Adam (2009)

Adam is not a rom-com (romantic comedy), though it does contain a joke involving a waiter named Rom. About a young man with Asperger Syndrome and the woman with whom he begins a relationship, it won the Alfred P. Sloan Prize at Sundance for its depiction of science and technology (the title character is an engineer). This was fine entertainment, and the three of us (plus about 6 more) did not regret our two hours in the dark on a glorious fall afternoon today. Hugh Dancy (HBO's Elizabeth I (2005), The Jane Austen Book Club (2007), and, regrettably, Confessions of a Shopaholic) did a wonderful job as the afflicted protagonist and Rose Byrne (I didn't watch Damages on FX, but did see her in Sofia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006) and the sci-fi thriller 28 Weeks Later (2007)) managed just the right balance of sensitivity, humor, and realism as the "NT" (neurotypical) object of his affection. Both are gorgeous, though Dancey's character didn't get to smile much. I'm not educated about Asperger's nor autism, but the movie seemed unbiased, and a quick look on google found Asperger's and autism communities praising it. Writer/director Max Mayer only made one other feature (his other career was as a theatre director), Better Living (1998). I haven't seen anything else that Cinematographer Seamus Tierney shot, but his work in this was noteworthy. In the second link below Mayer refers to a shot that starts on a leaf and pulls focus to a van parked below. I clearly (ha) remember that shot, and Jack & I whispered many times to each other today about excellent photographic compositions. Frankie Faison, Peter Gallagher, and Amy Irving all turned in good supporting performances.

I have two links for you to check out after you see this (which you should do): an NPR interview with Mayer, and another which discusses an alternate ending (complete spoiler).

Update: I forgot to add yesterday how much I liked the scene in the school with the kids talking about a book they had read. It seemed completely improvised but I haven't found any research to back up my guess.