Neuro Note 2

For this Neuro Note, I chose the film 50 First Dates. I chose this film because it is an old favorite of mine and relates a lot to the information we have discussed in Neurological aspects of Occupational Therapy. The movie is about a man named Henry and a woman named Lucy. Henry is portrayed as somewhat of a ladies man who has no interest in a long-term relationship, that is, until he meets Lucy. He meets Lucy at a café and they go out on a date, there, they decide to meet the next day. At this point in the film, Henry has fallen for Lucy. When the next day comes, Henry realizes that Lucy has no memory of their encounter. Someone then explains to Henry that Lucy was in a car accident a year earlier that left her with a traumatic brain injury that causes short-term memory loss. Everyday she wakes up thinking it's October 13. Lucy is totally unaware of her condition, because since her injury happened, her father and brother have been reenacting October 13.  Although Lucy’s brother and father are against it at first, they agree to let Henry pursue Lucy. Henry has to work every day to make Lucy fall in love with him all over again. Later in the movie, Lucy discovers her diagnoses and Henry comes up with a way to help her remember. Henry makes videos to explain her accident and where she is in life. Henry and Lucy continue to spend a lot of time together, until Lucy overhears that Henry has postponed a sailing trip on her behalf. Lucy decides that for Henry’s sake, it would be better for her to just forget him all together. Fast forward to Henry leaving on a sailing trip, he speaks to Lucy’s family and they tell him that she is now living at the Brain institute, where she was first diagnosed. After speaking with her family, Henry believes that there is a chance Lucy remembers him. He rushes to the brain institute and asks if she recognizes him. She says she doesn't, but she’s been dreaming about him and has painted his picture many times. At the end of the film it shows Lucy waking up and watching a video that explains her accident and ends with footage from Lucy and Henry’s wedding.

This film does a great job of explaining this type of traumatic brain injury Lucy had and the symptoms that went along with it. It mentions that in the car accident Lucy damaged her temporal lobe and in our Neurological Aspects of Occupational Therapy class we learned that the temporal lobe is responsible for short-term memory.  Another thing that this film effectively portrays is the toll an injury like Lucy’s takes on friends and family. Lucy’s family puts their entire life on hold in order to cater to Lucy’s needs and after she meets Henry, he does the same thing. The last thing that really stuck out to me about this movie is the modifications and adaptations made to help make Lucy’s life easier. For example, the videos Henry makes to help keep her on track for each day.  Overall, I think this movie does a great job at portraying this type of traumatic brain injury in a light hearted manner, while still touching on the important aspects of traumatic brain injuries. I would recommend this movie to anyone who is interested in traumatic brain injuries, especially how they impact family, friends, and everyday life.

References: 

Segal, P. (Director). (2004). 50 First Dates[Video file]. United States: Columbia Pictures. Retrieved August 13, 2019, from https://www.hbo.com/movies/50-first-dates.