You're Not You Movie

The Ice Bucket Challenge was a hit a few months back. I first saw a video of my niece, Franchesca  -who lives in Philadelphia, doing the challenge.  It was actually fun seeing people, celebrities as well as ordinary citizens, pour a bucket of ice on themselves but some did it just for the fun of it without even knowing the objective of Ice Bucket Challenge. I read about ALS but only realized  the gravity of the disease after watching You're Not You movie at SM Megamall Cinema last night.

You're Not You is based on the novel by Michelle Wildgen. It is directed by George C. Wolfe, and starring Hilary Swank, Emmy Rossum and Josh Duhamel.

With a running time of 103 minutes, be sure to bring facial tissue for this is a tear-jerking. Proof? Well, the cinema is quiet and I didn't see anyone texting (which is really impossible). Probably, most, if not all, were trying not make a sound while crying. This movie gives face to the much talked about ALS and will definitely make people more compassionate with victim of the said disease.

As for the actors, Hilary Swank delivers another award-worthy turn in this physically and emotionally complex drama. Emmy Rossum played her character well as the directionless young woman who finds spiritual redemption while working as Swank's assistant. Josh Duhamel, oh my Josh! I'm actually not a fan but in this movie, I find him cutely handsome, although I do not like the character he played as a cheating husband.

Synopsis:

Kate is a suave, successful classical pianist just diagnosed with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrigs Disease). Bec is a brash college student and would-be rock singer who can barely  keep her  wildly  chaotic  affairs,  romantic  and otherwise,  together.  Yet,  when Bectakes a job assisting Kate, Kate sees something special in the way Bec takes care of her. Kateand Bec find each other’s  strength through their weaknesses. You're Not You explores howtwo  strangers  can  bring  out  the  best  in  each  other  even  in  the  midst  of  trials  andtribulations.  

WHAT IS ALS?Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or  Lou Gehrig's disease, and rarely Charcot disease—isa neurodegenerative  disorder with  various  causes.  The  term motor  neurone  disease (MND)  is sometimes used interchangeably with ALS while others use it to refer to a group of similar conditions that  include ALS.   ALS is  characterised by  muscle spasticity,  rapidly  progressive weakness due to muscle wasting. This results in difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing. The disease usually starts around the age of 60, except in cases that are directly  inherited when the usual age of onset is around 50.

About 5 to 10% of cases are directly inherited from a person's parents.  ALS is the most common of the five types of motor neuron disease.The average survival from onset to death is three to four years.   Only 4% survive longer than 10years, although rare cases survive 50 years or more. Most die from respiratory failure. In much of the world rates of ALS are unknown.  In Europe the disease affects about 2.2 people per 100,000per  year. In  the  United  States,  more  than  5,600  are  diagnosed  every  year,  and  up  to  30,000Americans are currently affected. ALS is responsible for 2 deaths per 100,000 people per year.Descriptions  of  the disease date back  to at  least  1824 by Charles  Bell. In  1869 the connectionbetween  the  symptoms and the  underlying  neurological  problems were  first  described by Jean-Martin Charcot who in 1874 began using the term amyotrophic lateral  sclerosis.   It  became well known in the United States when it affected a famous baseball player by the name of Lou Gehrig, and later when the ice bucket challenge became popular in 2014. (Source: Wikepedia)

Who is Lou Gehrig?

Baseball player1. Henry Louis or Lou; Gehrig was an American baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees.  Using number 4 as his mark, Lou plays First baseman and pinch hitter2. Born: June 19, 1903, Yorkville, New York City, New York, United States3. Died: June  2,  1941, Riverdale,  New  York  City,  New  York,  United  States and buried in Kensico Cemetery, New York.4. Spouse: Eleanor Gehrig (m. 1933–1941)