Neuro Note: 50 First Dates

In the movie 50 First Dates, Lucy could not make any new memories. Lucy was in a car accident resulting in a traumatic brain injury affecting her temporal lobe. Due to Lucy’s TBI, she could recall all her long-term memories but was unable to make new memories. Therefore, she woke up every day thinking it was October 13th, living the same day over and over. Her dad, bother, and restaurant staff went to extensive measures every day to protect her from her new reality. Lucy’s father, bother, and Henry appeared hopeful when they realized Lucy would sing on the days she “met” Henry – they had hope she was remembering. Henry, Lucy’s boyfriend at the time, came up with the idea to show her a videotape each morning reminding her of the accident, current events, and life events. The videos along with journaling, seemed to help Lucy cope with reality and live a more typical life. 

Since I have been learning about TBIs in class this week, I thought 50 First Dates would be perfect because I remembered Lucy had a TBI due to an accident. I chose to watch this movie because I have seen it many times, but never understood or realized the meaning and impact of her condition. When damage to the temporal lobe was mentioned, I knew it is the area of the brain responsible for memories. 

After watching the movie, I did some research on Lucy’s condition and found she may have anterograde amnesia. People who have anterograde amnesia are unable to store or recall new information, meaning their brain cannot convert short-term memories into long-term memories (“The Difference,” 2020). This type of amnesia usually occurs due to damage to the hippocampus with lasting impacts (“The Difference,” 2020). 

Although Lucy did not appear to have any symptoms of a TBI other than memory formation loss, this movie conveyed how a TBI can impact everyone around the individual. Lucy's family spent a lot of time and effort protecting her from the truth, which may be unrealistic. However, I think any brain injury will take a toll on the family and that’s how it was shown in the movie. I enjoyed Henry's idea of the videotapes, which improved quality of life for Lucy, her family, and her friends. She was able to see her friends, have a job, get married, and have a child. I thought about ways Lucy could benefit from occupational therapy. 

I highly recommend this movie. It is a lightweight way for someone to learn more about TBIs and realize the impact a brain injury can have on caregivers and people in their life. 

Sources: 

Peter, S. (Director). (2004, February 13). 50 First Dates [Film]. Columbia Pictures. 

The Difference Between Retrograde and Anterograde Amnesia. (2020, March 27).                  
Retrieved July 16, 2020, from https://www.improvememory.org/blog-posts/memory-loss/amnesia/difference-between-retrograde-anterograde-amnesia/