Customer Reviews

Dad's in Heaven with Nixon

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am 50 years old. I have a 14 year son with autism and I just recently lost my father to cancer. My father had a terrible temper and most likey had undiagnosed Asperger's Syndrome. This movie spoke to me so deeply I cannot even express it in words. The images in the old home movies are riveting. The narration, done by the film maker, is poignant and heartfelt, but the true star of this film is Chris Murray, the amazingly brilliant artist who happens to be autistic. He has known who he is since birth, and those of us fortunate to love an autistic person spend our lives learning from them about humankind. This is also a story of a mother's fearless love and refusal to write her son off. What a fascinating, intricately woven story of a complicated family history. I had to stop the movie several times the first time I saw it in order to cry. POWERFUL. Thank you, Tom Murray, for helping me understand and work through so many strong emotions.

The subject was Autism, but this film says more about the importance of love and family, and how that comes into play when dealing with a child that is "different." The director, Tom Murray, takes us on a roller coaster ride, breathlessly going through the tough times that he and his Autistic brother, Chris, went through due, in large part, to their father's inability to come to terms with his younger son's disease. It's fascinating to see how one child's problem throws the entire family into an emotional tailspin. Ironically, while everyone surrounding Chris is feeling sorry for him and worried about his future Chris actually manages to become an accomplished artist, with a growing number of patrons awaiting his pieces as he completes them. Chris also finds a way to become totally independent, with his own apartment, a part time job (that he doesn't really need, but enjoys nonetheless) and he proves to everyone how he is just fine, "I'm Ok. I'm Ok." What makes this film special is that it doesn't hold back anything. The honesty of the filmmaker is almost startling. He tells it all like it is, with all the harsh family parts un-edited, and his family is equally open. This is not a rosy film at all, which makes the positive developments all the more poignant and satisfying. I've seen this film with my family as well as with some friends who have children who suffer from Autism. For them, it was a breath of fresh air, seeing such candor and enjoying the fantastic "characters" that we're introduced to and follow as they grow up and develop. For me it was a film I related to more on the level of family dynamics, the tough parts, the great parts and, of course, the love.
Thank you Mr. Murray, and I hope to see much more of your work in the coming years. You are a brave man, and Chris, what can I say about Chris! He is one of the most delightful people I've seen in a movie!

A friend loaned me her copy of this film and I watched it three times. Now I have ordered two copies from Amazon - one for me and one to loan to others. This true story touched me in numerous ways and is very thought provoking. It is brilliantly done. Chris's story is so amazing and beautiful. His mother is educated, level headed, tireless and an incredible human being. How she endured all that she was dealt is difficult to understand only because there aren't enough mother's like her in this world. Tom Murray has done a great justice by making this film. Because there is now autism in our family this film gave me beautiful hope and understanding for the future. God Bless Tom & Chris Murray & their family.

Simply Amazing Documentary of a family dealing with generations of mental illness issues. This is a must see for any professional- teacher, therapist, clinician- working with individuals and families affected by this disease. Tom Murray pulls off a miracle by exposing the dynamics that overcame such debilitating prospects for his younger brother, Chris, through the honest and open perspective of his Mom, his siblings, and himself. Extremely enjoyable- watch this just to see who the greatest artist in the world really is! Janice Murray deserves an Oscar for the greatest Mom of all time.

DAD'S IN HEAVEN WITH NIXON (2010) is a film by Tom Murray, great-grandson of inventor, Edison-collaborator and record patent-holder Thomas E. Murray. (You may read about this great worthy by doing a simple internet search.)

Tom Murray, whose entire family seems to have been raised in front of a camera of some kind or other, lays out the story of his family with (I would call it) lethal precision. He speaks of his great-grandfather the famous inventor Thomas Murray; speaks of his grandfather, a failed politician who severely berated one of his children; and guess who that one child was? Tom Murray's father, that's who.

While fascinating and almost somewhat nostalgic for me, I found Tom's struggle to fit his autistic brother Chris into the film a bit sad. We watched this because it was supposedly about Chris Murray and Tom's efforts to make Chris accessible through the film. Instead, it is almost 100% Murray Family History Class. As I say, it was great, skillfully shot and directed--but it wasn't really about Chris or his autism.

Yes, there was at the very end a section about Chris, his autism, his family's dealing with it, and Chris' success (especially as an artist). It is very good and reminded me of Dr. Oliver Sacks' autistic artist friend Jesse. However, it was pretty scarce and then the film was over, leaving us wanting more information. It almost feels as if the advertizing used Chris' autism to get the film out, but was never really going to be about Chris or his autism.

Lots of attention was focused on Tom's father, his horrid temper, a tentative decades-late diagnosis of manic depression, and the sad drowning accident that many claimed was suicide (not Chris--he says "Dad swam out too far.").

At the end of the day, I'd say the film does contribute to our understanding of autism a little. It treats Chris beautifully, as I see his family loved him so much they helped him become more normalized. This is what happened to me, also. It was nice seeing another family that went through the same mill. But do not expect a load of autism information, as there really is none, and don't expect any preaching about autism here either (a welcome relief--Murray could give lessons about this).

By the way, the title is Chris' assessment of his father's present situation, and a reference to his father's hatred of President Nixon. That is actually very funny. Chris sees his father in heaven, "hanging out" with Nixon and playing poker. They are friends there, as all heaven's inhabitants are--a great vision.

Sit back and marvel at the downward spiral of a once-great New York family, one that might have been...ah, it makes no matter because look at the great people they are now.

I had seen this video on the Documentary channel. My daughter has an autistic son and I felt this video would give her hope for the future. Many autistic children have gifts that have not been developed. They all have a purpose in life.
Indeed, my daughter cried when she watched the video. Ryan, her son, was diagnosed at the age of 3. He is now almost 12. He is going through a tough time as he enters adolescence.
I think this video is educational and would be an encouragement to anyone who knows an autistic person.

This is an incredibly moving story, well documented with video archives, of a family dealing with the supposed mental illness (bi-polar) of Dad, and the complicated birth and resulting diagnosis of autism in youngest brother Chris. The narrator is brother Tom who has lovingly shared with the audience the family's rise and fall from affluence, the daily challenges of life and the resulting triumph. This film will touch your heart, mind and soul and change the way you view people's differences more than reading hundreds or books or taking Psychology classes. It is such an intimate film you might feel a bit guilty watching at times. Tom Murray is an excellent filmmaker and his film has the power to enlighten those who watch.

I stumbled upon this film recently on Showtime, watched it through, pressed the record button, and immediately watched it a second time. There are lots of good film treatments of autism and you don't really need this film to tell you that children with autism can indeed often grow up to lead happy and useful lives--and everyone by now knows that some people with autism have extraordinary abilities. That's not really what the film is about. It's ultimately a tribute to how the devotion and love within a family can often transcend tragedy and loss. Don't miss this.

this is one of the most beautiful documentary type of videos I have seen in many years. I wish we could all have the innocence and love, within us as told in this story. Thank you Tom, for sharing this beautiful story of the Murray family.

This is a beautifully done film. Channel surfing on HBO or Showtime earlier this year, I clicked the remote control into the middle of this family and could not leave. I checked its schedule and watched it several more times. I am glad the film is out on DVD and will now purchase my own copy.