Portrayals of autistic characters have been popular since Elvis teamed up with a posse of inner-city nuns (including Mary Tyler Moore) to help cure a poverty-stricken girl’s autism in 1969’s Change of Habit, and not simply since such roles are an awards lock. Stereotypical characters with autism are a convenient and powerful device for convincing neurotypical people to mend their ways, or for demonstrating the saintliness of the people who put up with them. These cinematic conceits make HBO’s Temple Grandin, a biopic of the acclaimed animal scientist and autism advocate (to premier on HBO on February 6 at 8 p.m.), particularly remarkable. From the life of one of the best-known individuals with an autism spectrum disorder, director Mick Jackson has managed to make an utterly original movie about autism, simply by allowing Grandin, portrayed in a stunning performance by Claire Danes, to be the center of her own story.Please do check it out.
The Uses of Autism
My piece on autism on film for The Atlantic is up. You should read it. But you should also find a place with HBO on Saturday at 8pm so you can watch Temple Grandin, the biopic of the animal behaviorist and autism spokeswoman, that's at the heart of the piece. It's a terrific movie that makes some extremely refreshing plot choices, and is rock-solid anchored by the best acting of Claire Danes' career. She's truly remarkable. As I note in the piece: