LORENZO’S OIL
A powerful true story of faith, prayer, and persevering love.
Should You Watch It?
If you want a serious, faith-centered true story about parents refusing to give up on their child, Lorenzo's Oil is worth your time. The film presents a Christian couple's faith in God, their powerfully determined love, and their battle against time and the medical establishment.
The story is emotionally intense. Lorenzo's illness is portrayed graphically, and his suffering can be difficult to watch. But the film's central testimony is one of prayer, faith, research, and perseverance in the face of devastating circumstances.
So yes: see it if your family can handle the medical imagery and emotional weight. It is a particularly meaningful choice for viewers drawn to stories of faith and determined parental love.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESBased on a true story, the film follows Lorenzo Odone, a healthy nine-year-old boy who is struck down by a rare genetic disease that causes degeneration of the brain.
As Lorenzo's condition worsens, his parents, Augusto and Michaela Odone, begin conducting their own research. They race against time to find help for their son when the medical establishment cannot provide an answer.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is an exceptionally powerful viewing experience. Lorenzo's Oil is described as remarkable, emotionally intense, and moving in its portrayal of a family's struggle.
Its greatest strength is the testimony it offers to prayer, faith in God, and perseverance. The parents' love for their child gives the drama its emotional force and serves as a model of determined devotion.
The Worldview
The film presents faith in God as a source of strength while a Christian couple faces their son's devastating illness. It exalts prayer, parental love, perseverance, and the willingness to work tirelessly for the vulnerable.
It also depicts parents conducting their own research and challenging the medical establishment. The source review does not provide enough detail to identify a specific distortion or departure from a biblical view beyond noting the film's emphasis on human determination alongside faith.
At its center, the story affirms that love does not surrender easily when suffering arrives. Scripture likewise calls believers to persevere: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Content Summary
Graphic portrayal of ALD illness (violent seizures that cause boy to tremble, scream and choke; bleeding from mouth; blindness; inability to walk, speak and swallow); and, a few positive references to Christ.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
Lorenzo's parents keep searching when the situation seems hopeless. What does faithful perseverance look like when you cannot see the outcome?
Galatians 6:9 · Romans 5:3–5The story describes prayer and faith in God as sources of strength. How can we bring fear and suffering honestly to God?
Philippians 4:6–7 · Psalm 55:22Augusto and Michaela's love for their child drives them to act. How can love move us from concern to faithful action for someone who is suffering?
1 John 3:18 · James 2:14–17The Final Word
A difficult illness is portrayed with painful intensity, but the film's testimony to faith, prayer, and determined parental love is powerful. For viewers prepared for the graphic medical imagery, WORTH THE TRIP.
