The Awakenings Cast of Chaacters: Protagonists:

Robert De Niro as Leonard Lowe Robin Williams as Dr. Malcolm Sayer Julie Kavner as Eleanor Costello

Other Characters:

John Heard as Dr. Kaufman Ruth Nelson as Mrs. Lowe Penelope Ann Miller as Paula Max Von Sydow as Dr. Peter Ingham Alice Drummond as Lucy Judith Malina as Rose Anne Meara as Miriam Richard Libertini as Sidney Keith Diamond as Anthony Peter Stormare as Neurochemist Bradley Whitford as Dr. Tyler Dexter Gordon as Rolando Vincent Pastore as Ward patient (as Vinny Pastore) George Martin as Frank Anthony J. Nici as young Leonard Lowe

SUMMARY:

In Bainbridge Hospital, a chronic hospital in the Bronx, Dr. Malcolm Sayer became the new staff neurologist, in charge of around twenty resident catatonic patients and the neurologic health of the other hospital residents. As Dr. Sayer slowly begins to adjust once again to the life of clinical practice, he notices that his catatonic patients actually respond to certain stimuli such as catching a ball, visual patterns, hearing familiar strains of music, as well as simple human touch. In his study of the different cases, which were mostly diagnosed as atypical schizophrenia, he noticed that all patients seemed to have been victims of the 1912-1928 epidemic of encephalitis lethargic and exhibit some common symptoms and characteristics. After soliciting the advice of an expert on the subject, Dr. Sayer then continued to work to help his patients, though he encountered a road block in Leonard Lowe. But later on, they were able to communicate using the Ouja board. After attending a symposium about the benefits of the then new miracle drug L-dopa, and noticing the similarities between a Parkinsons disease patient and the post-encephalitis lethargica patient, Dr. Sayer convinced the administration of the hospital to put a patient, Leonarrd Lowe on a trial run of the dug, as he believed that it would offer a breakthrough for his patients.