“My Name is Temple Grandin.”
Temple Grandin, 2010, USA
Claire Danes and Temple Grandin.
I’d become interested in this movie after hearing about how good it is and the awards it was winning. I also really like Claire Danes, who portrays Temple Grandin.
Grandin is an autistic woman who has difficulty with human interaction and language. She is a visual thinker and sees things in pictures (which is often demonstrated throughout the movie). She has a supportive family, including her mother (Julia Ormond) and her aunt (Catherine O’Hara). She develops her love of science with the help of a supportive high school teacher (David Strathairn). Grandin goes to college, where she studies animal husbandry, a subject she eventually earns a doctorate in. She has developed new and more humane techniques for transporting and slaughtering cattle.
It’s extremely difficult to portray someone who is “different”. There is always a fear that the actor will overact or unintentionally mock the person they are portraying. Danes doesn’t do either of these things. She portrays Grandin with the utmost respect, and it is evident that she really did her research. Her performance was amazing. She’s received a Golden Globe, an Emmy and a Satellite Award for her performance. Unfortunately, since this movie aired on HBO, I doubt it is eligible for Oscars, because I’d say she deserves a Best Actress nomination. I hope that changes soon, because TV movies have come a very long way in terms of quality. This is an Oscar-worthy movie.
Despite the fact that it is a “TV movie”, it’s quite a bit better than most of the 2010 theatrical releases. It was fantastic. Grandin’s story is such an interesting one, and it’s done in a captivating manner. I am not a visual thinker, so I have difficulty imagining how Grandin’s mind works, but the animated diagrams really helped. Her mind is truly extraordinary.
One of the things I thought about during the movie is how awesome she must be at finding her way around a city or town. I really struggle with finding my way around. I can know how to get somewhere on foot or by bus, but struggle when I have to get there by car. My mind just can’t picture how to get there when I have to pay attention to things like changing lanes, stoplights and where parking lots are located. I was placed in this situation yesterday. I needed to get to the Millennium Library for a workshop. I’ve arrived there by bus and on foot a number of times. But last night I was going by car. I could picture how to get there by foot, but for some reason, I couldn’t figure out how to get there by car. I had to get detailed, step by step directions (including a diagram) for what was essentially a five minute drive. But I got there, and I didn’t get lost!
Grandin is a far smarter woman than I ever will be. It saddens me that society often writes off people who think differently. She may not be what society deems “normal”, but she is better than that: she is extraordinary. Different people change the world.