Watching Adam (2009) and My Thoughts as an Autistic Man
Ok so as an autistic person, and keeping in mind that the film was made in 2009, I think it did pretty good representing specifically the differences and struggles in a NT/ND relationship. And I definitely feel that as a guy who has been in that kind of relationship, it was definitely a hard time for both of us. I think if not for Hugh Dancy, the portrayal of a low masking autistic could've been fumbled heavily. And while Hugh's portrayal with Will is definitely better, I think Adam can be good too. I won't focus on criticizing it heavily, simply because I'm also a bit biased considering it features Hugh Dancy. I really appreciate how it focuses on the communication barrier often experienced between ND people and NT people. I oftentimes experience that myself, sometimes even with other neurodivergent people. Especially with my latest experiences; I made a joke with my coworkers when I first started working, and completely forgot that not everyone is as open to the humor I would make with closer friends. As we became closer, I realized I probably opened up with those jokes too early, and it came off offensive. And that totally connected to me when Beth got angry at Adam about him asking if her father was going to jail. Mainly because I also didn't understand what I did wrong, I didn't understand why people were avoiding me, why they were mad at me. But especially lately, I've found myself having to ask for clarification on social interactions. Someone made a joke, but their tone was just slightly too ambiguous, and I had to later gain the confidence to ask if they were being serious or not. It's another thing to focus on, when you have social anxiety and autism, it's hard to get the confidence and ability to ask for clarification. Especially when there's the voice at the back of your head telling you that you're strange or stupid for needing that. And the meltdowns. God, I felt that in my soul. Personally, I never experienced it about honesty or dishonesty, but about invasion of privacy and disorganization. I've had to prevent myself from hurting myself or destroying my safe space, multiple times. Overall it's a really cute and funny drama movie that I truly found myself enjoying. I really wish there was more of it honestly, I think I just want more about Adam's life and his experiences. It sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions and really hit home in a lot of scenes.