http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185836/
when I heard about this, even after having read good things about this, I was not keen on seeing it. I missed it when it played at the Globe and only just now got around to watching it on DVD. I feared that it was another typically over-exaggerated take on asperger's.
As an aspie, I found it to be a very emotionally effective and spot-on portrayal. There are many aspies who agree with me and others who think it is inaccurate, but anyone who knows much about the syndrome knows that it manifets differently and has a different effect on different people. Adam in the movie is more burdened than I am in many ways and more gifted in others, and his is a more severe case, but it is still a true portrayal of AS, and several scenes were really, really spot-on. One random, small moment was really effective, the love interest, at this point still just Adam's new neighbor, walks up the stairs to the apartment building while Adam's on his computer, she says hey, and he responds by informing her that new rings have been found on Saturn. Another time he stands behind his bedroom door trembling and pretends not to be there when asked out to a social event, because he's just unable to bring himself to go. Another funny little bit was Adam's food patterns. Last week I ate exclusively hot dogs and drank espresso, the week before pasta and English Breakfast tea, the week before that pizza and Earl Grey, etc. etc. Some things in the movie are accurate, but minor differences amount to major ones when comparing myself and Adam or other aspies I've met. For example, it's clear that most people encountering Adam would assume that when he goes into long, detailed speeches about this or that he's just excited and really into what he's talking about (in this case, astronomy), for me, people think I'm a snob or am talking down to them, and think I'm better than them. Like if someone says something incorrect about a film or something, I'll not only tell them they're wrong, but actually go on and start rattling off facts and opinions and ideas, and everyone thinks I'm 'showing off' of course.
Anyway, I won't say much more about AS because the movie is educational and far more entertaining than I am. It's a fantastic, melancholy, heartfelt movie about as far from the typical romcom as possible. Just rent it, if you don't have much of anything else to watch, or watch it on PPV or if it's on TV or something. I guess the only thing I really want to say about AS is that it's NOT a severe handicap or mental illness, it's just that our brains do not work like yours do. We simply think differently, and process differently, and a lot of the time we act differently. There tends to be an inability among NT's (neurotypicals) to fully comprehend that AS doesn't equal Rain Man, or '######ed' behavior, whatsoever. Indeed, some people will even tell you it doesn't exist... I think it's the lack of a physical component, aside from physical awkwardness or clumsiness in many aspies. This happens with other things too, the biggest one I can think of is depression, which is a huge problem in the world, just made worse by the 'get over it, suck it up, you're just a bit down, back in MY day...' brigade. Except we aspies don't even really have mainstream recognition, most people just don't get it and even if they KNOW someone with AS. Those that don't are even more clueless. This is not a perfect and complete education or anything, but I think it's a very good movie, even just taken as a romance or dramedy and ignoring my relationship to it, and it probably will be both an eye-opening and enjoyable experience for you.
Adam (the movie from last year)
