MovieChat Forums > El orfanato (2008) Discussion > What was Laura's 'disability'?

What was Laura's 'disability'?

posted 14 years ago by Abs12490
6 replies | jump to latest

When the psychic held her arm it looked like Laura cut herself or had something on her arm, which led me to believe she was taking those pills for depression. On these boards a lot of people are saying they are sleeping pills, but why would she be throwing those back in the middle of the day? The psychic tells Laura she is dying, and later in the film you can see her becoming breathless really easily, and she looks weak, like she frequently has to lean against something for support. I kind of thought she had a heart or lung condition, but I don't know. Thoughts?

[–] aquariusgirl279 14 years ago

I don't believe there is a right or wrong answer to this. I think the filmmakers deliberately left it out so that you could form your own opinion. My thought was that she was HIV positive. It explains why she was taking pills, why she looked ill/weak, etc. It also (to me anyway) explains why she would adopt a child who was HIV positive and why she adopted in the first place. She wouldn't want to infect another child with HIV, but why not adopt a kid who already has it? Just my theory.

[–] holographica 13 years ago

Whoa, that's actually a great theory. I need to watch the movie again to decide if it fits for me.

That might also explain why her husband eventually let her stay back for a few days, even when he knew she was growing mentally unstable.

[–] tallard 13 years ago

In the film, one can read the bottle... they are anti-anxiety pills. These are often abused by people who take too many of them, because the stress of losing a child can be overwhelming.

***So I've seen 4 movies/wk in theatre for a 1/4 century, call me crazy?**

[–] DCompton86 13 years ago

According to wiki, the pills were Trankimazin - which is Alprazolam.....Xanax being the trade name. She was taking the pills for likely depression over Simon being missing and to help her relax. I am on them myself for anxiety.

I have to agree with something someone else posted a few comments down that maybe she also has HIV like Simon. It does make a lot of sense why she would want to adopt an HIV child (she seems to already know when Benigna comes to tell her.

"It's better to be hated for who you are than be loved for who you aren't."

[–] 13 years ago

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[–] lacyrobinson99 11 years ago

I don't believe Laura had a disability, which is why she was adopted over the other children. If she had HIV like the other posters have said, we would have seen her taking medicines for it, which we didn't. She was breathless and weak later on in the movie because she was exhausted from all the physical work shed been doing to set the orphanage up in the manner it was when she and the other children were there. She hadn't taken any of the pills (which were anxiety meds) because she didn't get the bottle until she put on the outfit that the caretakers wore. She checked her appearance out in the bathroom mirror which was when she got the bottle.
Simply put, she died from an OD on anxiety medications so that she could see the ghosts of the children in order to find her son and when she does find him she takes the rest if the pills to complete her journey to be with him, which is in the afterlife, so that she can stay and take care of Simon, Thomas, and all the children at the orphanage that were killed.

"He's a hydrocephalic and I don't think you should make fun of him!"