Mental illness is a controversial subject that not a lot of people want to talk about. Indeed, there is definitely stigmatization that makes it difficult to educate others about such disorders.  In spite of these challenges, Lisa Genova is able to masterfully craft a novel that is both heartbreaking and life-affirming.  Lisa Genova’s Still Alice (and its subsequent film adaptation starring Julianne Moore in the title role), are both profoundly moving explorations of the complications that arise when a person receives a mental health diagnosis, and how such a devastating discovery affects everyone involved with that patient.

The eponymous protagonist, Dr. Alice Howland, struggles to cope with Alzheimer’s disease; her mental illness does not define her, though.  In the beginning of the novel, Alice is a successful psychology professor at Harvard with a husband and a loving family.  As the novel progresses, Alice’s memories fade away to reveal the fundamental fact that forgetfulness happens to everyone, and not just people with mental disorders.  Some of the most interesting scenes in the novel are when she has doctor appointments with different medical specialists, and they ask her to remember details to assess whether or not she could recall such specific bits of information precisely.

The film version presents the main heroine slightly differently in order to reveal compelling themes about memory, love, and communication.  In the 2014 film, Alice is actually a linguistics professor instead of one who teaches psychology. That is a very interesting change in terms of adaptation because “linguistics” has different connotations when compared to psychology.  Psychology, of course, is the study of the mind. However, linguistics involves the power of language, speech, and communication. Alice has trouble communicating and remembering knowledge that she had known previously thanks to her doctoral education.  For example, in the scene in which Alice begins to exhibit faulty memory, she curses and doubts herself even though she is, indeed, an educated woman.

As Alice’s memory slowly deteriorates, she becomes increasingly anxious because of her medical condition.  There are scenes of her experiencing nervous breakdowns as well as exhibiting helplessness. She even admits that she feels “lost” because of her newfound disability.  Nevertheless, her family supports her even with these dire circumstances, which reveals the enduring power of love and family.

In a scene with her daughter, Alice does her best to describe what it is like to live with Alzheimer’s disease.  Specifically, the phrase, “I don’t know who I am” is a very heart-wrenching comment that reveals the fundamental fact that people change over time.  Alice used to be a successful professor with a loving family, but now she struggles to cope with her new identity that includes the label of having a medical condition.  The novel and film both explore controversial subject matter about what it is like to have a life change suddenly because of forces beyond that person’s control.

In spite of her declining health, Alice is still Alice because her Alzheimer’s diagnosis only defines one facet of her entire identity.  Therefore, Lisa Genova appropriately titled her novel Still Alice to imply that all people are fundamentally human, and that they are still who they are no matter what labels attempt to define them.  Yes, Alice has Alzheimer’s disease, but she is still a person nevertheless.

The plot also becomes more uplifting when Alice Howland delivers an incredible speech about the contrast between “struggling” and “suffering.”  Yes, Alice has to cope with her illness, but there is still a sense of hope and optimism with the idea that there can still be a brighter future even with challenges that lie ahead for both Alice and her family.

The final scene in the film suggests that even though memories do fade over time, nothing is really lost forever simply because the enduring power of love will remind Alice (and audiences) that the past is gone, but life goes on. 

Overall, the novel (and this film) mix drama with hope by suggesting that there is still a chance for a brighter future even with challenges that might try to weigh people down.  It is beautifully written, almost like a fantasy novel, but it is also realistic in the sense that real people actually do have such horrendous medical conditions.  Alice might be very different from Lewis Carroll’s heroine in Alice in Wonderland, but Alice Howland could serve as an important heroine within the twenty-first century.  Times have changed, and people do change, but people are still people.  Still Alice is a fantastic contemporary novel, and a cinematic triumph, because it redefines what a protagonist could be while also reminding audiences that even they are all still people, too.