Adam

Last week, Nicole and I went to see "Adam," a 2009 film written and directed by Max Mayer. The movie stars Hugh Dancy as the title character - a young man with Asperger's syndrome - and Rose Bryne as his neighbor Beth.

As the movie begins, Adam's father has just died and he is adjusting to life alone in New York. Beth moves into his apartment complex and the two become good friends, and, eventually, more than friends. Beth reads about Asperger's syndrome so that she can help Adam function better in normal society, even helping him practice for interviews. Tension arises in their relationship, though, as her parents demonstrate disapproval of what is happening and feel that she could do much better. The story reaches its climax when Adam gets the job of his dreams in Flintridge, California, and wants Beth to come with him - but Beth is torn between her love for Adam and her fear that she will never have a normal life if she leaves her family. Ultimately, Beth decides to stay in New York, and Adam moves away on his own. In the last scene, we catch a glimpse of Adam's life in California, and it is apparent that he has become better functioning and is doing well on his own.

I really appreciated that this movie attempted to tackle a very sensitive issue in our modern society - the relationship between "normal" people and those with Asperger's syndrome (on the Autism spectrum). People with Asperger's often have trouble forming emotional connections because it is hard for them to read and understand the emotions of other people, and this often leads to a ego-centrism which prevents healthy relationships. In the movie, Beth realistically fears that Adam will never say "I love you," no matter how much he cares for her. At one point, emotionally upset by a family problem (the film's shallow subplot) she has to tell Adam to hug her because he cannot read between the lines of her comment that she "could use a hug." As the population of people with Asperger's and Autism grows and grows, these are essential human issues that must be faced and addressed at some point, and this movie represented a big step in the right direction.

Except, I think, for the end...

I've spent a lot of time thinking and debating how I felt about the climax and resolution of the story. Beth chooses to stay in New York because she feels that Adam does not truly love her, but that he is only using her because he needs her to navigate the complexities and subtleties of society. Yet, I felt in Adam's plea that he needs her to move with him so that she can "teach him how to get to work" (as well as other tasks) - I felt that in that plea he was, in his own way, saying "I love you." Adam's Asperger's prevented him from understanding her need to hear "I love you," but in his plea I felt he was saying what everyone means when they say those three words - that you need that person in your life, by your side, to help get you through the small and the big tribulations and challenges of simply living. At that moment, I feel that her selfish need to hear three words prevented her from hearing the meaning behind those words that he was outlining.

I'm also a bit confused over the message of the ending. Beth abandons Adam in his time of need, but - good news! Adam's even better than before! Somehow, by leaving him on his own, Adam has learned to survive successfully and overcome his social difficulties! Is this realistic? Probably not...

The final scene of the movie has Adam reading a book that Beth has written about a talking raccoon family (one aptly named "Adam") and how "they didn't really belong there, but there they were." What is that line subtly suggesting about people with Asperger's? That they don't belong? That we just need to accept that they are here to stay? I feel that is probably the wrong message - I feel that we need to embrace them as members of the human race and find out how best we can work with them for the benefit of all - to end the "normal" and "not-normal" divisions that plague our social interactions. This movie, in its (possibly innocent) last lines, suggests otherwise.

Overall, I was impressed with the movie. Dancy's performance was fantastic. And, although I'm not sure I agree with the message of the movie, it's about time a movie made any kind of comment on an issue which is very quickly becoming something that cannot be ignored.