Customer Reviews

Temple Grandin

5 star:		(249)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am autistic, high functioning, like Temple Grandin is, as well as being a visual thinker. It is often very hard to explain to people in words what it is like, or why it's hard for me to do somethings NTs (neurotypicals or nonautistics for those that don't know) have no issues with, or why somethings bother me severely. I usually get reactions that just being lazy or whining over nothing, when it's much more than that.

This film accurately captures what it is like for me, at least. (Autism is extremely diverse, and what's true for one autistic won't be true for all) And I finally have something I can show my friends and family and point to and say "This is what I've been trying to explain."

Beyond the fact that I can simply relate to much of experiences and difficulties (at least in relation to autism), this film is extremely well made, and highly recommended. It is highly enjoyable and entertaining to watch regardless of whether or not you you have any connection to autism. Temple's life and character is an inspiration to all, and the lessons of her life can apply to anyone across the board.

Do watch.

My husband and I watched this movie last night for the first time. We are as different as night and day but this movie had both of us riveted from beginning to end. It opens up the door to a wealth of insight on autism. Once I finished the movie I did some internet research on Temple Grandin and was blown away at how one person's life experiences can have such an impact in the world. I am so excited to share this movie with my children. It will be one more teaching tool to show them how important it is to embrace all people simply because they are people. As Temple's mother is quoted in the movie as saying, "She is different, not less." What a great life lesson to pass on to both young and old in this world.

I watched this movie last night on HBO. This was an outstanding movie at many levels. What struck me most intensely was the thought of what could have been. Temple is old enough where her life and contributions might have been diverted into a dark place of institutional placements. The movie did a wonderful job of showing her strengths and weaknesses (smacking a teasing bully who deserved it). Yet, that alone could have brought her significant, negative attention with a corresponding nasty outcome. It was clear that people who saw her gifts allowed Temple the thrills and satisfaction of self expression. Her ability to see things normal brains do not see is extraordinary to learn about. The changes in her chosen (cattle) industry were significant because she saw the world so differently. Things done a certain way for decades and decades take a very powerful force to cause change. As a society we stopped institutionalization for people with differences. One wonders how many Temple Grandin's did not escape that dehumanized fate. The movie makes you consider how many other systems we take for granted that could use a Temple Grandin approach to trying another way.

MOST AWESOME MOVIE I HAVE SEEN IN YEARS! SHOULD WIN AN OSCAR! I'M A RANCHER AND TOTALLY UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP YOU CAN HAVE WITH A COW OR A HORSE. SEEING HOW TEMPLE SEE'S THEM, THRU HER EYES, HAS GIVEN ME A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. AS MANY YEARS, AS I'VE USED CATTLE CHUTES, I NEVER KNEW IT "CALMED" THE CATTLE. USED IT TO "HOLD CATTLE STILL" SO I COULD VACINATE, EAR TAG, ETC. YOU HAVE TO SEE THE MOVIE TO UNDERSTAND. IS A MUST SEE!

This is an exceptional movie! Temple Grandin has made it possible for me to actually understand why my son gets upset when there is a sudden or loud noise, or even when I am talking a bit loudly sitting next to him. It does cause extreme pain. The visual and increased sound the movie links together at different moments throughout the movie give us a clear understanding that I had not been able to reach on my own. Temple's mother shows us that people with autism/asperger's syndrome are indeed "different, but not less". Something I have been trying to get across to many people throughout the years. Seeing how Temple's mother would not give up made me realize I am not alone. The public school district psychologist told me my son would never have an IQ past 1st grade level. I would not accept that! I worked with him, got him into a Christian school that was open-minded and open-hearted. This year he will graduate from a christian college prep school with minor modifications and attend college next year. Temple and her mother are great examples that anything is possible......just don't give up. Those who have enjoyed this movie and have been inspired by it will also enjoy seeing a movie also released this year called, "Adam".

This is an absolutely well done and quite inspiring movie. It isn't sentimental and Claire Danes does a superb job as Temple Grandin (in fact, I didn't even recognize her at first) as does David Strathairn as the integral teacher who helped Temple transition from home to school and also advocated for her when other teachers were skeptical.

It is worth noting, early on, that viewers can opt to hear the actual Temple Grandin, not the actress, describing her reaction to every scene of the movie. We watched it both ways and each has so much to offer. Temple's reaction to the movie is very engaging. Now more about the movie....

Claire Danes,in her role as Temple, shows how challenging every part of life could be for someone with autism,from childhood on. I hope this one goes far to help people understand the enigma that is autism and to stop fearing someone who looks and acts so differently. I am especially in awe of how the director and actors didn't sugar coat the realities of autism. I watched this with one son who asked, "What is wrong with her?" and came away from the movie with a new understanding of autism.

Every part of this movie reveals a new challenge for Temple and that makes it riveting. She has trouble adapting to the smallest changes. She doesn't like to be touched. Going through doors, especially automatic ones, is terrifying. Other students in college tease her. Again, Claire Danes shines in her role, never breaking character. This movie belongs in the library of anyone who has an autistic child, teachers of special ed students and anyone who wants to watch a superb film.

However (and I still believe this movie deserves a 5 star review), I have a few quibbles, minor ones. I do think both parents of autistic children and others need to realize that Temple is what is called "high functioning." Even so, she might never have gotten so far without the support of her mother and others who weren't put off by her behavior.

But not every autistic child can do the same, in spite of their parents' best efforts, in spite of the best treatments possible, in spite of thinking outside the box. If this movie causes people to feel that every autistic child can - or,even worse, MUST -reach Grandin's level, then they don't realize that research into causes and treatments for autism are still evolving.

Everyone wants those with autism to succeed and be accepted but parents of an autistic child should never feel guilty if their child doesn't become as successful as Grandin. As long as it doesn't induce that kind of guilt, the movie stands on its own as a portrait of a very remarkable woman.

This movie is inspiring because it shows that some autistic children can learn to function in "our" world even though they see the world in a very different way or as the Temple of the movie says, "Different ....but not less than." What an apt way to describe what every one of us who has or knows an autistic child would wish!


Since autism covers both high functioning and low functioning children, the prognosis for some autistic children is not necessary as hopeful as that of Temple Grandin. Temple became a respected expert in livestock behavior. Some autistic children may not get that far, through no fault on anyone's part.

I have some experience with this. We had a child who was called "autistic" even though we didn't adopt him until he was older. He rocked, flapped his arms, didn't seem too engaged with people, etc. However, his "autism" was caused by being raised in an institution for 5 years. Now he behaves like any child his age. At the SAME time, others who were adopted at his age never grew out of their autistic behavior. They remained locked inside their minds even though their parents tried every bit as hard as we did to help those children. Their children are still diagnosed as autistic and behave no differently than many autistic children. They do not engage with other people. They rock. They have tantrums if anything in their environment changes.

Point being: the brain is mysterious and so is autism. Whatever its cause, it has varying degrees of severity, depending on the child. So by all means, watch this move and be inspired by it. But do not take it as a promise that any child with autism will become a Temple Grandin.

I plan to have several copies of this one, some to hand out because the movie is simply that wonderful.

Claire Danes. Sigh. I'm not ashamed to admit that I am smitten by this beautiful woman, and we see her too infrequently. She should be the Kate Hepburn of our era, but alas....

In this HBO Films presentation, Claire takes on the title role of autistic professor Temple Grandin, a lady I nearly ran into up in Fort Collins, Colorado, and who awarded me the privilege of reading one of my manuscripts. A very fine, capable person.

Claire Danes reaches into some strange places to play Dr. Grandin--the semblance is spooky. Never have I seen such an uncanny biographical performance. She speaks with the same grating shout, suffers through the same mannerisms and the whole (briefly told) story of Dr. Grandin's childhood is well presented.

It is a shame this film did not move beyond the time period it represents: when Dr. Grandin published her book "Emergence: Labeled Autistic", she was panned as a fraudster who had no idea what autism was. Experts the world over wound up with egg on their faces thanks to Dr. Grandin, though of course no one person can be the universal voice of any illness or condition. Danes shows just how hard it is simply to live life in accordance with normal rules, which Dr. Grandin learned to mould into her own rules of engagement.

David Strathairn, whom I love, turns in a fine little-bit-more-than-cameo as one of Grandin's early teachers, Professor Carlock. Catherine O'Hara, in an unusual dramatic turn, plays Dr. Grandin's Aunt Ann beautifully, and Julia Ormond is very palatable as well. No shortage of talent here.

I originally awarded this 3 stars, because I did not like the facile, dismissive tone of the thing. Grandin had a most unpleasant childhood and a rough pre- and post-adolescent life; this film hints at very little of that. VERY little. In deference to the actual discrepancy, I have changed my rating to four stars. It shows very little of her college life, and her interesting concept of "Sins of the System" should have at least been mentioned.

What is here is solid, meat-n-potatoes work as I like to call it, with straightforward cinematography and a well-matched soundtrack. Though the makers didn't torture us with what-it's-like-to-be-autistic, they do a marvelous job showing us pictorial thinking. Viewers will love Grandin's thinking and invention processes. Also penetrating is a look into the slaughterhouse industry as it was decades ago, and how Dr. Grandin changed it overnight. She's even contributed to better kosher slaughtering procedure.

Get this interesting, gently paced film and pay attention. You won't see a more heroic and fascinating story for some time to come.

And you will learn things about autism you could never imagine.

Dr. Grandin is simply an amazing person. Her mother is to be commended for refusing to allow her child to be institutionalized. It just goes to show you how people can be helped if they have a parent and community to nurture them. I understand that Temple Grandin came from an affluent background and that her mom was Harvard-educated which probably gave her access to resources that lower-income children would have difficulty to. I know of an excellent school for children with autism, however, the annual fee for attending this school is around $300,000 per year.

I laughed and cried while watching the movie. I laughed because of Ms. Grandin's wonderful ability to "tell it like it is". This is what a lot of businesses need to hear. There is too much money wasted in corporate America and government on policies designed by people who lack Dr. Grandin's insights and empathy.

As a woman of color I wish I had Dr. Grandin's gift to not recognize social cues. If I had been so blessed I would have been much further ahead in my career as a woman and as a minority. It helps to be able to not recognize social cues especially when they are negative.

And I especially enjoyed the way her instructor taught her to view death. I am a highly emotional person who feels things deeply and sometimes this can be a curse especially with my job at the IRS in which I must implement callous unfeeling governmental laws and policies. If a lot of us could accept the cycle of birth and death and change a lot of us would be better off.

Ms. Grandin is blessed in a lot of ways because she knows how to live life to an extent that a lot of us wish we could.

What an amazing story. I feel honored to have seen this movie. I have only seen it twice, but let me tell you, the first time I saw it was yesterday. :) Temple is an inspiration to all of us alike. She is different, but not less...just like everyone single one of us.

I watched this movie and sat in awe as time after time another new light bulb moment occured. Temple Grandin referred to struggles in life as "it's another door" to be walked through. This movie opened the door to my understanding of autism on a level much greater than the books I'd read. It wasn't until I watched this movie that I felt like I "got it" when it comes to the struggles an autistic person experiences in their daily lives. Thank you Claire Danes for portraying Temple Grandin in such a meaningful way. Oscar worthy performance.