Still Alice

Alice Howland is a celebrated linguistics professor whose life looks orderly: a loving marriage, three grown children, and a sharp mind that anchors her career. Then language slips away in ordinary moments, a couching of forgetfulness that feels ordinary at first but grows harder to ignore. After a diagnostic workup, she learns she is developing early onset Alzheimer’s disease, a reality that shakes her sense of self and upends the family’s routines. The story follows Alice and her husband John as they face the tremor in her memory, while their children Anna, Charlie, and Tom weigh how to support her and keep their bonds intact amid mounting uncertainty. The narrative also freezes moments of ordinary life against a rising fog.

Directed by Wash Westmoreland and Richard Glatzer, Still Alice adapts Lisa Genova's 2007 novel about memory and identity. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2014 and was released widely by Sony Pictures Classics, honoring Genova's source material.

The film grossed about $44.8 million worldwide on a $5 million budget, a respectable return for an intimate drama from Sony Pictures Classics and a success across U.S. and international arthouse markets in 2015 that resonated with viewers beyond awards.

Moore's restrained portrayal sparked conversations about Alzheimer's disease and aging, raising public awareness of early onset dementia. The film's intimate family scenes and refusal to sensationalize the illness helped audiences connect with real life struggles, prompting conversations among caregivers and medical professionals about memory loss and care in care planning.

Critics praised the film for its restrained, humane approach and Moore's performance, highlighting themes of memory, identity, and the strain dementia places on family relationships. Audiences responded warmly and the film helped spark discussions about dementia care. Its tone stays grounded, letting small moments carry heavy meaning for the family.