Autism: The Musical (Tricia Regan, 2007): USA

“Autism: The Musical” is a heartwarming documentary about a group of autistic children working together to put on a musical production in Los Angeles by means of “The Miracle Project” (a friendly organization focusing on music and movement for autistic children in a positive environment). As the story unravel and the characters are introduced, I found myself falling in love with each of the kids, despite their differences. Not only could I see how hard it is for each kid to deal with their disability, but also how hard it is for their parents to deal with their child’s autism. Director Tricia Regan does an amazing job in capturing the beauty and struggles of being an autistic child and the ways it affects a family.

This was the last movie I was able to view at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival. It was the last showing of the day at Metro 4 Theaters and I am so happy I chose this movie as the last one to see at the festival. It ended my whole experience this week in such a positive way.

Alex, Lexi, Wyatt, Neal and Henry are five very special kids. Although they have autism, for the most part, they are completely aware of their surroundings and the fact that they are being bullied or made fun of by other kids their own age. Throughout the movie, Wyatt (full of energy and a positive attitude) doesn’t understand why the kids at school bully him. He doesn’t want to be placed into a special education class, yet he is afraid to be made fun of in a “mainstream” class. Henry on the other hand can’t sit still for anything. He is an absolute genius with an amazing knowledge of reptiles and dinosaurs, his favorite things in the whole world. Lexi is a 14 year old girl who can easily repeat anything anybody says to her, but has a hard time coming up with her own thoughts. Despite her challenge, she has an absolutely amazing singing voice and it becomes an outlet for her emotions. Every child is different in its own way, but when put together in the same room, amazing friendships start to develop.

It was interesting and actually very sad to see how the parents dealt with their situation. Many of them when discovering their child had autism, went through a period of denial, then depression and finally acceptance. Although they each love their child very much, it tears them up inside to know that other people have a hard time accepting their differences. As they watch their children grow up, they are unsure what is going to happen to them in the future or how they will handle themselves around others.

On the night of the show, there is pure joy and pride in each parents’ eye as they watch their kids performing up on the stage. Not only are the parents proud, but also the kids themselves are extremely proud of their accomplishments. It is a story of hope and courage, love and acceptance. “Autism: The Musical” beautifully shot and I would highly recommend it to anyone. It is definitely worth watching.