Review of Temple Grandin (2010) by Bill C — 12 Sep 2010

Wow, Mick Jackson really follows his passion for a real life story and delivers an un-dumbed down version of the tale. Like Live from Bagdad(2002), Connections(1979) and Ascent of Man (1972) Pick the details and tell them well and the major arc can take care of itself.

Claire Dane, to her credit, dissolves in to the role of Temple Grandin. Grandin's story is more interesting from the inside out. I found her understanding of animals to be very interesting and expected it to diverge into some Hollywood anamorphisizing (projecting human emotions) of animals.

It stays close to a farm/ranch ethic of keeping animals calm minimizes losses and treating them humanely is just good for your soul. Her insites are very simple based on predator/prey behavior, but it took someone with her unique abilities to observe and cut through the unrelated bull to see the simple truth.

The Autism side of her life was handled very well and as just one of many hurdles she must overcome. It points more to her mother Julia Ormond and her Aunt Catherine O'Hara who's unwavering belief and dedication to reaching out to enable her to overcome the challenges of her younger life.

This maybe not for everything but if you're like me and have mechanical design aptitude, inquisitive mind and like animals this is a must see.