This is a hard subject. Which might have made Life According to Sam an easy film to make. Sean Fine and Andrea Nix didn't need to concern themselves with inducing sympathy or sadness, hope or happiness. Terminally ill children, aging before their time, will always capture the hearts and minds of viewers. It seems so terribly wrong to hear a human being so young speak of so much death, whose life is preoccupied not only with their own impending death but of the deaths of some dozens of their friends. But this is reality for Sam Berns, and for children with progenia, the disease so rare that it is estimated that approximately only 250 children suffer from it in the entire world. Their average life expectancy is a mere 13 years. By the time they've come to terms with it, they must only have a few years remaining. And as Sam's reality, he is shockingly, though endearingly, frank and comfortable with these facts - well, they're facts, after all, and there's no point in deceiving oneself. Are these children unlucky? They are, at least, lucky that Sam's parents are both physicians, and determined to find a cure for their son's illness. They conduct a drug trial, though find that their biggest battle will not be the trial itself, but convincing a journal to publish their findings in order that they might receive FDA approval. Fine and Nix have sensitively documented a compelling story, with engaging subjects and a warm heart that makes this an even easier film to watch than it was to make. Actually, perhaps it wasn't that easy to make. Sam died five days ago. This film is shortlisted for an Oscar nomination in the Best Documentary category. It is not the best film in the running, though it would be one of the most worthy choices for the Academy. R.I.P. Sam Berns.
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