Review of Temple Grandin (2010) by Tara M — 08 Dec 2010

My husband and I watched this last night and were very impressed and inspired by Temple Grandin who is the focus of this film. Having been diagnosed with autism in 1950 as a young child, Temple only began to speak (after lots of therapy) at the age of four. Temple was blessed with a supportive family and mentors in the form of teachers, therapists, etc. although she faced her share of prejudice and bullying, especially in middle and high school. Claire Danes portrays Temple with such insight and credibility that she is truly deserving of the Emmy award she won for this role.

Temple Grandin's autism may have impaired her social skills somewhat, but what a brilliant mind! She invented the 'hug machine' for autistics who needed to be calmed when they were overstimulated, and she also developed ground-breaking methods for handling livestock, emphasizing humane handling. Today, Temple Grandin is a Professor at Colorado State University, and also a celebrated autism advocate.

The movie, which is a semi-biographical account of Temple's early life and work in the field of livestock handling, manages to hit all the right notes. It is not sensational nor overly melodramatic and credibly portrays the struggles Temple faces on a daily basis as an autistic person. Things ordinary people take for granted, such as passing through an automatic sliding glass door, is portrayed as an almost insurmountable hurdle for Temple, who sees it as a guillotine! I loved the door metaphor which is used throughout the movie - each time Temple faces a challenge, she sees it as a door to be passed through to attain her objective! This is a must-see movie that will enable viewers to gain a deeper understanding of autism and its challenges.