I saw this movie in the year after it came out. I remembered it as good but not great. And that's about what I still think: pretty good, but not great.
It stars Robin Williams in a completely noncomedic role. You can easily see the seeds for his later role in 'Good Will Hunting', but this is a much more introverted doctor. He plays a researcher who ends up working with actual patients. This leads him to Robert De Niro who plays a very convincing patient. The movie is very 'Flowers for Algernon'. The idea of suffering some sort of loss of brain power scares the hell out of me and that part was very effective. But the movie as a whole doesn't have that 'wow' feeling.
A couple of interesting items: Robin Williams doctor shrugs off the scientific method because he feels that the patients must be aware on some level. Robert De Niro assures a lovely lady that her catatonic father is also aware. But none of the patients have any feel of the passing of time. I haven't read the book that the movie is based on so I don't know if this is explored at all. Also, the score to this movie is very nice. Lush and powerful.
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