Life, Animated

Warmhearted but not mawkish, Roger Ross Williams's documentary profile tells the remarkable story of Owen Suskind, an autistic boy who is brought back into communication with the world through his connection with animated Disney movies. Inspired by the titular 2014 book by Owen's father, Ron Suskind, Life, Animated details how Owen was a normally active kid until he reached the age of three, when his personality changed radically, leading to deterioration in his ability to speak and walk, and ultimately a diagnosis of pervasive developmental disorder. The prognosis was not good: Owen might never be able to say anything but gibberish, and it was unlikely that he could ever live on his own. But one thing held the boy's attention—Disney animated movies—and suddenly he repeated a line of dialogue. Owen began to express himself through the words of characters he had come to identify with, revealing how he perceived his relationship to the world, and eventually Ron and his wife discovered an educational environment in which he could flourish. The film builds up to Owen making a move into his own apartment and struggling to come to terms with both a limited degree of independence and life's inevitable disappointments (including a breakup with his girlfriend). But there are also triumphs (such as an invitation to talk at a conference on autism) in this singular story of one young man who found his way back, by unusual means, to a world from which he had been closed off, aided by a family who unstintingly supported him. Recommended. (F. Swietek)