Review by Gorrman Lee.

Tricia Regan’s documentary Autism: The Musical, isn’t really about autism in the objective, scientific documentary sense, nor is it about a musical. Instead, Autism: The Musical is about five children with varying degrees of autism/Asperger’s Syndrome and how their relationship with their parents, and with each other, changes upon enrollment in a musical-theatre program for kids with autism, dubbed The Miracle Project.

The film follows five kids - Neal, Henry, Lexy, Adam, and Wyatt - who are all fairly high functioning autistics. Though we see their development over the span of a year while they are rehearsing for a musical production, we almost never see their rehearsal process. Instead there are interviews, candid sequences, and old home videos. If you are at all worried about whether or not the film has any tones of exploitation, rest assured that this film is very uplifting, and enlightening. Which leads me to my next point. The film is, at times, too uplifting. While I certainly would never want to see a film that exploits autistic children, or puts them in a bad light, this film tends to manipulate the viewer into sympathy. From the choices in music, use of old home videos, focus on certain romantic subplots (between some parents and between two of the children), and even the choice of which five children to follow (they chose the most high functioning, and most personable), the documentary often feels heavy handed.

I don’t think anyone would pay to see a film that did the opposite. And even though I felt manipulated while watching the film, when the lights came on, I didn’t really care that I had been manipulated. Autism still introduces us to amazingly talented children with heartwarming stories. Despite the heavy handedness, I still left with a smile on my face.

Autism: The Musical
Tricia Regan | USA | 2007 | 94min

Tue. Oct. 2 | 4:30pm | Pacific Cinematheque
Fri. Oct. 5 | 7:00pm | VanCity Theatre
Sun. Oct. 7 | 6:00pm | Empire Granville Theatre