Adam

Movies featuring characters with some sort of disability(even only a social disorder) can be way too overwrought 90% of the time. Even the big ones, the ones we all know and love, like Rain Man, are rarely very accurate. In fact, last week, I was watching some scripted television show and there was a man playing a character with some sort of mental disorder and it was impossible to tell which one he had because he was doing the cliche Hollywood performance of any disorder. That is how cliche the whole thing is. So, the thing that interested me the most about this movie was the romantic aspect. That is what got me to the theater.

Adam(Hugh Dancy) is an odd guy who just had his father die. He meets Beth(Rose Byrne)when she moves into his apartment building. They kind of hit it off, even though Beth find Adam to be strange. Adam always says exactly what he means and he takes everything at face value. He has tons of knowledge about space, but he works for a toy maker, creating voice activated toys. Beth comes from a rich family and has a father who might be going to trial for committing a crime. He may or may not be guilty of this crime. This draws her closer to Adam, but then, his weirdness starts to freak her out when he asks her if she was sexually turned on during their little date in the park, because he was. This forces him to admit to her that he has Asperger's Syndrome(A.S.). This syndrome affects his social skills because he does not comprehend sarcasm and he can not really read facial expressions. he cannot understand what someone may be thinking. It also gives his insane anxiety. A.S. is a mild form of Autism, which means he can focus incredibly well on one thing and give it crazy attention, but it means taking him in public can be a problem. When Adam is lied to, he goes crazy, or when he has to process too much information, he cannot control himself. When he loses his job and needs to start looking for a new one, the interview process frightens him and Beth drops her entire life to help him with this one problem. Beth is unsure if being in a relationship with someone who is so much work will ever be worth it for her, even though it is obvious she loves him deeply.

There is a really nice sequence in this movie that really sold me on it. As Adam is looking for a job and as Beth's Father is on trial, there is a really nice long sequence, that is sort of a montage that cuts between Beth and Adam practicing interview focusing techniques and Beth at her father's trial. It is a lengthy sequence and I like it because of that. it is a moment that takes its time and lets us in the lives of this couple individually and as a couple. It is a moment in this movie where everything actually comes together, whereas the rest of the movie seems to exist outside of itself. Scenes of Adam at work never feel like they fit and scenes with Beth and her family typically feel like they are from a different movie, but in this one moment everything fits. I enjoyed the song that goes over these scenes, the pacing is nice and for some reason, the two scenes seem to fit together in some weird puzzle.

Aside from that moment, Adam is made by the performances because everything else is kind of a wash. Rose Byrne is completely void of her native Aussie dialect and is totally cute as a button, but never a push over. She is so dedicated to this part that we never doubt that she loves this awkward guy who requires extra patience and an iron clad will to be with him. As Adam, Hugh Dancy is very charming in a way that is not at all charming. He never makes Adam super annoying, so it is not hard to believe why he would appeal to someone. Now, I cannot speak to how realistic a portrayal of A.S. this is because in my time working in special needs, the only cases of Autism I had were too severe to be A.S. I can say that Dancy gives a very honest performance that, while mannered, is never overshadowed by those typical Hollywood "retard" quirks. Byrne and Dancy have a nice chemistry between them, which is crucial since the movie hinges on our belief that these people can be together.

The ending is unconventionally conventional, if that makes any sense, like it is trying to hard to be different that it ends up predictable. The script is uneven, with the scenes involving anyone other than the two love birds, usually coming off less well. Peter Gallagher, as Beth's father, is fine, I guess, but I just felt like his character was mostly unnecessary. He doesn't add anything and I think he was put in to give us a more dramatic rising action/climax. The end goes a little longer than it should, since I knew what was coming, but I get the point of the story. These two people found a way to have such a profound affect on each other that their lives were changed. Or that we never know who will enrich our lives if we do not follow our hearts. It is a nice message, yes, but really?

Adam is a sweet enough movie and for a some what unconventional take on the Romantic Dramedy genre it fits. However, 500 Days of Summer is a much stronger unconventional Romantic summery movie and Adam is kind of in the shadow of that movie for me. The performances are lovely and you will come out of it probably feeling nice. You might have a slight smile on your face and give a comfortable warm sigh. It is like that first cup of hot chocolate every winter. It is nice, but ultimately forgettable.

Final Grade: C+