When I first saw the trailer for Adam over the summer, I thought it would be a very uncomfortable movie to watch. I was not wrong about this, but it was also very moving. From the opening scenes, which I won't spoil, I was invested in Adam's story. Talk about pathos. He has Asperger syndrome, a disorder on the autism spectrum, and lives on his own in New York City. He has many fascinations: theater, computer programming, Inside the Actors Studio, and astronomy. This is a guy who has a planetarium set up in his living room.
The film chronicles his romantic relationship with Beth, a young woman who moves in upstairs, but it's so much more than the two main characters. It's about human connection and personal growth. The depth of Adam's development from start to finish is written and captured beautifully. Other movies wish they pulled off clichés as well as Adam.
There was this one scene, in which Adam and Beth were walking in the park or down the street, I think, and as I watched it, I had this inexplicable urge to call my friends and tell them how glad I am to have them in my life. In that moment, I realized what a blessing it is to be able to understand people and to be understood. So much of our communication is mired in subtext and body language, figurative speech and, for better or worse, sarcasm, and not to be able to understand that seems not only unbelievably difficult but also rather sad. In another scene, when Beth is helping Adam prepare for an interview by having him parrot her movements, his inability to recognize her emotions made me hurt for the both of them.
There was this one scene, in which Adam and Beth were walking in the park or down the street, I think, and as I watched it, I had this inexplicable urge to call my friends and tell them how glad I am to have them in my life. In that moment, I realized what a blessing it is to be able to understand people and to be understood. So much of our communication is mired in subtext and body language, figurative speech and, for better or worse, sarcasm, and not to be able to understand that seems not only unbelievably difficult but also rather sad. In another scene, when Beth is helping Adam prepare for an interview by having him parrot her movements, his inability to recognize her emotions made me hurt for the both of them.
This is not a light-hearted romance, and at times, it is difficult to watch. Hugh Dancy's committed portrayal of Adam almost makes you forget that he is actually a dreamy, "neurotypical" British actor. (I say "almost," because there's really no way to hide those dashing good looks.) You share in Adam's devastations and triumphs, and there's the irony of empathizing with a character in a movie who can't himself empathize with anyone. At its heart, Adam is a hopeful film about daring - daring to be different, daring to take leaps of faith. Two thumbs up.
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