Sweetie and I watched the HBO Film “Temple Grandin” late Saturday night. Temple Grandin is a Professor in the Agriculture School at Colorado State University. She is famous in agriculture circles for her revolutionary concepts in the design and operation of feedlots and slaughterhouses and she is an inspiration to those of us in the Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome community. She has a form of autism called Asperger’s Syndrome. Asperger’s Syndrome is characterized by problems relating to people but goes way down deep into the inner core of people and how they think. Dr. Grandin’s unique way of thinking led her to develop much more humane ways of handling cattle. Dr. Grandin was able to overcome her social difficulties to achieve greatness. Her web site is here.
Claire Danes plays Temple Grandin in the movie. The movie does a great job trying to show how strange, frightening, and alienating the world is to a person with autism on the one hand and how strange and off putting an autistic person’s behavior and affect is to others. The movies also shows how an autistic persons’s different way of thinking and visualizing problems can come up with unique solutions to various problems.
The movie also shows how just a few people, teachers, coworkers, and friends, who can see through what’s on the surface to the core beneath and provide support and encouragement can make a huge difference. Temple Grandin’s story is an inspiration and hope for all us parents of children who are afflicted with autism.
I give the movie four stars out of four.
I was hoping the movie would be sensitive to people with autism. I thought the previews looked promising. I can’t wait to watch it now!
I really want to see this movie, but I don’t have HBO. However, my friend does so I’m to see it at her house.
Thanks for the review, the previews looked like it would be a good movie.
Sunny 🙂
I was away over the weekend and am slow catching up. I liked your post on demographics and commented there.
This is another subject that I care about. I have hear about Temple Grandin on NPR. What she has accomplished both personally and for the industry is remarkable.
The humane treatment of meat animals is very important to me. Most of the meat I buy comes from a local farmer who raises his stock sustainably on a small farm. He assures me that the processor kills them in a humane manner. He would prefer to kill them at home with a quick rifle bullet but FDA won’t allow that. I wish they would.
I saw that on the schedule and recorded it to the DVR. Planning to watch it soon.
Thanks for the review, I’m definitely going to DVR it and watch when I can have a quiet moment and not interrupted by one of the three little Lams.
I had heard of Temple Grandin, but I knew little of her story. My wife, who has worked in the Special Education arena for 25 years, was familiar. I’m glad we watched the movie together. I thought it was very insightful and inspiring.