The 1990 movie Awakenings is a dramatization of Dr. Oliver Sacks’ 1973 memoir of the same name and the true story behind the semi-fictional Dr. Sayer is just as fascinating. In 1990, viewers were treated to a dramatic story starring Robin Williams (who, even in a more serious role, added a touch of his particular sense of humor) and Robert De Niro. The pair play doctor and patient in a story thats equal parts heartwarming and heartbreaking. Unlike Robin Williams’ other medical drama, the historically inaccurate Patch Adams, Awakenings uses its true story to enhance its own semi-fictional narrative.
