Latest news with #Albie
Boston Globe
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
‘The Life of Chuck' contains multitudes
Like King's story, 'The Life of Chuck' is broken into three acts. Writer-director (and Salem native) Mike Flanagan's third and best adaptation of the Maine author's work keeps not only the episodic structure, but also the reverse order in which the events were originally presented. Your full attention is required to follow the breadcrumbs Flanagan leaves. Helping out is an effective narration delivered by an excellent Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Act III, which opens the film, is entitled 'Thanks, Chuck' and deals with what may be the end of the world. Chiwetel Ejiofor is Marty Anderson, a teacher whose attempts at normalcy in his daily routine fall flat. His only comfort is talking on the phone with Felicia ( Advertisement Chiwetel Ejiofor and Karen Gillan in 'The Life of Chuck.' NEON Advertisement Even stranger is the billboard and ads they keep seeing on TV and in the neighborhood. A guy who, according to the narration, 'looks like an accountant' stares out from the stationary ad. 'Thanks, Chuck,' the copy says, 'for 39 great years.' The rather bland ad's repeat appearances become a running joke with a slightly sinister edge. When the Chuck ad starts showing up in unexpected places, a freaked out Marty walks to Felicia's apartment, presumably to reconcile before the universe implodes. Up next is Act II, 'Buskers Forever.' It's where we finally meet Charles Krantz (Tom Hiddleston), the Chuck who's being thanked on those billboards. He's attending a conference on a business trip, and he'd rather spend his lunch hour alone than with a bunch of boring bankers. The real fun begins when he walks into a town square and is taken with the drumming of a busker (Taylor Gordon). She sees this nondescript man standing by and decides to give him a soundtrack. At the same time, Janice (Annalise Basso), who has just been dumped by her boyfriend via text message, crosses paths with Chuck and that drummer. Suddenly, 'The Life of Chuck' becomes a musical with an incredible dance number smack dab in the middle. 'I Contain Multitudes' is the caption for Act I, the film's longest section and its most powerful and moving. This is where some things get explained, and others are left vague. We're in Chuck's childhood and adolescence. He's played by three actors here, Cody Flanagan as a kid, Benjamin Pajak as a pre-teen and finally Jacob Tremblay as a young adult. Advertisement Mark Hamill in 'The Life of Chuck.' NEON Most of our time is spent with Pajak's incarnation, who lives with his grandparents, Sarah (Mia Sara) and Albie (an Oscar-worthy Mark Hamill). In a speech that warms the heart of math majors like me, Albie extols the beauty of math. 'Math can be art,' Albie tells Chuck, 'but it can never lie.' Meanwhile, his teacher, Miss Richards (Kate Siegel) explains the poetry of my high school English class nemesis, Walt Whitman. 'You contain multitudes,' she tells Chuck, quoting the poet who has a rest area named for him on the New Jersey Turnpike. There's dancing in this section, too, which ties Act I to Act II. There's also a mysterious room in the attic whose contents tie Act I with Act III. But what does it all mean? Mia Sara, Mark Hamill and Cody Flanagan in 'The Life of Chuck.' NEON It's no spoiler to reveal that 'The Life of Chuck' is ultimately about death. And not just the loss of loved ones who precede us, but the concept of death as one's own personal mini-apocalypse. Whether or not there's a Biblical-style apocalypse, we're all going to die on our own. This idea recalled my church-going days, where our pastor told us that people look for gigantic miracles without realizing that, for the most part, miracles are actually very small. A chance encounter, a first crush, a financially successful day of drumming, or, in Chuck's case, a childhood scar that, when recognized later, provides the answer to a very important question—these are all little miracles in this movie. With a masterful juggling of tone, Flanagan celebrates the life of Charles Krantz ('thanks for 39 great years') by flashing his life before our eyes. Visual motifs are repeated, from a waving finger to a familiar face showing up in a different context. There are also verbal cues, like sentences repeated, that are Easter eggs for the other acts. Advertisement And there is also joy to go with the sadness. Though Hamill, Pajak, Ejiofor, Sara, and Hiddleston are all excellent, the film's real MVP is its choreographer, Mandy Moore ('Dancing with the Stars'). Not since the glory days of MGM have there been dance numbers as enjoyable as the ones you'll see here. 'The Life of Chuck' won the Audience award at last year's TIFF, deservedly so. It's one of this year's best movies. I don't know how it will fare at the box office, but I can see it becoming a beloved favorite in the same way 'The Shawshank Redemption' ultimately did. Like that classic, this one really makes you think about life and the things we take for granted. When the lights came up at my TIFF screening, I dried my tears and imagined that my old English teacher, Mr. Kilinski, was laughing from The Great Beyond at how moved I was by the use of Whitman's ' At least I hope I do. As Hemingway once wrote, 'isn't it pretty to think so?' ★★★★ THE LIFE OF CHUCK Written and directed by Mike Flanagan. Based on the novella by Stephen King. Starring Tom Hiddleston, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Mark Hamill, Mia Sara, Benjamin Pajak, Cody Flanagan, Jacob Tremblay, Karen Gillan, Annalise Basso, Taylor Gordon, Kate Siegel, Nick Offerman. At Coolidge Corner, AMC Boston Common. 110 min. R (language). Advertisement Odie Henderson is the Boston Globe's film critic.
South China Morning Post
06-05-2025
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Trial epilepsy drug reduces seizures, gives children and their families normal lives
The mother of a seven-year-old boy said 'I feel like a millionaire, like I've won the lottery', after a pioneering clinical trial transformed the life of her son, who has a severe form of epilepsy. Advertisement Albie Kelly and Freddie Truelove, both seven, are two of the children who have been given a new lease on life following the research trial at Sheffield Children's Hospital in the UK. Both boys have Dravet syndrome, a form of epilepsy which often begins before the age of one, and affects about one in every 15,000 babies born. Youngsters taking part in the trial have seen dramatic changes – moving from experiencing debilitating seizures to learning to speak, read, write independently, make new friends and take part in sport, the hospital said. A drug trial has transformed young Albie Kelly's life, his mother Lauren Kelly says. Photo: Albie's mother, Lauren Kelly, said: 'We rarely left the house out of fear that Albie might have a seizure in a place not easily accessible for an ambulance. I wouldn't travel out of the area to stay near Sheffield Children's. Since the research trial it's like I have a new child.' Advertisement Albie, who lives with his mother, father and sister in Barnsley, South Yorkshire, received the first dose of the trial drug zorevunersen, previously known as STK-001, in June 2022.
BBC News
02-05-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Sheffield Children's Hospital epilepsy drug trial 'life-changing'
A mother has said she felt like she had "won the lottery" after a clinical trial transformed the life of her son who has a severe form of families of Albie Kelly and Freddie Truelove said the seven-year-olds had been given a new lease of life following the research trial of the drug zorevunersen at Sheffield Children's boys have Dravet syndrome - a rare form of epilepsy which often begins before the age of one and affects about one in every 15,000 babies mother Lauren Kelly said: "Since the research trial it's like I have a new child. It's been life-changing. I feel like a millionaire, like I've won the lottery." Children taking part in the trial had seen dramatic changes, including taking part in sport, making new friends, and learning to speak, read and write independently, the hospital who lives with his mother, father and sister in Barnsley, received the first dose of the trial drug zorevunersen in June the trial, he was non-verbal, showed little emotion and often fell when he walked. However, after the trial, Albie's family said he had become "incredibly independent" - making new friends at school, playing sport and sleeping through the mother added: "I used to be terrified to put Albie to bed, never knowing what we'd wake up to. Now, he wakes up and says, 'Morning mummy'". Freddie, who lives with his mum, dad and younger sister near Huddersfield, was the first child under 13 in the UK to receive zorevunersen in September then, he has gone from suffering more than a dozen seizures every night, to one or two brief seizures lasting only seconds every three to five days, and even up to 10 days without any can walk up stairs unaided and even swim and ski - something Freddie and his family never thought mum, Lauren Truelove, said: "It's really hard to articulate just how big the impact this research trial has had on us, it has completely changed our lives."We now have a life we didn't ever think was possible and most importantly it's a life that Freddie can enjoy." 'Helping future generations' The research trial, based at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust's dedicated clinical research facility, is led by Stoke an observation period, the children on the trial are given an initial three doses of zorevunersen over a period of 12 second part of the study involves receiving the drug every 16 patients, from across the north of England and the Midlands, are at Sheffield Children's Hospital on the trial and 17 children are taking part in epilepsy at the trust Dr Archana Desurkar said: "By taking part, children like Freddie and Albie are not just helping themselves, they are helping future generations with these conditions too."She added that it could take several years before the trial drug became a part of standard NHS treatment due to the rigorous data assessments and regulatory approvals required. Listen to highlights from South Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North
South Wales Guardian
02-05-2025
- Health
- South Wales Guardian
Drug trial for severe epilepsy has transformed children's lives, families say
Albie Kelly and Freddie Truelove, both seven, are two of the children who have been given a new lease of life, their families said, following the research trial at Sheffield Children's Hospital. Both boys have Dravet syndrome, a form of epilepsy which often begins before the age of one, and affects about one in every 15,000 babies born. Youngsters taking part in the trial have seen dramatic changes – moving from experiencing debilitating seizures to learning to speak, read, write independently, make new friends and take part in sport, the hospital said. Albie's mother Lauren Kelly said: 'We rarely left the house out of fear that Albie might have a seizure in a place not easily accessible for an ambulance. 'I wouldn't travel out of the area to stay near Sheffield Children's. 'Since the research trial it's like I have a new child. 'It's been life-changing. I feel like a millionaire, like I've won the lottery.' Albie, who lives with his mother, father and sister in Barnsley, received the first dose of the trial drug Zorevenersen in June 2022. Before the trial he was non-verbal, showed little emotion and, although he could walk, he often fell. Albie is now in full-time school where he has made friends, thanks to his improved speech, his family said. They said he is 'incredibly independent' – eating and drinking well, sleeping through the night and playing sport. Ms Kelly said: 'It was surreal to have our lives transformed so quickly. 'Our quality of life has improved dramatically. 'I used to be terrified to put Albie to bed, never knowing what we'd wake up to. 'Now, he wakes up and says, 'Morning mummy'. 'I'm so grateful we could take part in this trial. 'It's had such a massive impact not only on Albie's life but also on mine, Albie's dad and my daughter's lives.' Freddie, who lives with his mother, father and younger sister near Huddersfield, was the first child under 13 in the UK to receive Zorevenersen, in September 2021. Since then, he has gone from more than a dozen seizures every night, to one or two brief seizures lasting only seconds every three to five days, and even up to 10 days without any seizures. His family said that he was not really able to talk before the trial, which meant that he struggled to develop friendships. But now his speech is improving and he can hold a conversation fairly well which has resulted in him making friends. He can walk up stairs unaided, swim for the first time and he even went skiing – something Freddie and his family never thought would be possible. Freddie can read and write in full sentences and do maths, his family said. His mum Lauren Truelove said: 'It's really hard to articulate just how big the impact this research trial has had on us, it has completely changed our lives. 'We now have a life we didn't ever think was possible and most importantly it's a life that Freddie can enjoy.' Mrs Truelove said: 'Both Freddie and our family's quality of life increased significantly in the space of a week, it was really surreal. 'Freddie always wants to help, he is the kindest person I have ever met. 'His mission in life is to go above and beyond to help everyone and that's exactly what he's doing by taking part in this research.' The research trial, based at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust's dedicated Clinical Research Facility (CRF), is led by Stoke Therapeutics. After an observation period, the children on the trial are given an initial three doses of Zorevenersen over a period of 12 weeks. The second part of the study involves receiving the drug every 16 weeks. Six patients, from across the north of England and the Midlands, are at Sheffield Children's on the trial, and approximately 17 children are taking part nationally. Consultant in Epilepsy at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust Dr Archana Desurkar said: 'From the first dose, Albie has amazed me. 'He has been a phenomenal success from the trial and his speech has come along so much he now sings 'happy birthday' and says, 'I love you'. 'What's extra special is that by participating in this trial, Albie has not only helped himself, but future generations of children with Dravet syndrome too.' Dr Desurkar said: 'To see Freddie skiing now with such good balance and, most importantly, enjoying himself, it really is something. 'You can see the difference the trial has made to the quality of his life, and by taking part, Freddie has also helped to change the treatment options for future generations of children like him.' The consultant said: 'This condition otherwise is associated with severe refractory epilepsy, severe neurodisability and potentially early death.' She said: 'By taking part, children like Freddie and Albie are not just helping themselves, they are helping future generations with these conditions too.' Dr Desurkar said it is likely to take several years before the trial drug becomes part of standard treatment in the NHS due to the rigorous data assessments and regulatory approvals which are needed.
The Herald Scotland
02-05-2025
- Health
- The Herald Scotland
Drug trial for severe epilepsy has transformed children's lives, families say
Both boys have Dravet syndrome, a form of epilepsy which often begins before the age of one, and affects about one in every 15,000 babies born. Youngsters taking part in the trial have seen dramatic changes – moving from experiencing debilitating seizures to learning to speak, read, write independently, make new friends and take part in sport, the hospital said. Albie's mother Lauren Kelly said: 'We rarely left the house out of fear that Albie might have a seizure in a place not easily accessible for an ambulance. 'I wouldn't travel out of the area to stay near Sheffield Children's. 'Since the research trial it's like I have a new child. 'It's been life-changing. I feel like a millionaire, like I've won the lottery.' Albie, who lives with his mother, father and sister in Barnsley, received the first dose of the trial drug Zorevenersen in June 2022. Before the trial he was non-verbal, showed little emotion and, although he could walk, he often fell. Albie is now in full-time school where he has made friends, thanks to his improved speech, his family said. They said he is 'incredibly independent' – eating and drinking well, sleeping through the night and playing sport. Ms Kelly said: 'It was surreal to have our lives transformed so quickly. 'Our quality of life has improved dramatically. 'I used to be terrified to put Albie to bed, never knowing what we'd wake up to. 'Now, he wakes up and says, 'Morning mummy'. 'I'm so grateful we could take part in this trial. 'It's had such a massive impact not only on Albie's life but also on mine, Albie's dad and my daughter's lives.' Freddie, who lives with his mother, father and younger sister near Huddersfield, was the first child under 13 in the UK to receive Zorevenersen, in September 2021. Freddie Truelove, seven, has made such progress due to a drug trial he was able to go skiing, his family said (Family handout/PA) Since then, he has gone from more than a dozen seizures every night, to one or two brief seizures lasting only seconds every three to five days, and even up to 10 days without any seizures. His family said that he was not really able to talk before the trial, which meant that he struggled to develop friendships. But now his speech is improving and he can hold a conversation fairly well which has resulted in him making friends. He can walk up stairs unaided, swim for the first time and he even went skiing – something Freddie and his family never thought would be possible. Freddie can read and write in full sentences and do maths, his family said. His mum Lauren Truelove said: 'It's really hard to articulate just how big the impact this research trial has had on us, it has completely changed our lives. 'We now have a life we didn't ever think was possible and most importantly it's a life that Freddie can enjoy.' Mrs Truelove said: 'Both Freddie and our family's quality of life increased significantly in the space of a week, it was really surreal. 'Freddie always wants to help, he is the kindest person I have ever met. 'His mission in life is to go above and beyond to help everyone and that's exactly what he's doing by taking part in this research.' The research trial, based at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust's dedicated Clinical Research Facility (CRF), is led by Stoke Therapeutics. Albie Kelly's life has been transformed by a drug trial at Sheffield Children's Hospital (Family handout/PA) After an observation period, the children on the trial are given an initial three doses of Zorevenersen over a period of 12 weeks. The second part of the study involves receiving the drug every 16 weeks. Six patients, from across the north of England and the Midlands, are at Sheffield Children's on the trial, and approximately 17 children are taking part nationally. Consultant in Epilepsy at Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust Dr Archana Desurkar said: 'From the first dose, Albie has amazed me. 'He has been a phenomenal success from the trial and his speech has come along so much he now sings 'happy birthday' and says, 'I love you'. 'What's extra special is that by participating in this trial, Albie has not only helped himself, but future generations of children with Dravet syndrome too.' Dr Desurkar said: 'To see Freddie skiing now with such good balance and, most importantly, enjoying himself, it really is something. 'You can see the difference the trial has made to the quality of his life, and by taking part, Freddie has also helped to change the treatment options for future generations of children like him.' The consultant said: 'This condition otherwise is associated with severe refractory epilepsy, severe neurodisability and potentially early death.' She said: 'By taking part, children like Freddie and Albie are not just helping themselves, they are helping future generations with these conditions too.' Dr Desurkar said it is likely to take several years before the trial drug becomes part of standard treatment in the NHS due to the rigorous data assessments and regulatory approvals which are needed.
