These are not TV-movie-of-the-week stories, but feature films. They focus on rare diseases and disorders which are integral to the story, not just an afterthought or a plot device. Several were very popular, others were overlooked by the public, but all are worth seeing.
1. The Elephant Man (1980)
Starring: John Hurt, Anthony Hopkins, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud. Just about everyone likes this movie, in which John Hurt portrays Joseph Merrick, nicknamed “the Elephant Man” due to the disfiguring effects of what was most likely Proteus syndrome. Hurt shines as he portrays the intelligent, sensitive man behind the mask.
2. Lorenzo's Oil (1992)
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Nick Nolte. The story focuses on Augusto and Michaela Odone’s struggle to find treatment for their son Lorenzo’s adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD). A good portrayal of this progressive neurological disorder, but some inaccuracies are present. Nevertheless, you'll cheer for the family's successes.3. The Tic Code (1998)
Starring: Christopher Marquette (Academy Award performance), Gregory Hines, Polly Draper. A 10-year-old boy and a saxophone player meet and discover they both have Tourette’s syndrome. However, each deals with it in his own way. The boy has adjusted to his tics but the older man tries to hide his, and resents the boy’s accepting attitude.4. The Mighty (1998)
Starring: Sharon Stone, Gena Rowlands, Harry Dean Stanton. A great movie you probably don’t know about. Two boys make an unusual friendship: Max, a slow-moving child with low intellect (he feels he looks “like Godzilla”) and Kevin, bright and physically deformed by a rare birth defect, declare themselves knights and go on adventures together.