this interview seems hopeful

[Guest guest]

http://blip.tv/file/230137

The above is an interview, with clips from the production

Saturday, November 24, 2007

Film Review: Three Reasons to See " Autism: The Musical "

Written by Carol Gerwin

If you have a chance to see " Autism: The Musical, " the documentary

directed by Tricia Regan that chronicles the debut of a Los Angeles

theater group for children with autism, you should grab it. Even if

it means going by yourself (as I did on Thanksgiving night) because

your spouse has to stay home with the kids. Here are three reasons

I'm glad I did:

1) The film is a moving and nuanced depiction of the huge range of

kids who fall onto the autism spectrum and the challenging reality of

their daily lives.

Among the participants who write, plan and produce a full-length

musical in five months are Lexi, a 14-year-old with a beautifully

sweet singing voice who constantly repeats questions people ask her

but has trouble coming up with answers; Henry, an extremely talkative

10-year-old with encyclopedic recall of reptile facts whose awkward

behavior puts off peers; and Neal, a nonverbal 12-year-old who

sometimes acts out aggressively when feeling anxious.

The movie shows the kids at school, at home, and in chaotic

rehearsals that eventually lead to a well-orchestrated and emotional

opening night. In one remarkable moment, an often ebullient boy named

Wyatt describes his frustration with theater group friends who

withdraw from others and then suddenly realizes that he sometimes

does the same thing, asking, " Why do I go into my own world? "

2) The movie demonstrates the life-changing impact that having a

child with autism has on parents—for better and for worse.

Neal's mother, Elaine, started the theater group she named " The

Miracle Project " after discovering that music and movement were

effective ways to engage her son. Divorced after several years of

Neal's sleepless nights and frequent tantrums, Elaine later finds a

new love who embraces her son. During the filming, one couple

bickers, one separates and another despairs that they can't afford an

expensive legal battle to get appropriate educational services for

their child. They all struggle to understand their kids and help them

lead fulfilling lives—and they worry intensely about what will happen

to them after they themselves die. As Lexi's mother, who has suffered

from depression but beams through her tears on opening night,

says: " Living with her has had a profound effect on who I've become. "

3) The film illustrates both the tremendous potential of kids with

autism and the relentless nature of the disorder.

In the end, The Miracle Project's musical really was no miracle at

all. No one was cured; no one's life was transformed. (Be sure to

stay for the biographical end notes, which drive home the point that

the ongoing challenges these kids face certainly will continue.) But

the experience had value for everyone involved. These kids showed

themselves and their community how much they can accomplish when

people take the time to accept them for who they are, celebrate their

strengths and devote resources to help them overcome (or at least

compensate for) their weaknesses. As the kids sing in the musical's

opening song, " Take a chance. Get to know the real me. " The real

miracle would be for this to happen all the time.

Background notes: " Autism: The Musical " has been showing at film

festivals across North America and has picked up two audience awards

so far. HBO will show the movie in April and it will be out on DVD

after that. (For Autism Bulletin's Boston-area readers, the

documentary is playing through Nov. 29 at the Coolidge Corner Theatre

in Brookline, Mass. Then it's on to Anchorage, Alaska for a film

festival screening December 3. Check the film's website for more

updates.)

Carol Gerwin is a Boston-based editor and writer who is married to

Autism Bulletin blogger Goldberg.