50 First Dates Film Analysis

Lujain Alyahya
Dr. Luhrs. PSY 105
Memory in Film

I will be writing about 50 First Dates starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. This movie is about a girl who gets into an accident that results in brain damage. Then she experiences a form of amnesia called “Goldfield’s Syndrome” according to the movie. Basically, Goldfields syndrome doesn’t allow Drew to form new memories, but doesn’t erase what she knew before the accident. She can remember up to one day, then she relives the next day as if it was the first day after the accident, over and over again. The movie has its strengths and weaknesses in accurately portraying the memory. For the most part, I believe the movie did a good job portraying it.
Firstly, the term “Goldfield’s Syndrome” doesn’t actually exist. The condition Drew experienced in the movie is called anterograde amnesia. This type of amnesia leads to a partial or complete inability to retrieve information or memories;
Tom’s memory lasts for only for 10 seconds. Just like in the famous real-life case of Clive Wearing, a British musicologist, conductor, tenor and keyboardist who suffers from chronic anterograde and retrograde amnesia. Wearing can hold memories for around 10 seconds. He was automatically storing information that reflected his adaptation later. For example, he would not be able to recognize his children, however, he was able to recgo9nize his wife and he was never surprised that she aged, or that he aged. Somewhere in his brain, he had encoded that time is passing. He was even asked about his condition and what it is like to live with it. He actually able to somewhat describe it. It is amazing that he was even aware of it. Thus, in that sense I think the movie portrayed the condition well. Another accurate portrayal is indicating that the damage has occurred in the temporal lobe. Just like in real life amnesia is typically associated with damage to the medial temporal