This is a dramatization of real life events in the case of Micheal Patrick Smith, a young adult who suffered the effects of Duchenne Muscular Distrophy and lived in several nursing homes through the coarse of his too-short life. The actual nursing home, on which this film is based, was called Heritage House, where Mike Smith resided in the early 1970's. The film chronicles the terrible conditions that Mike suffered, showing him at two facilities, the later one called Heritage House. (Named Hesperia House in the movie.) It also shows how Mike and a compassionate Recreational Director named Wade Blank, (In the movie called "Wade Black.") sought to bring about better living conditions for the disabled, as well as showing the patients how to advocate their rights to make their lives as comfortable and independent as possible. I found some real-life information below about the actual case doing on on-line Google Search about Wade Blank.
Wade Blank worked at the home from December of 1971 until 1975. When he went to the center for the first time, it was just before Christmas of 1971 and the place was in his words " A morgue." Wade remembered what they ate the first night. Scrambled Eggs, Baked Potato, and Applesauce. The food was cold. Other reports were that cockroaches were found in cereal bowls, Colostomy Bags were not changed regularly, flies buzzed constantly near a patient in a full body cast, patients were shoved into cold showers.
Wade worked for four years to help improve conditions at the home. I learned that he took the kids to a rock concert, just like in the movie. Wade sought to let the young residents have music, such as radios, stereos, and TV's in the rooms. They were allowed to have pets, they could evaluate the nurses. However, when Wade tried to help the kids move out of the home to become more independent, he was fired. All of the reforms that he put in place, such as animal control coming to take the pets away, no music in the rooms, was literally changed overnight. I also understand the abuses at Heritage House and the resulting lawsuit got the whole staff fired! This shows the amazing impact that Wade and Mike made to help the disabled lead better lives!
When You Remember Me is a composite of the above events, with some names changed and some of the above omitted from the movie for legal reasons and time constraints. In the movie, Micheal Patrick Smith, is Micheal Mills. Fred Savage plays Mike Mills and gives an amazing portray of him! Kevin Spacey is wonderful as Wade, and Ellen Burstyn is chilling as the insensitive and "By The Book" rule authoritarian head nurse, Mary Cooder. The best impression of Louse Fletcher's, Nurse Ratshit from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" that you will ever see!
You feel the pain and agony that these patients endured in this movie, and see the darkness of the facility. It's amazing to observe the energy and feeling that Fred Savage puts into Michael's character, as he tries so much to help change an apathetic and abusive system. Sadly, despite the movie saying at the end that conditions have improved at institutions at this kind, in some regards that may be true. However, in other facilities, it is not. When You Remember Me will make you think about the struggles both physically and emotionally that disabled people experience each day. Highly recommended viewing!
Wade Blank worked at the home from December of 1971 until 1975. When he went to the center for the first time, it was just before Christmas of 1971 and the place was in his words " A morgue." Wade remembered what they ate the first night. Scrambled Eggs, Baked Potato, and Applesauce. The food was cold. Other reports were that cockroaches were found in cereal bowls, Colostomy Bags were not changed regularly, flies buzzed constantly near a patient in a full body cast, patients were shoved into cold showers.
Wade worked for four years to help improve conditions at the home. I learned that he took the kids to a rock concert, just like in the movie. Wade sought to let the young residents have music, such as radios, stereos, and TV's in the rooms. They were allowed to have pets, they could evaluate the nurses. However, when Wade tried to help the kids move out of the home to become more independent, he was fired. All of the reforms that he put in place, such as animal control coming to take the pets away, no music in the rooms, was literally changed overnight. I also understand the abuses at Heritage House and the resulting lawsuit got the whole staff fired! This shows the amazing impact that Wade and Mike made to help the disabled lead better lives!
When You Remember Me is a composite of the above events, with some names changed and some of the above omitted from the movie for legal reasons and time constraints. In the movie, Micheal Patrick Smith, is Micheal Mills. Fred Savage plays Mike Mills and gives an amazing portray of him! Kevin Spacey is wonderful as Wade, and Ellen Burstyn is chilling as the insensitive and "By The Book" rule authoritarian head nurse, Mary Cooder. The best impression of Louse Fletcher's, Nurse Ratshit from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" that you will ever see!
You feel the pain and agony that these patients endured in this movie, and see the darkness of the facility. It's amazing to observe the energy and feeling that Fred Savage puts into Michael's character, as he tries so much to help change an apathetic and abusive system. Sadly, despite the movie saying at the end that conditions have improved at institutions at this kind, in some regards that may be true. However, in other facilities, it is not. When You Remember Me will make you think about the struggles both physically and emotionally that disabled people experience each day. Highly recommended viewing!