Skip to main content

Dome Pondering Movie Review: Still Alice (2014)

What is it about? 

A former linguistics professor at Columbia University, and her family deal, with the issue of her diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease. 

Who is in it? 

Julianne Moore - Alice Howland

Alec Baldwin - John Howland


Kristen Stewart - Lydia Howland


Favorite Scene: 

After being in her vacation home, Alice's disease continues to grow as she begins to forget many things. She suddenly has to use the bathroom, and is unable to do so because she can't remember where the bathroom is. John finds her, and kindly comforts her. 

Favorite Quote: 

"My yesterdays are disappearing, and my tomorrows are uncertain, so what do I live for? I live for each day. I live in the moment."

Review: 

If you watch Still Alice, trust me, be ready to sit somberly with many emotions being tugged on. The film presents a very harsh reality about the rigors, progression, and damage that Alzheimer's disease can do to a person and their family. It's a struggle, a super sad one. 

Of course, leading the way in this film is Julianne Moore who seems to really flourish in these roles. Moore was absolutely excellent as Alice Howland, prominent and intelligent professor, to woman who is struggling to hold onto the person she was/is. Her performance was really, really, good. 

The film is an intriguing one to grasp the depths of what mental illness can do. However, don't expect this one to be a pick me up. Watch at your own risk. 

Grade: RRRRR

Recently Read

2025 NBA All-Star Weekend - "Throw this format in the trash"

There's no other way to put this, the NBA has a serious problem on their agenda going forward regarding All-Star Weekend. What was once the standard for All-Star presentations and must-watch television has quickly turned into social criticism and an entity that undoubtedly reminds fans of what used to be.  Simply put, NBA All-Star Weekend is broken.  I don't want to pile on like we expect the talking heads and personalities to do. This is fixable. Like everything else in sports. However, this...what we experienced tonight, is not it.  Other quick thoughts on the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend:  The Skills Challenge was cool when it was first introduced. Now, it's become over-produced. The map of the floor, the gadgets involved, and even the rules...just ask Chris Paul and poor Victor Wembanyama.  By the way, the constant camera focus on both of them following the "disqualification" had such "Principal Office" vibes.  The Three-Point content remains the purest...

Was It Ever Real?

Does time change me? Or, did I evolve through experience? How many signals did I miss? Or, did I choose this fate? Do I understand the wrongs and regrets? Or, did I act with the best interest in the moment? What did they say about me? And, what will they say about me today? Was I appreciated? Or, did I imagine that? What were the opinions in the shadows? And, what were the feelings expressed before me? Is it a misunderstanding?  Or, a matter of not confirming?  Why didn’t it last? Or, was it never meant to? …ever able to? Was it ever real? Some of it? Part of it?

$15 Per Hour Fast Food Wage is Absurd and Sends Wrong Message

I couldn't help but squint my eyes in confusion. Wait, is this for real? Fast Food workers are going to get $15 an hour? Like, not the management, but the workers? That's genuinely my first reaction when I heard that New York state plans a $15 minimum wage mandate for fast food workers. I know it's not the PC reaction the world demands of us as of late, but quite frankly, I don't believe this situation has anything to do with human rights, freedom, civil liberties, social awareness, or anything that is unfair and unjust.  We live in a capitalist world where we all work hard, improve our skills, and make decisions to better ourselves and our lives. Now forgive me, and I'm sure I am going to offend some of you loyal readers, but there is no way, on the bottom line, that a fast food worker should make more than a college graduate in the work force.