5 Movies About Memory Loss, Dementia, and Alzheimers

It is no secret some degree of memory loss is normal as we age. Hollywood has taken into account this inevitable part of life and made several fictional films which illustrates what life is like with Alzheimer's, dementia or those suffering from any other type of memory loss. 

Here are five memorable films about memory loss, dementia and Alzheimer's:

1. "On Golden Pond," released in 1981, stars Henry Fonda and Katherine Hepburn as an elderly couple who return to their summer cottage, where the failing memory of Fonda's character reveals the onset of his senility.The movie won three Academy Awards, including for Fonda as best actor in a leading role and Hepburn as best actress in a leading role.

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2. "The Notebook," released in 2004, stars James Garner as a man whose wife, played by Gena Rowlands, is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's disease. Garner's character attempts to rekindle his wife's memories of their long history by reading to her from his notebook. With Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams playing the couple in their younger years, this film ranks seventh all-time in box office receipts for films about memory loss or amnesia, according to the Box Office Mojo.

3. "Away From Her," released in 2007, Julie Christie received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her portrayal of Fiona, a woman with Alzheimer's disease who voluntarily enters a long-term care facility to avoid being a burden on Grant, her husband of 50 years. After a 30 day separation recommended by the facility, Grant visits Fiona and finds her memory of him has deteriorated and she's developed a close friendship with another man in the facility. Grant finds he must draw upon the love and respect he has for Fiona to choose what will ensure his wife's happiness in the face of the disease.

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4. "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," released in 2004,  starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet, this film is about people who willingly have parts of their memory erased. The film is described as a "surreal science fiction movie that's both understate and poignant," according to Oddfilms.com. 

5. "Spellbound," released on Blue-Ray in January 2012, director Alfred Hitchcock's 1945 psychological mystery thriller stars Ingrid Bergman as a psychoanalyst and Cary Grant as a new hospital director who has severe amnesia and may actually be a ruthless killer. The film is probably best remembered for a dream sequence created by the artist Salvador Dali. According to IFC, this film not only tackled amnesia, but it's widely considered the first mainstream film to truly tackle the subject of psychoanalysis.

This article is for information only and is not intended as medical advice. Talk with your doctor about your specific health and medical needs.

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