Movers and Shakers: Film & TV

How is Parkinson's portrayed on screen?

This is a big week for the Movers and Shakers and the Parky Charter. On Thursday, which is World Parkinson’s Day we are heading to Downing Street to hand in our call for better care, along with a petition backing it. Find out more about the Charter and sign the petition by heading to our website. From Downing Street we will be heading to the Red Lion pub in Westminster from around 3.30pm - do come and join us there.

Part of the purpose of the Charter is to raise the profile of Parkinson’s and increase public understanding, so it is fitting that this week’s episode of the podcast is all about how the world’s fastest growing neurological disorder is reflected on the big and small screens. Gillian Lacey-Solymar gave us all some homework, choosing from a menu of films and TV programmes featuring characters with Parkinson’s. Here’s what was on offer:

Still a documentary about Michael J. Fox, his career and his battle with Parkinson’s over three decades.

The long-running soap Emmerdale which has a major storyline about Eric’s struggle with Parkinson’s.

The Suspect, an ITV thriller about a crime-fighting psychologist whose dark secret is he has Parkinson’s.

Awakenings, a 1990 film starring Robin Williams and Robert de Niro, about the use of the Parkinson’s drug Levodopa to treat catatonic patients.

Shrinking, a new sitcom starring Harrison Ford as a psychotherapist with - you guessed it - Parkinson’s.

Love and other Drugs, a 2010 movie in which Anne Hathaway plays a young woman with Parkinson’s who befriends a Pfizer drug rep, played by Jake Gyllenhall.

Curb Your Enthusiasm, an episode of Larry David’s comedy of embarrasment in which Larry becomes convinced that Michael J. Fox is using his Parkinson’s as an excuse for annoying behaviour.

I will leave you to listen to our reactions to these very diverse portrayals of our condition, but suffice it to say the Curb Your Enthusiasm episode had us clutching our sides with laughter, while wondering whether non-Parkies would feel able to enjoy Larry David’s totally “unwoke” performance in quite such an uninhibited way as we did.

We also hear from the TV critic of the Independent Nick Hilton on how some medical conditions go in and out of fashion on screen;”You can't move for Alzheimer's and dementia in film and TV at the moment,” he tells us. He says the challenge with Parkinson’s, which varies so much between different people, is depicting it without just resorting to the visual cliche of the tremor.

Nick, by the way, also happens to be the brilliant producer of this podcast and he has an idea: “The film adaptation or the sitcom adaptation of Movers and Shakers, drawing out the comedy of it.” Yes, well, we’ll get back to you on that, Nick.

We also hear from Charlotte Gwinner, who’s making a short film about parenting with Parkinson’s, written by her husband Simon Bent, who was diagnosed with the condition in his 40s. The Game, which has raised money through crowdfunding, tells the story of the changing relationship between a father and his young son as he comes to terms with Parkinson’s -but Charlotte promises that it’s anything but depressing:

“I think that just listening to everybody talking about this idea of this condition - and the complexity around this condition - it does lead to quite a lot of absurdity. And the fact that it's so mercurial and it's so hard to pin down also leads to lots of confusion with other people's family members and everything else. So it is very funny .”

Comedy scriptwriter Paul Mayhew-Archer certainly knows how to make people laugh and the screenplay he has written about two people with Parkinson’s falling in love is a delightful romcom. It has been commissioned and has several times been on the verge of going into production but Paul warns that with every delay he rewrites it and it becomes darker: “If we delay it too long,” he says, "it will be the most miserable bloody thing you've ever seen!”

So come on commissioning editors, press the button and make Paul’s romcom while Parkinson’s is cool. You know it makes sense.

Remember, if you have views on Movers and Shakers, write to feedback@moversandshakerspodcast.com. And one more plug for the Parky Charter petition - please sign here.