Maybe Ann Hornaday is a scientist on the side. Or a frustrated wannabe scientist.
Or she's married to one.
Or majored in biology, or her mom and/or dad is a biologist.
Maybe Ann Hornaday has a special relationship with a biologist or another scientist or immunologist.
Maybe she knows the director, the producers, etc. etc.
Whatever (she's the chief movie reviewer for the Washington Post), I went to see Jim Allison: Breakthrough based on her recommendation to "'just see it'" and, "go twice," and "you won't regret it, and you'll never forget it." And, another one:
"Just see the dang thing,"
Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, I am here to tell you that you don't need to see it twice. You don't need to even see it once (unless you're a scientist or a drug marketer or a pharmaceutical company).
I've seen it for you.
It's okay; it's a "feel good" story, describing Dr. Allison's life as he pursues his dream, his remarkable persistence and personal driving force to find a cancer cure to help assuage the death of his mother, his brother, his uncle, and now, he's got cancer, too. (And so will you, if you live long enough.)
Congratulations to Dr. Allison and his colleagues for winning the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 2018. And (!), he plays the harmonica...with none other than Willie Nelson!
This is a good documentary. It's not a great documentary.
I do not think it will any awards. It will not be nominated.
A great story but certainly not a "must see."
I have recommended it to my daughter, a biologist.
It is an education in the long time it takes pharmaceutical companies to get new drugs to the marketplace.
Maybe a re-edited version will cut the many variations of the ocean scene with the Allison brothers which must have been screened at least five times.
Written and directed by Bill Haney. The excellent music by Mickey Raphael and Mark Orton exceeds expectations.
patricialesli@gmail.com
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