My brother was diagnosed with autism at the age of 2. It was as if someone came in and flipped a switch, turning him completely off.
The same can be said of the star of documentary “Life, Animated,” Owen Suskind, who “vanished” from his parents when he was diagnosed with autism at the age of 3.
“Life, Animated” is based on the story of Owen Suskind’s life set 20 years later as he tackles the transition from dependence to independence.
The film starts out with home videos of their family from the early ’90s before Suskind was diagnosed with autism, creating an image for the audience of what life was like before Suskind’s light went out.
Viewers witness the heartache of Suskind’s parents along with his older brother as they struggle as a family to cope with the cards they were dealt with.
As I’m watching these early scenes, I’m crying because it’s all too familiar. Director Roger Ross Williams was able to capture the emotions and struggles I’ve seen my parents and siblings face upon my brother being diagnosed with autism.
You can see almost immediately the relationship Suskind has with the pre-Pixar Disney Animation films and the connection it brings the family before and after Suskind’s diagnosis.
To the Suskind family, watching Disney movies was and is their way of bonding with Owen past and present day, the films helped Owen grow verbally and mentally.
Viewers witness 20 years later Suskind’s connection to the films today as he has a certain scene for every moment in his life that he relates to: his graduation to Peter Pan not wanting to grow up, Bambi’s death of his mother for when he’s faced with independence of living with his parents to living on his own, and Ariel’s heartbreak in the Little Mermaid compared to Suskind’s own heartbreak over a breakup.
“Life, Animated” captures the true essence of autism in a light that shows autism more as a person and not a disorder. “Life, Animated” will make you laugh out loud and shed some tears, but most importantly, it will give you hope.
**MOVE gives “Life, Animated” 5 out of 5 stars.**
_Edited by Katie Rosso | krosso@themaneater.com_