With its unrestricted access to the households of several Alzheimer victims, this respectful, uncommonly empathetic PBS special provides a real sense of what it means--if not what it actually feels like--to literally lose yourself by permanently shedding memories, one anguishing, accelerating little bit at a time. Narrated by Linda Hunt, filmmaker Elizabeth Arledge's The Forgetting follows the deterioration of several patients and the coping of their families, while providing an informative history of the disease (virtually unheard of a half-century ago, longer life spans have led to an explosion of cases in the last 15 years), fascinating details about its chemical makeup (with enlightening neural-network CGI animation), and a promising look at revolutionary research into early detection and new treatments. The DVD version also includes an in-depth 30-minute advisory Q&A hosted by David Hyde Pierce (whose family has a history of Alzheimer's), featuring doctors, a family caseworker, and the author of the book that inspired this film, David Shenk (who is also interviewed by Pierce in one of two bonus interviews; the other is with the filmmaker). A great crash-course in this disease and the unique caregiving difficulties it entails, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (R. Blackwelder)
The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's
(2003) 90 min. VHS or DVD: $24.98 ($54.95 w/PPR). PBS Video. Color cover. Closed captioned. ISBN: 0-7806-4674-6 (vhs), 0-7806-4673-8 (dvd). Volume 19, Issue 3
The Forgetting: A Portrait of Alzheimer's
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