I just finished watching Adam. You can read my brief review here. Lots to say about it; lots learned from it.
I'll start with the Netflix summary, which describes Adam as a man who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. I suddenly found the description odd. At no point did he suffer directly from Asperger's Syndrome; in fact, it tended to highlight his brightness and honesty. His suffering only came from external reactions to his disorder and his desire to placate those reactions, from trying to be normal, "neurotypical," and trying to fit into a setting that didn't suit him at all. It wasn't until he had his job at the observatory, following his passion, that he found contentment with himself.
It gave me a moment to ponder the purpose of this blog. Am I only writing this in an attempt to conform, and if so, will it propagate the same suffering Adam experienced in his attempts to conform? Should I be quitting Asperger's or embracing it? The fact remains that, in order to survive in this human society, I need well-developed social skills but also the ability to distinguish my self-esteem from my social-esteem. Somewhere, there will have to be a point of balance, likely in the range of maintaining my manners of speech and courses of study while making a conscious effort to break out of routines and learn to cope among large volumes of people.
Moments that stood out for me included Adam's standard bowls of cereal and the stiff way he ate it, his love of the stars, his overwhelming discomfort at social functions, his directness about sex and Mr. Buchwald's potential jail time, and especially his complete focus upon the gyrating device when he's being counseled on his financial situation. All served as reminders of behavior to keep in mind, whether to change or retain.
While I would have liked a happy, romantic ending for Adam, it would have most likely come across as too sappy. In any case, the film moved me. I recommend seeing it as a fine specimen of independent cinema and a fair portrayal of Asperger's Syndrome.
I'll start with the Netflix summary, which describes Adam as a man who suffers from Asperger's Syndrome. I suddenly found the description odd. At no point did he suffer directly from Asperger's Syndrome; in fact, it tended to highlight his brightness and honesty. His suffering only came from external reactions to his disorder and his desire to placate those reactions, from trying to be normal, "neurotypical," and trying to fit into a setting that didn't suit him at all. It wasn't until he had his job at the observatory, following his passion, that he found contentment with himself.
It gave me a moment to ponder the purpose of this blog. Am I only writing this in an attempt to conform, and if so, will it propagate the same suffering Adam experienced in his attempts to conform? Should I be quitting Asperger's or embracing it? The fact remains that, in order to survive in this human society, I need well-developed social skills but also the ability to distinguish my self-esteem from my social-esteem. Somewhere, there will have to be a point of balance, likely in the range of maintaining my manners of speech and courses of study while making a conscious effort to break out of routines and learn to cope among large volumes of people.
Moments that stood out for me included Adam's standard bowls of cereal and the stiff way he ate it, his love of the stars, his overwhelming discomfort at social functions, his directness about sex and Mr. Buchwald's potential jail time, and especially his complete focus upon the gyrating device when he's being counseled on his financial situation. All served as reminders of behavior to keep in mind, whether to change or retain.
While I would have liked a happy, romantic ending for Adam, it would have most likely come across as too sappy. In any case, the film moved me. I recommend seeing it as a fine specimen of independent cinema and a fair portrayal of Asperger's Syndrome.
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