Temple Grandin. Now there’s a name that was ready-built for fame and consequence. It’s a name that may only now be entering household use, but Grandin’s influence, both as a professional and as an example to others, has had a significant impact for decades, in this country and elsewhere. Few others have done more to dislodge the notion that autism is a disease to be cured. Rather, she asserts, it ought not only be tolerated by society, but harnessed. She asserts this because she has demonstrated in her own life and career that autism can indeed be an asset, and for greater causes than a winning streak at blackjack.

HBO’s Temple Grandin, starring Claire Danes in the title role, offers us a glimpse of this life. It introduces its protagonist standing in the midst of a room that she reveals to be an optical illusion, giving us a taste of the visual trickery and humor the film uses, to great effect, in explaining how she perceives the world. It begins its story in the 1960’s, when Grandin first moved to Arizona to go to college and stay with her aunt and uncle at their cattle ranch. While at the ranch, she began to contemplate the world of livestock herds and how they were a reflection of cows’ evolution and perception of the world, which she carried into her later education and career. Her horror at the clumsy, inhumane design of cattle handling facilities inspired her to design her own devices and pens, taking advantage of her insight into animal psychology.

The film tells this story in a remarkably compelling and intelligent way. HBO has earned a reputation as a producer of some of the best biopics in years, including the two recent Winston Churchill films, The Gathering Storm and Into the Storm, and the epic John Adams miniseries. The director, Mick Jackson (L.A. Story), has a light but expressive touch here, finding a perfect balance between the intellectual fascination inherent in the story and the emotion and humor that grounds it in everyday reality. Danes is fantastic–she stands a fine chance of winning an Emmy and/or Golden Globe for her prickly, eccentric performance–and she is joined by a superb supporting cast. Catherine O’Hara is perfect as her smirking but indulgent aunt. Julia Ormond, always a welcome sight, expresses the hardships and fears faced by parents of autistic children without becoming a caricature herself. Best of all, perhaps, are the scenes with David Straithairn, who plays Grandin’s high school science teacher and mentor.

When I consider the emerging revolution in our understanding of neuroscience and human cognition, looking back to the 19th and 20th Centuries–when supposedly scientific crazes like phrenology and eugenics held sway–I can’t help but be relieved that such ideas have been debunked. As we are learning today, human genius can take many forms, even in ways that might once have been considered insurmountable disabilities. It’s valuable to have people like Temple Grandin to build a bridge from the minds of those with autism or Aspberger’s syndrome into the larger world. This film, apart from being entertaining as heck, does a remarkable job of building a bridge into her mind. After you watch it, you may catch yourself stopping to look at the local feedlots and their inhabitants with a renewed interest. Not many movies can manage that. – [DVD]

Biography/Drama

Rated PG

DVD Release Date: 8/17/10

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