You're Not You : a movie about a special bond of friendship

How I wish I have a friend that would be with me thru thick and thin, a friend that would understand and care for me on what ever I would go thru. Well, I do have a friend and I really appreciate what she does for me. Just like Kate and Bec, we are there for one another.

Kate is a suave, successful classical pianist just diagnosed with ALS (commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease). Bec is a brash college student and would-be rock singer who can barely keep her wildly chaotic affairs, romantic and otherwise, together. Yet, when Bec takes a job assisting Kate, Kate sees something special in the way Bec takes care of her. Kate and Bec find each other’s  strength through their weaknesses. You're Not You explores how two strangers can bring out the best in each other even in the midst of trials and tribulations.  This movie also gives face to the much talked about ALS and will definitely make people more compassionate with victim of the said disease.

WHAT IS ALS?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease, and rarely Charcot disease—is a neurodegenerative disorderwith various causes. The term motor neurone disease (MND) is sometimes used interchangeably with ALS while others use it to refer to a group of similar conditions that include ALS.  ALS is characterised by muscle spasticity, rapidly progressive weakness due to muscle wasting. This results in difficulty speaking, swallowing, and breathing. The disease usually starts around the age of 60, except in cases that are directly inherited when the usual age of onset is around 50.

About 5 to 10% of cases are directly inherited from a person's parents.  ALS is the most common of the five types of motor neuron disease.

The average survival from onset to death is three to four years.  Only 4% survive longer than 10 years, although rare cases survive 50 years or more. Most die from respiratory failure. In much of the world rates of ALS are unknown.  In Europe the disease affects about 2.2 people per 100,000 per year. In the United States, more than 5,600 are diagnosed every year, and up to 30,000 Americans are currently affected. ALS is responsible for 2 deaths per 100,000 people per year.

Descriptions of the disease date back to at least 1824 by Charles Bell. In 1869 the connection between the symptoms and the underlying neurological problems were first described by Jean-Martin Charcot who in 1874 began using the term amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.  It became well known in the United States when it affected a famous baseball player by the name of Lou Gehrig,  and later when the ice bucket challenge became popular in 2014.

Initial release: October 10, 2014 (USA)

Director: George C. Wolfe

Running time: 103 minutes`

Producer: Hilary Swank

Genre: Drama

Hilary Swank, Emmy Rossum and Josh Duhamel