The late author and neurologist Oliver Sacks will probably be most remembered for his on-the-ground research of Parkinson's disease and encephalitis lethargica (aka, 'sleeping sickness'); as a man whose direct study of these somewhat anomalous neurological conditions inspired the making of the 1990 movie in tribute to him: "Awakenings," starring Robin Williams.

OLIVER SACKS: HIS OWN LIFE introduces us to the three-dimensional man behind all the printed words he so generously left for us. Although I found the film a tad plodding and a bit overlong, as a fan of Sacks' body of work (I'm presently reading his book, "Hallucinations," albeit I do not think consciousness is entirely if at all brain-based), suffice it to say that, overall, the film managed to hold my interest throughout and is a winner.

Might I add as a parenthetical aside, and platonically speaking, how it is that some men age like fine wine, acquiring as they grow older if not a few gray streaks about the ears then at least, and more significantly, what is referred to as character, a quality almost or entirely absent in younger males. Sacks, who appears as an octogenarian for the greater part of the film, is a perfect example of what I mean by this -- what with his aged angular face, chiseled brow, seasoned voice, and vintage charm.

Sadly, Sacks was diagnosed with cancer in his later years (melanoma, specifically), with much of this documentary having been filmed during the final weeks of his life. I enjoyed these moments the best, the simply listening to this elderly fellow speak, there inside his book-lined living area, next to his piano and one of his favorite coffee mugs (amusingly named, "Freudian Sips").

Oddly, the younger Sacks whom we learn of, via the telling of biographical anecdotes and the showing of archival footage, seems an altogether different person from the senior one, in so many ways. Who knew the gentlemanly, literary oldster had once been a body-builder into motorcycles and the taking of amphetamine? We hear from Sacks as he reflects back on this earlier self-destructive period in his earthly journey, both somewhat fondly and with a sense of regret. Then there was the life-changing incident involving his mother, one that would end up scarring him for life, in a sense. To think that any mother would be so unspeakably shameful as to tell her own child to his or her face how she wished they'd never been born is something no son or daughter ought to experience, and for young Oliver these earth-shattering words ended up deeply wounding him.

With regards to the aforesaid Hollywood movie based on the life and research of Oliver Sacks, for me, Robin Williams was the perfect actor for the part, so expert as Williams was in playing dramatic roles that called for warmth and humanity. Many a friend and colleague speak of Sacks' empathetic nature; a brainiac, yes, yet one warm-hearted and compassionate; a physician with an exemplary bedside manner, who took a sincere, personal interest in his patients, men and women mentally lost in hospital wards and typically treated as outcasts. For this, the human subject of this lovely, intimate documentary is to be most remembered for and admired.

Ric Burns' film relying on 60 hours of interviews with Dr. Sacks in his last months of life results in a genuine, vibrant portrait of Oliver Sacks and his large family of patients, friends, relatives, and medical colleagues.

It is a remarkably honest memoir. Dr. Sacks' does not hide his own struggles in life, true to his statement that "we are all patients." He is also very open about his own depression, drug addiction, and sexual suppression as an stifled homosexual man which is shown in parallel to his infinite capability to care for others, to uplift others despite his own immense struggles.

I love how the movie features raw interview shots with Dr. Sacks, interviews of people who knew and loved him (including Robert Krulwich, Dr. Atul Gawande, and Dr. Temple Grandin) as well as interactions with his patients, which are both solemn and life-instilling.

Though there is a lot of heavy material, there is also a humorous wonderful feel to the movie, indicative of Dr. Sacks' personality. In the same way that people who visited him before his death felt that he had cheered them up and inspired them, the viewers feel uplifted by his love of life and humanity rather than overwhelmed by grief at his terminal sickness.

I think Ric Burns clearly earned the trust of Dr. Sacks and Billy Hayes and the whole Sacks family, which shows his talent as a film director. It's a very well done movie and though it focuses on Oliver Sacks, one gets to also learn some neuro- science and hear about the internal lives of other famous people who interacted with Sacks.