Review of Molly (1951) by Susan M — 27 Sep 2010

The line that grabbed me most went something like this, "There is a real person inside.".

I thought that a doctor character, in the beginning of the film, said that Molly has an autism-like disorder that they haven't quite diagnosed. I'll go back and watch the film again to be sure and if I'm wrong I'll edit this comment.

My point is that Autism Spectrum Disorder can manifest a range of symptoms and behaviors. Shue's portrayal is almost exactly like a child I see every day where I volunteer a classroom for mentally challenged children. I don't know this child's diagnosis, but the observable behavior is quite similar. Also, the way Shue transformed her character into a higher functioning person was very well done. For those who say that Shue did a poor job of acting autistic, I challenge them to explain exactly what that means.

This movie touched my heart. I see my own sons in the characters portrayed by Echhart and Shue. I hope that they will have as warm a relationship as the one portrayed in "Molly.".