Scott: Tonight I am reviewing Adam, a story about a young man with Asperger's Syndrome (AS).

 

What did I think?

 

You never know what you are going to get when you see a movie about a person with a disability. Some movies bash you over the head repeatedly to make you think or feel a certain way. Other movies try to ignore the disability and focus on the story even though that’s not always possible. This movie tries to do something else. It puts the story out there and let’s you think what you will of it.

 

Adam is played superbly by Hugh Dancy. When we first meet him, he is attending his father’s funeral. You get the feeling that he accepts death as another person would a pen to write with. Death is just another thing.

 

Adam’s not big on change. He eats the same thing everyday and loves to look at stars. He also works making microchips for talking dolls. But life does change when Beth Buchwald (Rose Byrne) moves into to his building.

 

In the initial encounters, it’s clear that Beth thinks Adam is different, but doesn’t get that he has anything along the lines of AS. There’s a really good scene where she hints a couple times that she needs help and Adam is completely obliviously to the hints.

 

As the movie rolls on we learn more and more about Adam. His one ‘friend’ is his Dad’s buddy from the war. Harlan (Frankie Faison) helps Adam out. He gives him rides, helps him with lawyers, and probably with a few other things. He also helps Adam with life. Both share difficulty with jobs and women, proving that neither area are easy to deal with for any person, disability or not.

 

Over time the relationship with Beth gets more serious and we meet Beth’s parents Marty (Peter Gallagher) and Rebecca (Amy Irving). Beth and her father share a very close relationship. Marty’s take on Adam is just as we would guess it would be. Strangely, I never picked up an opinion from the mother. For the movie, the relationship between father and daughter was the more important of the two.

 

Throughout the movie we get to see Adam grow. We also see Beth grow. I don’t think I can say any more though without giving something away.

 

This is Director Max Mayer’s first movie directing and second movie writing. I look forward to seeing more of his movies in the future.

 

It’s funny how independent movies often have really good soundtracks and this is another example of that.

 

How do I rate this?

 

I give this movie a 3.5 overall and a 3.5 for drama.   This movie was very touching and just felt good.