The Movies about autism That I bring you in this article will help you to understand a little more this disorder and you will enjoy more of them if you are one of those who think that a picture is worth a thousand words.
From its definition, autism has been seen as a mysterious universe, strange and full of enigmas to solve.
This can be due to the fact that this disease manifests itself in a very different way in each person who suffers it: some run and move without stopping, others, however, remain sitting or lying always looking at the same place.
What all people with autism have in common is their lack of social skills, being unable to relate to others in a healthy way and showing a marked lack of empathy; A resistance to change (love routines), and deficits in language and communication in general, in fact, many autistic do not speak.
If you want to know more about autism, you can enter here. And you are also interested in the Asperger syndrome , Very associated with autism.
1- Mozart and the whale or crazy in love (2005)
With Josh Hartnett and Radha Mitchell, we enter into the love story of two autistic children. It all begins when Donald, an excellent taxi driver with calculations and obsessed with birds, meets the uninhibited Isabel and fall madly in love.
The title of the film reflects the moment in which they are left to go together at the Halloween party and Donald wears whale and Isabel de Mozart.
But, as expected, the problems they both have with their emotions and the rigidity proper of their disorders; Will cause conflicts between the two to begin to emerge.
2-Adam (2009)
Directed by Max Mayer, tells the story of Adam; A lonely and mysterious boy with Asperger's Syndrome who lives alone in Manhattan after the death of his father.
Adam has trouble communicating with others and has repetitive behaviors of space exploration that cause him problems in his daily life.
One day he meets his neighbor Beth, a beautiful young woman who begins to notice him in spite of his oddities, and who will try to understand him and help him adapt to a world that seems not ready for him.
3- The Boy Who Could Fly or Beyond Reality (1986)
Movie directed by Nick Castle, which tells the story of Milly, a girl who moves with her family to another house after the death of her father.
There they will have to face various problems, such as difficulties in the new school or problems to carry out the work, in addition to the thugs who threaten Milly's brother every day.
One day Milly befriends Eric, a guy with autism who is going to change all his schemes.
4-My name is Khan (2010)
It is an Indian-American film directed by Karan Johar, which tells the story of a boy with Asperger's syndrome called Rizwan Khan, which causes problems in their social relations. After the death of his mother, he traveled to San Francisco to see his brother and settled there.
During this period he meets Mandira, a single mother of whom he falls madly in love.
The adventures begin when, after the attacks of 9/11, they stop the protagonist by suspicious behavior. Kan will then embark on a journey to defend his innocence.
5-The Story of Luke (2012)
It is a comedy directed by Alonso Mayo, reflects the story of an autistic boy named Luke, who lives with his grandparents.
Things get complicated when his grandmother dies and they have to take care of him his dysfunctional relatives, who do not give him the understanding he needs.
On the other hand, his grandfather, who has senile dementia, asks him before he is taken to the residence to make his own request and to get a job and girlfriend. So, Luke feels ready to fight: he wants to show everyone that he is capable of fulfilling his grandfather's wishes.
6- Backstreet Dreams The Courage to Love (1990)
It is a drama that relates the experiences of a couple with their autistic child, although they did not know the disease. They noticed the day they decided to take him to a clinic to advise them how to deal with the problem.
It is the struggle and the effort that has to be carried out in order to survive the problems caused by the child's behavior, making things worse when the marriage is separated, when the husband discovers that his wife is being unfaithful.
7- Mercury Rising (1998)
This American action film by Harold Becker is about an FBI agent investigating the case of a missing child.
It turns out that the little one, Simon Lynch, is a 9 year old autistic looking for to have deciphered a code called"Mercury"that allowed to accede to the darkest secrets of the government and that never thought that somebody, not even a machine, He could decipher it.
8- Fly Away (2011)
It is a drama that reflects the story of a single mother who has to take care of her teenage daughter named Mandy, who has severe autism.
Everything begins to be worrisome when she realizes that her daughter is growing and has to build her future, feeling Jeanne (the mother) that her daughter is a great chain that oppresses her.
9- I am Sam (2001)
In the hand of Jessie Nelson, we meet Sam Dawson, a man with autistic features who must take care of only his daughter, since the mother left them since she gave birth.
Difficulties are manifested when the child grows up, realizing that at 7 years of age the child has more mental abilities than her father.
For this reason, the State will consider that Sam is not qualified to have a daughter and will try to take custody of him. Nevertheless, the protagonist looks for an excellent lawyer to get to stay with the small one.
10- Little Man Tate (1991)
It is about a child prodigy named Fred Tate, who has Asperger's syndrome. Already at age 7 knows how to play the piano, is an artist and excellent in mathematics. But on the other hand he does not have friends and he feels bored in school because he feels that he does not contribute anything to him.
His mother realizes and decides to make the most of his son's surprising abilities by going to a psychological consultation where he is advised to internalize the child in a school for the gifted.
11- Snow Cake (2006)
This Marc Evans movie tells the story of Alex, a mature Englishman who travels to Canada picks up a girl on the highway that was hitchhiking. Unfortunately they suffer a serious traffic accident that ends the life of the girl.
Alex, stunned, feels committed to visit the mother of the young woman, who has autism and does not seem very concerned about the news. Alex finally stays with the mother for a few days to help her with her hobbies, and little by little they become friends.
At that moment is when the protagonist meets Maggie, a neighbor with whom he will have a special relationship. However, a local policeman begins to investigate Alex's past.
12-Rain Man (1988) - Full cast and crew
It is about a young man named Charlie Babbitt (played by Tom Cruise) who has a good life and is dedicated to working in a major car company.
He is anxious to inherit the fortune that his father left when he died. However, when reading the will he realizes that the whole inheritance is for his elder brother: an autistic man who he did not know because he had always lived isolated in a special center.
Charlie intends to kidnap his brother to give him half of the inheritance, but little by little, will begin to care for him.
13- Mater amatísima (1980)
Directed by José Antonio Salgot and based on a story by Bigas Luna, tells the story of Clara, a woman who has a baby with autism. When he learns of the disease, he refuses to take him to a special center and dedicates himself exclusively to giving him all the care he needs.
Over time, the child is growing and the care and attention he needs are increasing. Both find themselves caught up in a pathological relationship, which causes Clara to gradually isolate herself from the world and lose her job.
14- Autism: The Musical (2007)
This is a documentary by Tricia Regan, reflecting the lives of 5 children with autism and their families. They all work to write and rehearse a theater production.
Thanks to this documentary we can see what the characteristics of children with autism are, for example, one is an expert in dinosaurs and another plays the cello and sings. While we can also know how families live this disease.
Some of the parents who appear in this situation are famous as Rosanne Katon-Walden and her husband Richard Walden or Stephen Stills.
15- Nell (1994)
This Michael Apted movie starring Jodie Foster tells the story of a young woman who has spent her days locked in a cabin in the woods.
It seems that, after his mother and his sister died, he has had no contact with the outside and this has undermined his mind: he speaks in a strange language and presents totally unusual customs.
Some scientists find it and start studying it and trying to relate to other people. However, it is Nell, the girl, who ends up changing the way of seeing the things of the scientists who analyze it.
We can not say that Nell is autistic, but we can see in the film how her behavior resembles that of a person with autism, as if she were living in an isolated world and apart from human contact.
16- The Black Balloon (2008)
The protagonist of this Australian film is Thomas, a teenager who wants to lead a normal life. However, his brother who is diagnosed with autism (Charlie) always ruins every opportunity he has to grow and be able to choose a little independence.
The only one who tries to resolve these sibling differences is Thomas' girlfriend, a girl named Jackie who wants him to understand that he must accept his brother despite his problems.
17- House of Cards or Sally's Secret (1993)
Through director Michael Lessac comes the story of a girl named Sally, who has begun to behave strangely after learning of the sudden death of his father. Each time his behavior is more worrisome, reason why his mother, Ruth, asks for help to an expert in infantile autism.
However, it seems that conventional therapies do not have any effect on the small one. In this way, Ruth tries to do something different: to understand her daughter trying to understand their eccentricities, which puts their own mental health at stake.
18- Elle s'appelle Sabine or her name is Sabine (2007)
It is a documentary directed by actress Sandrine Bonnaire that portrays the life of her younger sister, Sabine Bonnaire, an autistic woman who requires permanent attention. In fact, he lives in a specialized center. Over the years Sandrine has been accumulating family photos and videos in which the protagonist is her sister, with the aim of bringing her illness to the world.
It pretends to also mean that its decay over the years can be due to the internment in a psychiatric center, and mainly, the drugs that there gave to him.
19- David's Mother or a very special affection (1994)
Sally, a single mother, is dedicated to caring for her autistic son David with whom she has a strong bond. And it is that in the background Sally encloses a feeling of guilt, maintaining the belief that its son has that condition by its fault.
Her sister Bea realizes the situation and tries to make Sally change her life and leave some space for her son; Since being so overprotective has produced several conflicts in the past.
The problem comes when a social worker, Gladys, visits her and tells her that David should go to a foster home to be properly treated.
20- After Thomas (2006)
Based on real facts, it relates the struggle and the headaches that the parents of a child with this disease have to suffer.
The director, Simon Shore, shows us the life of Kyle, a 6-year-old boy that any activity of daily life gives him panic. This is made even more difficult by not being able to share their fears or their concerns, since, among other things, it is not able to speak or relate to others.
All these are clear manifestations of autism, something that has desperate parents because they do not know how to understand and enter their world. This is hurting them to the point that the mother, Nicola is having obsessive behaviors with the son.
At this point, the father will try to make his wife understand that the child should stay in a special center.
Other movies about autism
21- Fairy tales for sleeping crocodiles (2002)
22- Planète Autisme the Autistic Universe (2013) (documentary)
23- Mario (1984)
24- The Other Sister (1999)
25- Silence (1974)
The Pit (1981)
27- Silent Fall (1994)
28- Cube (1997)
29- San zimske noci or a winter night's dream (2004)
30- María and I (2010) (documentary)
31- Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love (1979)
32- Meat (1991)
Molly (1999)
34- Run Wild, Run Free or Wild and Free (1969)
35- Under the piano or a sky without tears (1996)
36- Marathon (2005)
37- Miracle Run or An Unexpected Journey (2004)
38- Cries from the Heart or The Hidden Truth (1994)
39- What's Eating Gilbert Grape? (1993)
40- Chocolate (2008)
What other movies about autism do you recommend?