Film and TV adaptations of books about dementia
We look at books portraying dementia that have been translated onto big and small screens.
A number of books about dementia have been adapted for cinema and television. You can watch some using streaming services, whether through your TV or another device. DVDs are often also available from public libraries.
Elizabeth is missing
Emma Healey’s debut novel quickly became a bestseller. It tells how Maud, a woman with dementia, is convinced that something terrible has happened to her best friend, prompting memories of her sister’s disappearance many years before. The BBC’s screen adaption, broadcast before Christmas, stars Glenda Jackson. Available on BBC iPlayer until Summer 2020.
Still Alice
Julianne Moore met many people with dementia when preparing for her role in this 2014 Hollywood adaption of Lisa Genova’s bestselling book, in which a linguistics professor discovers she has young-onset familial Alzheimer’s. Available to watch on Prime Video, BFI Player and on DVD.
Wrinkles
Paco Roca’s graphic novel depicts the friendships and adventures of a man with Alzheimer’s when he moves into a care home. Made into a full-length animation in 2011, Martin Sheen voices the main part in the English version (originally in Spanish). Available on DVD.
Iris
The 2001 film about novelist Iris Murdoch, who had Alzheimer’s, was based on her husband John Bayley’s memoir, Elegy for Iris. It portrays their later years alongside their youth, with Iris played by Judi Dench and Kate Winslet. Available on DVD.