Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

There was an extended preview for Extremely Loud before The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and through the whole 3 minute clip I kept thinking, "This kid is on the Autism Spectrum." I got my phone out and quickly texted my wife: "We must see this movie." (don't worry, the movie hadn't started yet so I wasn't one of those movie goers)

Extremely Loud follows Oskar (Thomas Horn), a precocious ten year old New Yorker, as he tries to make sense of losing his father in the World Trade Center attacks - an event which Oskar repeatedly refers to as "the worst day."

Oskar is abnormally intelligent; possesses a legion of phobias; has an obsession with facts, numbers, and maps; has a foul mouth; speaks his mind without weighing the possible impact of his words; employs self stimulating routines; and has several other peculiar habits.

In his grieving, Oskar finds a key and thinks it's a clue to a quest that his father left for him to explorer and dicsover New York's lost sixth borough. His self imposed search to find the lock that the key unlocks is an attempt to find order in the disorder of life and make sense of an inexplicable tragedy. In it he touches the lives of many people - most of them strangers.

We also see the struggles of parenting a unique child. We see Oskar's dad (Tom Hanks) step into his child's world. We see Oskar's mom (Sandra Bullock) care for her son while coping with her own loss. You see the heartbreak and the joy of raising a kid that is just a step out of sync with society.

As the movie started, I couldn't help but laugh (perhaps inappropriately) at Oskar's eccentricities. It's a somber film and you should feel sorry for this kid that learned of his father's death through a series of six answering machine messages and TV news reports. But I couldn't help but chuckle as he counts the number of lies he tells, or sorts through the essentials he needs to pack to take on his search, or compulsively shakes a tambourine to find courage to walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. I laughed because it was like watching my son on that big screen. It was a glimpse into my son's inner psyche.

At last the moment of justification came. Oskar is interviewing (interrogating) strangers to find who knew his dad and recognizes the key. He explains to the first stranger, "People tell me I'm very odd all the time. I got tested once to see if I had Asperger's disease. Dad said it's for people who are smarter than everybody else but can't run straight. The tests weren't definitive."

But Bekah and I both recognized the signs of ASD. Oskar is just quirky enough to be described as an aspie child with or with out an official diagnosis explained in the script. And the oddities of being a kid with Aspergers was expertly portrayed by Horn.

But of course the movie isn't all about Oskar's disorder. But it does help explain why and how Oskar executes his search for the missing lock. It is this understanding that may be lost on many movie goers. It is a frame of reference that helps audiences understand that Oskar is not a normal child.

If you want to see what life is like for parents like Bekah and me or thousands of other parents whose kids are on the Autism spectrum, go see Extremely Loud. If you are the parent of a kid on the spectrum, this is a must see film. And if you're just looking for a good film, this movie packs a well composed script, a gut wrenching story, and believable portrayal of dealing with loss.

Toy Story 3

Go see this movie. Why?

1. Classic story telling. It’s an escape movie at heart and pays homage to the standard bearers of escape films like Escape from Alcatraz and The Great Escape.
2. Satisfying and touching without being emotionally manipulative. The story is filled with humor and suspense; I can’t recall an animated movie that’s kept me so enthralled with the fate of its characters.
3. The return of the original cast – no knock offs. With the exception of Slinky (originally voiced by Jim Varney, who passed away shortly after the release of Toy Story 2) and the kids that voiced Andy and his sister in the first to movies, the original and recognizable voices are back. The writers and the director were all involved with the first Toy Story and bring their passion to finish the story in a way that is both final and true to its origin.
4. The quality of the animation. Pixar proves why it’s the leader in digital animation, and the combination of Disney and Pixar is movie magic.
5. Buzz en Español. You’ll have to watch to see what I’m talking about (I don’t want to ruin the plot). While we’re on the topic of Buzz Lightyear, Buzz is Tim Allen at his best.
6. The tortilla. And the pickle. And Mr. Potato head. Again, I won’t spoil the plot, but the use of the tortilla in the escape from the daycare is one of the funniest moments in the movie – and possibly the most hilarious of all three Toy Story films.
7. The new characters. They’re not just there as filler and their characters are fully developed with unique personalities that add to the value of the story. Ken is shallow, Big Baby is creepy, and Lotso is manipulative and maniacal.
8. Sunnyside Daycare. This is a fantastic new setting for the toys and serves as an ideal prison. The interactions between the kids and the toys at the daycare are priceless and more true to life than the way the toys were handled in the previous films.
9. It keeps kids engaged. More than that, it involves the kids (I’m speaking on behalf of young children as my oldest is 5). Most movies serve as a mindless stream of motion and sound to distract the youngest demographic, but Toy Story 3 brings those with single digit ages into its universe. As Andy waved his last goodbye, my daughter waved back. When Ken’s astronaut outfit was employed in the escape, she asked why Ken was wearing Barbie’s shoes (rather loudly, in the theater, during a quiet moment in the movie).
10. Valuable themes. The movie focuses on loyalty but also touches on the themes of unity and teamwork, faithfulness, determination, kindness, fair treatment of others, and generosity.

If you take young kids to see this movie, be forewarned, the climax of the escape is intense. The final moments at the dump can be frightening. My son (age 5) was not disturbed. My daughter (3 ½) managed to remain in her chair up until that scene – thanks to the distraction of popcorn – but the scary dump led her into my lap to seek comfort and safety.

We went to see the 2D version, so I do not have any testimony to the value of 3D. However, I did not see any place where the extra dimension would add any value to the film other than to increase Disney/Pixar profits. 2D is satisfying enough to make it difficult to justify the more expensive price of 3D.

So go. Trust me, you’ll enjoy yourself.