis changes her lifeand her relationship with her family and the world. Still alice is a compelling debut novel about a 50yearold womans sudden descent into early onset alzheimers disease, written by firsttime author lisa genova, who holds a ph. Publishers weekly this novel will appeal to those dealing with the disease and may prove helpful, but beyond the heartbreaking record of illness theres little here to remember. Still alice is a triumph for julianne moore, but the. Any page references refer to a usa edition of the book, usually the trade. Feb 26, 2015 still alice, directed by ricard glatzer and wash westmoreland, was adapted by the pair from a novel of the same name by lisa genova. Listen free to still alice by lisa genova with a free trial. Julianne moore kristen stewart still alice final scene. If youd like to learn more about alzheimers or help those suffering from the disease, please visit.
146 904 1375 769 770 975 848 878 833 1445 1597 1455 821 1718 1038 586 1240 207 132 971 750 975 1040 1090 1147 294 1405 472 600 1700 1425 125 1136