Critical praise for ‘Adam’
July 29th, 2009
The newly released film ‘Adam,‘ starring Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne, is the tale of a young man with Asperger’s whose life is changed when a beautiful woman moves into his New York apartment building.
Excerpts from some reviews:
Kevin Thomas, Los Angeles Times
Subtlety and nuance mark both the film’s dialogue and performances. It’s hard to see how Dancy and Byrne could be any better … “Adam” is a most welcome summer treat.
The film succeeds largely because Dancy pulls it off with grace and virtually none of the crowd-pleasing gimmickry that marred Dustin Hoffman’s performance as an autistic savant in “Rain Man.”
Far from just another exotic Disease of the Week, Asperger’s is an incurable neurological disorder similar to autism that turns outwardly normal-looking people into high-class idiot savants. I know at least two people with Asperger’s. They are incapable of thinking of anyone or anything outside of themselves. Challenged by social interactions and given to obsessive routines that revolve around a single subject of interest, they do not like to be touched, they feel incapable of explaining things and they cannot cope with people in general. Emotionally blocked, they say things that hurt and sting without meaning to be rude, and are weak at understanding, receiving or exchanging the emotions of others. They cannot look you in the eye. Adam is a fascinating study of a rare affliction in which all of these qualities are evident, in carefully researched scenes that are humorous and touching. It is lethal to get involved romantically with any person with Asperger’s syndrome, since they care nothing about other people’s feelings, needs or priorities. Almost without exception, they leave you perplexed, riddled with doubt and totally depressed.
… one of the warmest and most satisfying films of the year.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
Playing a character who is mentally disabled can be a fast track to Oscar or to oblivion, and rare is the actor who can resist the statuette-winning, Hanks-Hoffman strategy of mannered tics and mechanical talk. And when you consider that not even Sean Penn could pull it off without making our eyeballs cringe, the performance of Hugh Dancy in the charming romantic comedy “Adam” is all the more impressive.
Director Max Mayer handles the symptoms and limitations of the syndrome with sensitivity and intelligence. He doesn’t make it a big issue — this is no weepy disease-of-the-week movie — but it is certainly essential to the story’s arc, and in no way downplayed.
… Adam is a cut above most romances and boasts a intriguing conclusion. One comes away with a sense of hope, leavened by realism
(Fox Searchlight photo)
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July 31st, 2009 at 10:18 pm
Many within the autism community, incidentally, have some issues with that Rex Reed quote. See, for example, the following posts:
Perpetuating Myths About Autism — Aspie Teacher
Whose Planet Is It Anyway?: Rex Reed Spouts Disgusting Bigotry
Cat in a Dog’s World: NY Observer Displays a Lack of Empathy
(I probably ought to blog about this myself, but have been rather busy as of late.)
July 30th, 2009 at 12:47 am
I just wanted to send a shout out to folks about the new film “Adam”. My husband and I attended a screening tonight and would highly recommend the film for many reasons. The writer/director Max Mayer has done a
wonderful job with this in capturing what a person living with Asperger Syndrome experiences. From Adam’s routines, to developing a relationship, challenges with employment, and living through loss, the film is very respectful and at the same time enlightening.
There are many scenes in the film that will provide some foundation for a better understanding of Asperger Syndrome and the differing complexities and how those may affect individuals living with AS. There are scenes that we were grateful to see as parents; one involving an encounter with police, another where there is a discussion by a father with his daughter about compromising to have a relationship with Adam, and those about what transpires when parents pass away, are all done well and in a way that really embraces uniqueness and diversity. This film also doesn’t focus on AS as much as it does in just the development of the two main characters as individuals and their relationship. The film too is visually stunning at times and if you love New York, that’s another selling point.
There is also an interview with Max Mayer which can be located at the link below, but I’d urge folks to see the film first because it will be a spoiler for the ending otherwise. However after seeing this I knew that this film was made for a reason and had the insight of someone with AS, it’s very obvious and I wanted to see why Mr. Mayer made the film. He discusses that in the interview.
Enjoy and urge other folks that may support your family to go and see the film. It’s worth it. One last suggestion, if you love a person with ASD, take some tissue…even my husband was moved by this film.
Carolyn Gammicchia
Proud mother of an eighteen year old son with ASD
http://www.firstshowing.net/2009/07/29/interview-writer-and-director-of-adam-max-mayer/