“Adam” Gets It Right

I’m not much of a movie person.  My husband and I go to the movie theater once a year, sometimes not at all.  I get all squirmy inside when I’m forced to watch uncomfortable situations, especially with people around me, and I don’t like made-up stories.  So I won’t pretend to do an artistic critique of “Adam” since I can’t even pretend to know anything about movies.  Most of the reviews I read beforehand delved just enough into the plot to hint at the story, but really told me nothing about what I really wanted to know, which was: did they really capture the essence of life as an adult with Aspergers?

I was actually pretty surprised at what they managed to do with the movie.  They address issues like:

• What happens to an aspie when left all alone in the world?
• Why are employees with Aspergers often punished for overachieving?
• What can an aspie do to get a job?
• What kind of work is best for an aspie?

There are also more subtle references that you might appreciate, like the idea that most people assume only children are autistic.  I smiled when a character referenced Liane Holliday Wiley’s book Pretending To Be Normal.

There are moments when Adam and Beth converse and I can completely relate to both perspectives.  It’s kind of useful to watch the interactions from the outside, because it helps me process what goes on.  There’s a scene where she’s telling him about her hopes and dreams, trying to engage him and get a little encouragement out of him.  But he latches on to a tiny detail in what she’s saying and responds to that instead of giving her the emotional reciprocation she wants.  A minute later, you can see that while he may not be able to read her intentions, he’s not an unfeeling robot either.  You can see how much he needs validation as well when she makes a comment that he misinterprets and he gets upset over the perceived insult.

If you’ve been living the life of an aspie, you probably won’t learn anything groundbreaking by watching “Adam”, but there is something comforting in seeing bits and pieces of your own life on the big screen.  Just as no two aspies are 100% identical, there will be mannerisms or behaviors that you might not identify with, but the overarching themes and dilemmas might be something you can relate to.

(By the way, I chose this photo because this is like my husband trying to get my attention…and me totally focused on my laptop.  Sorry R.  You know I love you.)