Life, Animated tells the story of a boy named Owen Suskind. When Owen was just 3-years-old he began to disappear from the world. Owen's motor and language skills declined almost overnight and he began to "disappear" as his parents would call it in the movie. His parents took him to doctors and specialists hoping to find a "cure", in hopes that they wouldn't have lost their son for good. However, the time frame for this movie took place in the 1990's and the idea of Autism Spectrum was not common. About a year into Owen's silence, his family sat down to watch animated Disney films. During this, Owen's mother realizes that Owen is repeating the words from The Little Mermaid and his parents understood him for the first time in over a year. After going back to the doctors with this information, the doctor informed Owens parents of the diagnosis of Autism. The breakthrough in this movie comes when his parents realize that Owen can communicate and understand the world around him through the use of Disney animated movies. These movies allowed Owen to access his emotions and put them into words. In this documentary, the storyline flips from telling Owen's childhood through home-movies and his current life at age 23. The movie goes through Owen graduating high school, creating plans for post-secondary life, having his first real relationship, connecting with his family, moving out into his own apartment, and getting his first job. This documentary serves to show the behind the scenes of living with the diagnosis Autism and how it affects the individuals life in every aspect as well as those around them.
The overall impact that this movie had on me personally and professionally was eye-opening. This opened my eyes to struggles that I may have missed previously. Autism effects a variety of aspects in the individuals life including: school, work, home, and personal relationships. It was incredible to hear Owen's view and how he processed several things. One scene I won't forget was when Owen went through his first relationship and that break-up. This wasn't a typical break up, it was done in front of the entire room with all the caseworkers. Emily had these "bullet points" of reasons for why she was breaking up with him, which can be overwhelming. Owen lived close to Emily and even after the break-up he still wanted to remain in contact and would say hello when he saw her. He also voiced his emotions that he was feeling when he saw her during this, which helped us to better understand what was going on in his mind. Another scene that stood out to me was when Owen and his family were having dinner in the cabin for Walter's birthday. Walter, Owen's brother, asked Owen how he felt about being a "young man", to which he responded that it felt great but different. This scene to me stood out because Owen was realizing how much his life is about to change, but also Walter was realizing that time was passing it eventually he would be Owen's primary care taker and taking care of his parents. Walter is very honest in this scene and expresses how overwhelming this feeling can be and how even though he is ready, it still keeps him up at night. This scene to me just reiterated that Autism doesn't just effect the individual, it also impacts those around them. One thing I plan to take forward into my future practice in the medical field and in my everyday life, is to just listen and be aware of the non-verbal cues. Understanding the individual and understanding those around them are the best thing we can do to help them feel more welcome in today's society.
I believe that anyone can benefit from this movie. One thing I think would be great is to show this movie around the world in the high school years to students. This movie provides honest emotion that goes on behind the scenes that others may not always think about. Allowing high school students to view this movie could potentially lead to them becoming more understanding and more welcoming of individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. The future of our society is in the hands of high school/college aged students, targeting this audience could should great potential in leading change for how society views and treats individuals with these diagnoses. Another target audience for this movie includes parents of those with Autism or other intellectual/developmental disabilities. There is no guidebook that they handout when giving this diagnosis. Often times parents are left in the dark or provided with minimal resources to help them through it. This movie would provide insight that they are not alone in navigating this diagnosis for their child, other families struggle as well. But this movie shows that remaining hopeful and continuing to find ways to include the child make it all worth it. The diagnosis of Autism can be terrifying, but it doesn't mean giving up. These individuals can live an incredible life and have the same, equal opportunity as anyone else in life, and this movie does a great job at showcasing that.
The overall impact that this movie had on me personally and professionally was eye-opening. This opened my eyes to struggles that I may have missed previously. Autism effects a variety of aspects in the individuals life including: school, work, home, and personal relationships. It was incredible to hear Owen's view and how he processed several things. One scene I won't forget was when Owen went through his first relationship and that break-up. This wasn't a typical break up, it was done in front of the entire room with all the caseworkers. Emily had these "bullet points" of reasons for why she was breaking up with him, which can be overwhelming. Owen lived close to Emily and even after the break-up he still wanted to remain in contact and would say hello when he saw her. He also voiced his emotions that he was feeling when he saw her during this, which helped us to better understand what was going on in his mind. Another scene that stood out to me was when Owen and his family were having dinner in the cabin for Walter's birthday. Walter, Owen's brother, asked Owen how he felt about being a "young man", to which he responded that it felt great but different. This scene to me stood out because Owen was realizing how much his life is about to change, but also Walter was realizing that time was passing it eventually he would be Owen's primary care taker and taking care of his parents. Walter is very honest in this scene and expresses how overwhelming this feeling can be and how even though he is ready, it still keeps him up at night. This scene to me just reiterated that Autism doesn't just effect the individual, it also impacts those around them. One thing I plan to take forward into my future practice in the medical field and in my everyday life, is to just listen and be aware of the non-verbal cues. Understanding the individual and understanding those around them are the best thing we can do to help them feel more welcome in today's society.
I believe that anyone can benefit from this movie. One thing I think would be great is to show this movie around the world in the high school years to students. This movie provides honest emotion that goes on behind the scenes that others may not always think about. Allowing high school students to view this movie could potentially lead to them becoming more understanding and more welcoming of individuals with intellectual/developmental disabilities. The future of our society is in the hands of high school/college aged students, targeting this audience could should great potential in leading change for how society views and treats individuals with these diagnoses. Another target audience for this movie includes parents of those with Autism or other intellectual/developmental disabilities. There is no guidebook that they handout when giving this diagnosis. Often times parents are left in the dark or provided with minimal resources to help them through it. This movie would provide insight that they are not alone in navigating this diagnosis for their child, other families struggle as well. But this movie shows that remaining hopeful and continuing to find ways to include the child make it all worth it. The diagnosis of Autism can be terrifying, but it doesn't mean giving up. These individuals can live an incredible life and have the same, equal opportunity as anyone else in life, and this movie does a great job at showcasing that.