Temple Grandin

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source: Temple Grandin

Moviecut—Temple Grandin

Temple Grandin

TEMPLE GRANDIN has a committed following group of admirers of fine film making: the reason the group is not larger is that this little film is a 'made for TV' movie and that at times puts it into the 'inconsequential' category in people's minds. Nothing could be further from the truth. The film deals with autism in an honest, extremely sympathetic and intelligent way. While there have been other films that deal with the various forms of autistic behavior ('Adam', 'Rainman', 'What's Eating Gilbert Grape', I am Sam', 'The Other Sister', 'Forest Gump', 'Little Man Tate' to name a few of the better known ones), few succeed on the level of this beautifully written adaptation of autobiographical books by the title character Dr. Temple Grandin (adapted by Christopher Monger and Merritt Johnson). It is fearless in its discussion of autism and for once shows how the autistic mind can function (for Temple, it functions in pictures and leads to a highly successful career as a scientist) in a manner that can be an incredible resource for mankind. It simply works on every level, much to the sensitivity of director Mick Jackson who seems to understand the complexities of the mind of the central character as well as the responses of all of the ancillary characters. Claire Danes BECOMES Temple Grandin, so fine is her acting and her ability to bring the audience (and the cast of characters) into the inner workings of the autistic mind. It is an astonishing performance of a mute four year old girl encouraged by her mother (Julia Ormond), her aunt (Catherine O'Hara), and one particular science teacher Professor Carlock (David Strathairn) who teaches her that doors (a common thread throughout the film) are meant to be opened because opportunity lies beyond. How Temple progresses from special schools, learns to build a hugging machine that supplies the lack of embraces she apparently missed as a child, and becomes obsessed with the inhumane treatment of cattle in her observations of ranches and slaughter houses in Arizona, leads her to earning not only a college degree, but also a Masters and a PhD in Animal Husbandry. Throughout the movie Claire Danes maintains her character's idiosyncrasies and her reaction to the frightening world around her with such credibility that she takes us with her on a journey of understanding the miracles that can happen with the minds of autistic people: no one thinks outside the box in a more positive manner than does Temple Grandin. This is a beautifully made film on every level and one that should be required viewing for all people. Grady Harp

I'm really torn whether to like this film. It was well done & had a progressive message, but it's quite far from the truth. Well, in all fairness so was Amadeus, but I love that film. Much like Amadeus, I gotta take my hat off the the creative writers who managed to weave history into a compelling fiction with deep themes of morality and humanity. If you take this film at face value, it leaves you thinking that the world needs altruistic people like Temple Grandin to serve as the Mother Teresas for life on Earth. That's probably where we should leave it. But if you want to know the harsh reality (and the reason why I'm torn on whether to give this film a thumbs up or down), then read on... This film glorifies Temple Grandin as an animal lover, animal rights activist and implied vegetarian (who is only shown eating jello and yogurt throughout the entire film) who was driven foremost by the desire to promote humane treatment of animals. With this in mind, it tells the story of how she invented the mega-efficient slaughterhouse, and we're supposed to feel good about it. It's sort of like telling us the story of Oppenheimer (inventor of the A-bomb) and making us feel like he's a great guy because his invention somehow improved life on earth. The truth is that Temple Grandin, like Oppenheimer, was a talented individual who made an invention that increased the efficiency of our ability to kill. Yes, it can be justified in circuitous ways, but that's up to you to decide. Here the filmmakers hit us over the head with the idea that, yes, the "efficient slaughterhouse" is a wonderful invention, and its inventor is a swell gal. So my question to you is: are you able to separate historical fiction from reality? Do you like films like Amadeus? Or does it annoy you that filmmakers are bending history for the sake of art? That's entirely up to you. If you're able to watch this film objectively, I think you'll really like it & its ethical themes. Just don't think for one minute that that's how it really happened.

On DVD, a Netflix rental. The story jumps around a bit in time but it is never done arbitrarily, and is always easy to follow. It spans from the mid 1950s to the late 1970s. Claire Danes is Temple Grandin, born with autism at a time when autism was not yet understood. An indication was telling the mother that the 4-year-old girl should be institutionalized, ostensibly for the rest of her life, because there was no "cure." This movie, and Temple Grandin's life, shows that there is no cure, but it also shows how that cannot hold back a person with the correct motivation. I've always liked Claire Danes, as a pleasant actress in lightweight roles, but her performance here caught me completely off guard. The biggest compliment I can give is that very quickly I wasn't watching Danes portray Grandin, I was watching Grandin. I have seen many, many great performances in my 50+ years of enjoying movies and none were better than hers here. Julia Ormond is her mother Eustacia and Catherine O'Hara is her Aunt Ann, where Temple first was exposed to life on a farm while visiting her for the summer before college. Temple had difficulty but managed high school, and then also college. She was unusually bright, but not in the usual sense. She could not just listen to a subject, she had to visualize it, experience it, and when she did was able to master it like few could. In college her great motivator was David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock, a science teacher. Not only did he stand up for her when others wanted to dismiss her as too difficult, he taught her that when she sees a door (a barrier) she should look it as a door of opportunity. She kept that vision as she encountered barriers, and she encountered them often. Temple Grandin was both practical and empathetic. One of her specialties became livestock, cattle. She knew they had a purpose, to be killed for our food, but she set out to improve the handling of cattle so as to keep them calm and minimize their suffering. It is estimated that 50% of the cattle handled in North America today are done so by techniques she pioneered and worked to have implemented. Today she is a professor. A superb movie of a really inspiring woman. March 2018 update: I watched it again now, it was just as absorbing as it was when I first watched it.

I found it wonderful, precious, motivational, makes you feel as if you are a character in the movie. It just pulls you in her mind and makes you discover her thinking also making you wish you could help her. Also shows you in this world life isn't easy an some people are not very nice (as we all know) but out of the hundreds of people is very much ONE person not afraid to help. Temple shows the viewer we can all be scared. Whether you have disabilities, fears, doubts or anything you can imagine you simply can do it, she showed it. Claire Danes you made me believe you were Temple Grandin I applaud you for your dedicated work maybe will see you at the Awards in 2011. Take a Bow (or a Hug Machine) So much more to add but I advise watching & Watch with your heart. "If I could snap my fingers and become non autistic I would not do so. Autism is part of who I am." - Temple Grandin

The movie played like typical made-for-TV Lifetime-network fare. It jogged along disappointingly with a staccato linearity like an autistic child tapping his foot. As an adult Aspergers myself, I could relate quite well to the character, as I can relate to the real Temple that inspired the movie. In general, Danes played the part fairly convincingly, and I have a great deal of admiration for her, for her willingness to do it without the phony sensitivity that so often rears its ugly head. She was more convincing than Dustin Hoffman in "Rain Man", but fell short of the stellar portrayal by Vincent Gallo in "Buffalo 66", whom I suspect is an Aspergers in real life. One important message that the picture understood and conveyed is that the high-function autistic is typically quite content with her own life, and would be unwilling to be "cured" in order to be like other people.