>Well, I have a lot of ladies that want to be a Wednesday’s Woman but haven’t written their post yet. So, I’m going to review the Temple Grandin movie in case you haven’t seen it. Some weeks ago I wrote a short post about it the day after the Emmy’s. I do not have HBO, so I had not seen it yet. The movie has finally reached Red Box, and I found it the other day. I am very pleased that I rented it.
Even if you do not know someone on the autism spectrum, this movie is worth watching simply for the great acting. You will not recognize Claire Danes. It really saddens me that she can’t win an Oscar for this performance. It is truly Oscar-worthy. I know she won an Emmy, but Oscars seem more prestigious. Julia Ormond and David Strathairn earned their Emmys as well. I don’t think it won anything for its music, but I thought the main theme had an underlying intensity that completely fits the world of autism.
I do not want to give too much away, so I will not share too many of the actual details of the movie. It starts with Temple arriving at her aunt and uncle’s cattle ranch the summer before she is to attend college. She does not want to go, as people are hard to understand. When her aunt escorts her up to the bedroom that will be hers, we get glimpses into Temple’s world–the ceiling fan is loud, the grate in the wall a source of repetitive fascination, no hugging allowed. She even asks the aunt, “How do I know this is MY room?” The aunt replies, “Because I said so.” However, she can sense Temple is still unsettled. She makes a sign and tapes it to the door, comforting Temple.
The story covers Temple’s diagnosis, experiences in high school, college, master’s work, and ends in 1981 at an autism conference. Of course the masterful storytellers do not leave things in order. As you watch Temple’s life unfold on the screen, you experience her discomfort around people, her sensory sensitivities, and her amazing mind. Those of us not on the spectrum cannot daily travel in the steps of those who are. The creators of this movie do a fantastic job showing us how Temple’s mind works, amplifying sounds and sensations, and making us feel her terror.
From a different perspective, the movie is extremely clean. I don’t think I heard a single swear word and there is no sexual activity. There is mention that the college administration and Temple’s co-eds consider her sexually perverted, but you can skip those few minutes if you feel your middle age child is not ready for such a discussion. The scenes about the cattle dips and the slaughterhouse have disturbing parts which you would probably want to fast forward for most children. However, I think even upper elementary students could watch most of this movie and learn about what it’s like to be someone else. It may even be a tool to give you a way to ask your autistic child if any parts of Temple’s experiences are like his own.
For a mere dollar at a RedBox kiosk you can rent this wonderful movie. It ends coming full circle and offering hope. When we were done, my husband said, “Temple is an amazing woman, but the hero of the movie is her mother.” At the Emmy’s, Temple asked her mom to stand and her mom received much-deserved applause. So, moms, take heart and take courage. You may not get applause, but you are making a difference in your child’s life even when you don’t feel like you are. In a way, you are Wednesday’s Woman, too.
