Life, Animated Review (2nd Anniversary Special – Part 4)

(Continued from Part 3: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/life-animated-2nd-anniversary-special-part-3/)

As Owen prepares for his graduation, he has The Little Mermaid (1989) playing in the background. Specifically, the ending where Sebastian says: “children got to be free to lead their own lives.” Once again, a Disney film parallels Owen’s life. Like Ariel stepping out of the sea, he’s leaving school to become independent. It’s a proud day for Cornelia, too, seeing her son on stage. It’s incredible to think how far he’s come from being the quiet little boy she thought would never talk again. Let alone graduate.

Following the ceremony, Owen and his family begin the process of moving him to his new apartment. Before they do, however, Owen insists on watching a few scenes of Dumbo (1941) to celebrate. This notion seems to imply that he understands his condition in this situation. He needs to watch those scenes to be in the right frame of mind, or it could impact him both mentally and emotionally. In fact, we get to witness this Autistic stress first-hand.

Just as the family is about to leave, Owen suddenly realises he’s lost the charm on the necklace Emily gave him. He gets very upset about it and starts behaving erratically (i.e. trying to ‘sniff it out‘ and moaning like a child). His dad suggests they can simply buy another one, but Owen won’t hear of it. Although he knows Emily didn’t make the charm herself, she did buy it for him out of love. So it’s special in a way his dad can’t understand.

To be honest, I do get how Owen feels. I’m something of a hoarder myself. I know it makes sense to get rid of old things and make room for the new. But doing so never feels right to me. It doesn’t matter if its school work, holiday souvenirs or a scarf my Nan gave me before she died; they all have unique memories attached to them. Throwing them away would feel like throwing away part of myself. Perhaps that’s why Owen holds so tightly to his Disney films.

Eventually, Cornelia finds the missing charm, and everyone makes their way to Owen’s new place. His apartment is in an assisted living community, around 75 miles from his parents’ house. Owen is excited to be moving in at first and eagerly helps to unpack. However, once Ron and Cornelia leave, the reality of the situation slowly starts to sink in: he really is all by himself. His feelings are expressed through yet another Disney film. This time it’s Bambi (1942). The first scene shows Bambi’s mother warning him about the dangers of the meadow; it’s wide and open, and they’re unprotected on it. Then, following the infamous shooting scene, the fawn is shown calling out for his mother – which is just before his father shows up, telling him she can’t be with him anymore. In a way, Owen is going through Bambi’s predicament right now. The world can be a dangerous place sometimes, and now he has to face it without the usual protection of his parents.

As time goes by, Owen gradually adjusts to his new life. He struggles with some basic things, like opening the right mailbox. But as it’s an assisted living community, there are always people around to help him. They show him how to cook, how to pay bills and when to take his medication. They also assist him in looking for a job, and we actually get to see him going for an interview at his local cinema. It’s interesting to note the type of role he’s going for too since it involves interacting with many unfamiliar people. And as all we know, this sort of thing tends to make him nervous. It’s good to see him fighting his own insecurities.

Around this time, we also delve more into Owen’s relationship with Emily. And some of its issues. You see, although they do enjoy each other’s company, there appears to be very little chemistry between them. One night when she comes over, they just spend the evening watching Disney’s Aladdin (1992). And other than some light conversation over food, there’s nothing but awkward silence throughout. Reality-wise it’s not the healthiest relationship. Other people notice as well.

While playing miniature golf together, Walter speaks to Owen about possibly moving forward with his relationship. Owen, however, doesn’t seem to grasp what the next stage is. For example, when asked what people use other than their mouths when they kiss, he replies “feelings.” But of course, the real answer is tongues. The problem is, Owen only knows about romance from what he’s seen in Disney films; through couples like Eric and Ariel, Hercules and Meg, Belle and the Beast, etc. It’s challenging for Walter to work around that since Disney films don’t usually explore relationships beyond the Happily Ever After kiss. He even jokingly says the only way he might get his brother into sex is by showing him Disney p###. Sadly, it never comes to that. Because not long after this, something goes horribly, horribly wrong.

At his home in Washington DC, Walter gets a phone call from the assisted living community. After looking distraught for a moment, he tells us the sad news. Emily has broken up with Owen. Apparently, there was a meeting with caseworkers where she expressed concerns about him getting “too close” and that she needed personal space. Owen takes the news very badly. Keep in mind, breakups are practically unheard of in Disney films; the fact that he’s lost his Happily Ever After isn’t something his mind can fully comprehend. It’s the first time he’s ever experienced such as a hard dose of reality. Trying to make sense of it all, he calls his mom and asks her why life is “so full of unfair pain and tragedy?” She replies it’s just the way life is sometimes. There are joyous and relaxing times, but also sad and painful ones. What’s important is to accept they’ve happened, move on and trust things will get better in the end. Unfortunately, Owen can’t seem to do that. Not only does he still wear Emily’s necklace, but he has a picture of her next to his bed. Plus, he’s seen watching a sad clip from The Little Mermaid where Ariel is crying over Eric getting married to the Sea Witch. Eventually, a councillor has to step in to try and explain the situation. But Owen won’t listen to reason. He’s too emotionally unstable and even starts shouting in frustration.

It is painful to watch. But once again, I think it’s an essential scene. It shows how sensitive Autistic people can be under challenging circumstances. I should know, I’ve been there myself. During my last year of University, I was succeeding well in terms of grades. But I was also under a lot of stress. The sheer volume of work and tight deadlines were so intimidating to me that I never wanted to stop working. If I did, I feared my condition would slow me down and then I’d never finish on time. As a result, I devoted practically every second I had to my assignments. Which gravely affected my health and mentality. It got to the point where I was literally crying myself to sleep and waking up in the morning vomiting with anxiety. It didn’t matter what other people said to me; they weren’t the ones with Autism. They couldn’t understand what battling through my learning/focus difficulties was like. So whenever they said I was stressing over nothing, or they’d been through worse, it didn’t reassure me. It just made me resent them.

Anyway, back onto Owen; he tries to cope by channelling his emotions into his creative work again. For instance, he creates the villain Fuzzbutch for his Land of the Lost Sidekicks story. A creature that blows fog inside people’s heads and makes the world look like a sad, scary place. Clearly, it’s how he sees it right now. But that’s not all.

Soon after, his mom calls with some exciting news. He’s been invited to an Autism conference at the Rennes University in France. They want him to give a speech about Autistic people, and how they use their passions to make sense of the world – as Owen does with Disney. Owen agrees to go, but he struggles with a lot leading up to it. He finds it challenging to write his speech, he doesn’t know how to do up a tie (despite being 23-years-old), and when he’s on stage it looks like he won’t talk at all – he’s never spoken to such a large audience of strangers before. Eventually, though, he does find his voice.

He starts off talking about the very specific interests he and some of his Autistic friends have; animated films, superheroes, and the history of all actors and comedians who are Jewish. He then addresses the false notion that Autistic people don’t want to be around other people. The truth is, they want what everyone else wants. But sometimes they’re misguided and don’t know how to connect with others. He, himself, used to be afraid of growing up and watched the world go by like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. He explains that Quasimodo didn’t get the girl in the end, but was happily welcomed into society after a long and hard journey of being an outcast.

I hung on every word of the speech because it’s 100% true, especially the parts comparing Owen to The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Here’s the interesting thing about that movie – and by the way, I am quoting a review by Animat here. Not only is the tone more adult for a Disney film, but it touches on many dark and realistic themes that most animated features wouldn’t dare to. These include religion; the mistreatment of gipsies (which can be seen as a social commentary on immigration); lust; and most importantly, dealing with a heartbreak. The reason the latter stands out is that it’s a moment in life everyone goes through. Sure, eventually, you will settle down and find true love. But along the way, you will end up loving the wrong person – someone who doesn’t love you back. And you will learn this the hard way. It’s definitely sad when Quasimodo sees Esmeralda kissing Phoebus. But it’s essential to the plot because it reminds him of his true goal. Which isn’t to fall in love, but to be socially accepted. And when it comes down to it, that’s the primary goal for any Autistic person.

Following the conference, Owen finally comes to terms his break up. He takes off Emily’s necklace and shows Walter a message he sent her over the weekend. It says he’s now accepted their relationship is over, but he hopes they can still be friends – they know each other too well not to. It seems to have worked; Owen and Emily do cross paths at one point, and they appear to be on good speaking terms.

As the documentary comes to an end, we see Owen at his new job in the movie theatre. He tells us once more how worried he was about losing his Disney films when he grew up. But he never did. Although his childhood is over, he’s glad to be moving forward, while still cherishing what he holds most dear.

And I think that’s an important message. It’s good to want to change yourself. But it’s also essential to keep a part of your old self too. If you change just for other’s benefit, then you’ll lose sight of who you really are, and maybe even hate yourself for it. Nothing is more important in development than happiness.

The final scene shows Owen sitting in a dark movie theatre, mumbling his usual Disney dialogue, while a montage of Disney clips plays – the last one being Simba’s roar atop Pride Rock.

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And that’s Life, Animated. Simply put, it’s one of the best documentaries I’ve ever seen. Not only does it perfectly represent Autism in such an open and honest way, but it shows exactly how the condition affects everyone, not just the person who’s diagnosed. On top of that, the comparisons made between Owen’s life and Disney mean it’s both relatable and inspiring to anyone who watches it.

As for me, I felt a genuine connection to the story. In many ways, Owen and I are the same; we both have trouble socialising, we both like being creative and we both mumble things that stick in our heads. At the same time though, we’re also very different. I got my first job when I was only 18-years-old. And while Owen has already experienced moving out and having a girlfriend, I’ve yet to accomplish either. It just goes to show how diverse the condition is for each individual person.

I cannot stress this enough. If you have Autism, or you know somebody who does, then this is an absolute must-watch documentary. Nowhere will you find a more perfect guide to the condition, and what you can do to assist it. If you see it for sale, just buy it yourself and be inspired by a masterpiece.

And with that, my 2nd Anniversary Special is done. I never imagined it would take me a year and four parts to finish. But now I can start debating on what to release for the 3rd Anniversary. If you have any questions, please leave me a comment – I’ll be happy to answer them. And until next time, stay tuned.

(Image courtesy of http://www.tulsakids.com/Web-2016/Life-Animated-at-Circle-Cinema/)

Life, Animated (2nd Anniversary Special – Part 3)

(Continued from Part 2: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/life-animated-review-part-2/)

Throughout the documentary, we see numerous people trying to help Owen prepare for life on his own. They all teach him essential skills like communication and self-awareness. However, they also express concerns about his well-being. These include him walking with his chin down, his limited knowledge of road safety, and whether or not he can cope without hands-on support. Owen does want to be independent. But he knows his condition will make things challenging. Especially when it comes to perceiving reality.

As mentioned before, Owen struggles to understand people and situations, unless they relate to a Disney film. Anything new or unfamiliar makes him feel anxious. This is a constant problem for him because the world is always changing. If he’s not mentally prepared to adapt, then his adulthood will only intimidate him.

I, myself, find change extremely difficult sometimes. I try to stay organised by writing myself timetables. But once I’m used to a routine, something new comes along and throws a spanner in the works. Maybe my hours at work will change. Maybe there’s a meeting I have to attend. Or perhaps a deadline will come up, and doing it means I’ll have less time to finish other tasks. Staying on top of things can be stressful when you’re not anticipating them.

Owen’s mother says it best: the reason her son loves Disney films so much is they’re the one thing in his life that never change. The characters don’t age. The stories don’t take drastic turns. It’s just the same scripted events, followed by the same characters, who learn the same moral lessons that Owen can understand.

The trouble is, real-life isn’t a Disney script.

Going back to Owen’s childhood, his Autism continued to be a hindrance for him. Although he was able to communicate better thanks to his parents speaking in Disney dialogue, they knew this couldn’t be a permanent solution. Eventually, they’d have to teach him to interpret reality without Disney’s help. Otherwise, his development would be slow. This was made evident during his school years.

Initially, Owen was enrolled in a specialist school for learning disabled children. It worked well for a time. But after a year or two, it became apparent he wasn’t making enough progress. His limited speech and social skills meant he couldn’t keep up with the other students – despite them also having conditions like dyslexia and ADHD. Soon after, the school decided there was nothing more they could do, and Owen was excluded.

This actually brings to mind a pressing matter in today’s society. There have been numerous cases where a child has been unjustly excluded from school – or refused entry entirely – because of circumstances relating to their disability. It is essential for teachers and parents to remember that every child is entitled to a proper education, regardless of their physical or mental impairments. Denying them that right is an unacceptable course of action.

Being taken out of school was hard on Owen. He described it as a “glop” year, where everything went downhill, and he felt his best days were behind him. He even lost his passion for animated movies. Following an extensive period of home-schooling, his parents got him enrolled in a new school for special needs children. Unfortunately, this did little to improve his emotional state. Then the bullying started.

At some point in our lives, we’ve all experienced bullying and the harsh impact it can have on our psyches. For those with Autism, though, it can be a lot more harrowing. This is because we have two symptoms that bullies like to exploit. The first is our sensitivity. Because we struggle to control our emotions, bullies know they can get a reaction from us with little provocation. The second is our literal way of thinking. Given how our minds work, we tend to sort everything into black and white areas. If anything falls into the grey (e.g. sarcasm or rhetorical questions), it can be difficult to process what’s true and what isn’t. As such, we instinctively believe what we’re told most of the time. This assures bullies that their threats will be taken seriously – even if they’re false.

In Owen’s case, the boys at his school tormented him by saying they’d burn his house down. This terrified him because he genuinely believed his family was going to be killed. The documentary illustrates this fear by showing us some frightening clips from Disney; Bambi escaping a forest fire, the wolves from ‘Beauty and the Beast’, Chernabog from ‘Night on Bald Mountain’, Jafar laughing, Simba watching his father die. There’s even one part where Owen watches ‘The Hunchback of Notre-Dame’; specifically, the scene where Quasimodo is tortured and ridiculed by the townsfolk. It’s very symbolic.

There’s no doubt high school was a dark time for Owen. But there was a light on the horizon.

Sometime after the bullying, Ron noticed his son was spending a lot of time in the basement. So one day he went down and saw Owen had been drawing Disney characters in a scrapbook. The one significance, however, was that every one of them was a sidekick – there were no heroes. Owen explains he never felt like a hero at the time. He always felt more like a sidekick. “Sidekicks”, he says, “are fun-loving, comical, wacky, playful, friendly and delightful. And they help the hero fulfil their destiny.” On the last two pages, he wrote, “I am the Protector of the Sidekicks. No Sidekick gets left behind.” What that meant was, although he doubted he would ever be a leader among regular people, he could be one to those just like him. This is likely what inspired him to start his Disney club. And what got him into writing.

‘The Land of the Lost Sidekicks’ is one of the best highlights of the DVD for me – perhaps more so than the diagnosis section. It’s the tale of a young boy, who’s awoken in the night by a storm made of garbled voices. He escapes into the forest where he meets the Disney sidekicks. They’re lost because they no longer have a hero to follow – having fulfilled their purpose in their movies. The boy is named Protector of the Sidekicks and helps them defeat the storm – which is really a demon. While they, in turn, show him the path to his destiny.

Not only is the animation here beautiful – with its pencil-esque style and brilliant use of watercolours – but the story is a creative retelling of Owen’s life. The boy is the same age he was when he was diagnosed. The demon is the stressful voices he couldn’t understand as a child. The sidekicks are the friends he always longed to have, who also give his life purpose. It’s inspiring to see how Owen took both the good and bad parts of his life and turned them into something meaningful.

This is what I want to do someday: write stories from personal experience that will help me make a difference in other’s lives.

Back in the present day, Owen’s family celebrate Walter’s 26th Birthday. After a scene where Owen struggles with his speech, we take a moment to focus on his brother. Walter admits he cares deeply for Owen and would do anything to make sure he’s okay. However, it does overwhelm him knowing he may one day have to take care of him and their parents. Every passing year brings him closer to that fate. As a result, his birthday depresses him as much as it did when he was nine.

This part opened my eyes to something. For those of you who don’t know, I have a twin sister. Unlike me, she’s not Autistic, has many friends and spends most of her time out of the house. After watching this, it really dawned on me that I’ve never asked her how she feels about my condition or its effects. I know she loves me regardless. But I have to wonder if she’s ever had the same concerns as Walter. Perhaps we should talk about it one day.

Once again, I have to give ‘Life, Animated’ credit for being so sincere about how Autism affects everyone in the family – not just the child and parents.

After spending some time with Walter, Owen’s graduation day finally arrives. The most pivotal chapter of his life is about to begin.

Continued in Part 4: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2018/04/02/life-animated-review-2nd-anniversary-special-part-4/

(Image courtesy of: http://www.tulsakids.com/Web-2016/Life-Animated-at-Circle-Cinema/)

Life, Animated Review (2nd Anniversary Special – Part 2)

(Continued from Part 1: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2017/06/01/life-animated-review-2nd-anniversary-special-part-1/)

After briefly cutting back to Owen’s adult life, we learn how his parents made their first major breakthrough with his Autism.

It was a year after the diagnosis. And in that time, Owen rarely spoke or interacted with anyone. Even when he did, he’d always spurt random gibberish like “juice of us.” The only thing that kept him calm anymore was watching the Disney movies with his family. Then one day, they were watching The Little Mermaid (1989), and something unusual happened. Owen kept rewinding and replaying the part where Ursula the Sea Witch sings “just your voice” in Poor Unfortunate Soul. Each time he’d say “juice of us.” It was then his mother, Cornelia, realised the truth. Owen wasn’t speaking random gibberish. He was quoting the movie. “Juice of us” meant “just your voice.” His father then said the line and Owen quoted it back. It was the first time their son had looked at either of them in over a year.

I find two things fascinating about this section. The first is Owen’s habit of rewinding and replaying specific scenes. I literally do this all the time whenever I watch DVDs. If I see or hear something I really enjoy, I can’t help experiencing it multiple times. That way, I’m able to store it in my memory and relive it whenever I choose. The other amazing thing is the line itself. How ironic is it that, for the better part of a year, Owen had lost his voice – like Ariel in the movie – and the words that helped him speak again were “just your voice“? It’s another major parallel he has with Disney.

By this point, Owen’s parents thought they had Autism figured out. They understood their son’s gibberish and now, seemingly, had a way of communicating with him. However, a specialist pointed out that many Autistic children just repeat what they hear. Which is true. Sometimes I say things back to myself, not because I’m trying to make conversation, but because I’m trying to register certain information. Owen does the same throughout Life, Animated; he repeats what people say to him to ensure it sticks in his mind.

Four years later, however, Owen’s parents would make their biggest breakthrough.

It’s worth mentioning here that Owen has an older brother. Whose name – ironically enough – is Walter (or ‘Walt’ for short). During Walt’s 9th birthday, Owen noticed that his sibling wasn’t feeling too happy. In fact, he looked downright depressed at something. Owen then went to his parents and said, “Walter doesn’t want to grow up, like Mowgli or Peter Pan.” This was astonishing for Ron and Cornelia. For years, they’d assumed their son couldn’t process the world around him. Yet he’d just spoken to them about a real-world issue. It wasn’t something he heard or repeated either; he’d observed a complex emotion, processed a complex thought and expressed it using a complex sentence. He’d used Peter Pan (1953) and The Jungle Book (1967) to work out a situation even his parents weren’t aware of.

But things didn’t stop there.

Soon afterwards, Ron wanted to try speaking to Owen. But he knew his son wouldn’t likely talk back. That’s when he noticed something nearby: a hand-puppet of Iago the Parrot (Aladdin; 1992). Putting it on and mimicking the bird’s voice, Ron asked Owen how he was feeling. Owen admitted he was sad because he didn’t have friends. Just managing to stay in character, Ron then questioned how he (Iago) and Owen became such good friends. Owen replied, “when I watched Aladdin you made me laugh.” This was the first proper conversation the two had ever had. But Ron discovered something else. Whenever he said something Iago did in the movie, Owen would reply with the next line (e.g. “I love the way your foul little mind works,“). Suddenly, it all made sense. It wasn’t just scenes and dialogue Owen remembered. He’d memorised the whole of Aladdin! And all the other Disney movies, too! As long as you said something like one of the characters, Owen would listen and make conversation. This was the answer Ron had been searching for; the secret that would allow him and his wife to help their son. From then on, the whole family spoke in Disney dialogue.

You might think that choosing to live a Disney movie is going a bit extreme. But when it comes to Autism, nothing is too drastic. Sometimes the only way to get through to a person is to appeal to their interests. You can then use those interests to help them engage with reality, and eventually teach them life skills. For Ron and Cornelia, Disney was their best hope of assisting Owen’s development in the long-run.

And it worked.

As time went by, Owen’s silence gradually began to fade. He still mumbled to himself, but he was finally able to speak and express his emotions – albeit slightly exaggerated. Plus, his obsession with Disney continued to do wonders for him. He’d memorise all the film credits, and it taught him to read. If he felt a certain way, he’d use scenes or characters to express himself; like Hercules for not giving up, Mowgli for wanting friends or Pinocchio for wanting to feel like a ‘real boy’. Later in life, it would even help him to become a mentor of sorts.

Remember what I said about Autistic people using their unique talents to make a positive difference in the world? Well, that’s what Owen did. As a young man, he started his own Disney club – a special one for disadvantaged people. In addition to watching the movies, he would encourage his friends to think about what they were teaching them in life. For instance, The Lion King (1994) is primarily about Simba learning the responsibility of being a king and how to live on after his father’s death. It shows how much Owen understands independence and wants to pass on that knowledge to others.

Thanks to his club, Owen was able to bring people together and form connections. He even got to meet his idols Gilbert Gottfried and Johnathan Freeman, the voices of Iago and Jafar (respectively), when they came to perform Aladdin scenes with everyone. Best of all though, the club is where Owen met his girlfriend, Emily.

Seeing them together, it’s clear Emily is just as Autistic as Owen. Her speech is slow, her facial expressions are often glassy, and she comes off as being child-like. In one scene, Owen gives her some flowers, while she gives him a necklace with a Mickey Mouse charm on it. She also gives him a hand-made card with coloured writing and a drawing of them both holding hands – seeing it reminds me of the cards I used to make when I was a child. Owen says he loves Emily because she’s “wonderful[,] cute[,] adorable and speaks soft and gentle.” Plus, she’ll be moving into the apartment just above his when he graduates. So then they’ll be “neighbours in love.”

This section is another highlight of the documentary for me. With everything Owen has been through, it’s lovely seeing him live as normal a life as possible. Some people with Autism can go years without finding love, or even friends who share their interests. Owen was able to find both in Emily. Thanks to his parents freeing him from isolation, he was given the opportunity to socialise with others. It’s moments like this that give people like me – and their parents – hope and inspiration for the future.

However, we all know life is full of high and low points. And as Life, Animated continues, Owen learns he still has many difficult challenges ahead.

Continued in Part 3: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2017/11/01/life-animated-2nd-anniversary-special-part-3/

(Image courtesy of: http://www.tulsakids.com/Web-2016/Life-Animated-at-Circle-Cinema/)

Life, Animated Review (2nd Anniversary Special – Part 1)

Hello everybody, this is George Harvey (aka the Autistic Blogger). And today, I have a very special post for you to commemorate the 2-Year Anniversary of this blog. Since June 2015, my site has been viewed over 2500 times, by people in 60 different countries. So before I begin, I just want to say a big thank you to everybody who’s supported me, and I hope to bring you even more great content in the future. It’s been hard work keeping up with my writing. But seeing how popular it is makes it all worth it in the end. With that said, let’s talk about Life, Animated.

Some of you may remember back in 2016 I wrote a piece on BBC Two’s new drama series, The ‘A’ Word. Beforehand, I gave my thoughts on Autism and how it’s represented in the media. Some depictions are praiseworthy, like The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime, while others have been downright insulting (e.g. Channel 4’s The Undateables). Then one day, I was watching a video by one of my favourite YouTubers (Animat), when I stumbled across this gem of a documentary.

Life, Animated follows Owen Suskind, a 23-year-old man with Autism. What I found most intriguing about it was the story and it’s unique presentation. You see, Owen is a big fan of Disney films. So much so, they were all he could think about growing up. This made life challenging for him as he couldn’t connect well with reality. Even his family had trouble understanding his behaviour. However, Owen’s obsession provided a unique insight into his condition (e.g. the way it affects his speech, body language and thought-process). Furthermore, it exposed some of the lesser-known benefits of having Autism. Through pencil animations, interviews and other content, the documentary explores how Owen has made the most of his condition and used Disney films to make sense of the world around him.

This premise alone blew me away. Many Autistic people do struggle with direct communication. So they find other, more creative ways to express themselves. Some do it through music or drawing pictures, others – like me – write down what they feel. And others use their hobbies or interests as metaphors. In the case of Life, Animated, I don’t think it could’ve worked any better than with Owen and his Disney films. It takes a complex subject like Autism and pairs it with something the whole world can recognise. Not only does this make the documentary a perfect guide to Autistic behaviour, but it shows how influential Disney really is.

When I saw Life, Animated for the first time, I knew it was one of the best portrayals of Autism I’d ever seen. A simple summary wouldn’t do it justice. So for this anniversary, I decided to breakdown the movie and explain, in my own words, just how masterful it is. Please enjoy:

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The movie begins with some home video footage of a young Owen Suskind. We see him as a regular little boy growing up with his family, and watching Disney’s Fantasia (1940). There’s nothing too out of the ordinary. We then cut to years later with Owen as a young man. It’s clear from his body language, glassy eyes and occasional mumbling to himself that he’s severely Autistic.

Straight away, I can relate to Owen’s behaviour. When I was younger, I would often wonder about, remembering my favourite TV shows, movies or video games. They were so exciting that I’d forget where I was and start reciting their dialogue. Owen does a similar thing here. Throughout the movie, he quotes lines from famous Disney films.

After attending a special class on social skills, Owen heads home and introduces himself. He explains he will be graduating in a month’s time and moving into his own apartment. Something he’s both nervous and excited about.

These scenes introduce the movie’s overall theme of independence. Anyone will tell you that living alone is a big challenge, even for the best of people. But when you have Autism, it feels like a near-impossible goal. The main concern is how the condition affects our ability to perform simple tasks. It’s not that we aren’t capable of doing them. But sometimes our minds struggle to focus on them properly. We’re so used to the things we love and understand (TV shows, movies, video games, etc.) that anything unfamiliar can feel incredibly nerve-wracking. Because of this, our brains instinctively try to reject new information, even when we want to learn it. This is why most people with Autism have learning difficulties. It’s easy to get distracted from life when you have such immense passion for what you love.

Back onto the movie, Owen’s love of Disney is established. In his room, we see numerous Disney posters and memorabilia. They range from classics like The Lion King (1994) to modern films like The Princess and the Frog (2009). We then get our first glimpse of the parallels between Owen’s life and Disney.

Owen plays a VHS of Peter Pan (1953) – immediately becoming entranced by it. He fast-forwards to the part where Wendy explains she has to grow up and possibly give up her stories. This mirrors Owen’s own concerns about his the future, i.e. leaving behind his childhood, and possibly his Disney movies. He then fast-forwards to the climactic swordfight between Peter and Captain Hook. He copies everything the characters say and do, clearly knowing the movie off by heart.

I can relate to this as well. When I was younger, I didn’t just recite specific dialogue. I would act scenes that were playing inside my head. This goes back to what I said about having immense passion. If you watch, read or listen to something enough times it becomes embedded in your mind. You can then replay it, from beginning to end, with almost pinpoint accuracy – Autism gives you that kind of photographic memory. True, it can distract you and cause learning difficulties. But there are benefits to it as well. Having such an extensive memory makes you an expert on the subject. You can then use that knowledge to make a real difference in the world. We see how Owen does later in the documentary.

But I digress. Following the bedroom scene, things delve into more personal territory.

We’re shown some more home video footage of Owen and his dad, Ron, sword-fighting as Peter Pan and Captain Hook (1993). According to his parents, this was the last time Owen was recorded before he “vanish[ed]” (i.e. began developing Autism). The changes, they say, came very quickly; his lack of sleep, deteriorating motor skills and his language breaking were the early signs. Concerned, they took him to a special facility, where he was officially diagnosed with Autism.

This section is one of the highlights of the documentary, for me. I remember being Owen’s age (3 to 4-years-old) when I was taken for my diagnosis. I wasn’t aware of it at the time, of course. I thought I was just spending 30 minutes in a play room, with a friendly lady. We spoke together, arranged toys in a line and even made up a story about Thomas the Tank Engine visiting Sesame Street. I had no idea my behaviour was being monitored or that my parents were watching from behind a false mirror. But now it all makes sense. That was the day my parents found out I was different. The day they discovered I might never attend public school or even talk properly. Seeing how devastating the news was for Owen’s parents, I can’t image how mine must’ve felt. It really does feel like the child you’ve raised and loved has gone. And, no matter how much you want them to, they never go back to the way they used to be. I respect the movie for being so sincere about the impact Autism can have on the parents as well as the child.

I should say at this point, everything I’ve mentioned so far takes place in the first 15 minutes of the film! Life, Animated still has plenty more inspiring scenes to come.

Continued in Part 2: https://georgeharvey2015.wordpress.com/2017/08/01/life-animated-review-part-2/

(Image courtesy of: http://www.tulsakids.com/Web-2016/Life-Animated-at-Circle-Cinema/)