Temple Grandin

I was prepared to dislike Temple Grandin.  Slow, emotional movies based on people overcoming difficulties aren't usually what I like to watch to relax.  (I freely admit that I fast-forwarded through the scenes of Frodo and Sam in Lord of the Rings, and one of my favorite movie scenes ever is the cat getting electrocuted under the chair in Christmas Vacation.  Does that make me emotionally shallow?  Perhaps.)  Fifteen minutes into the movie, I was ready to turn it off--not because it was bad, but simply because it had a slow beginning.

By the end of the movie, I felt like I had been taken on a grand journey, and at the destination I realized how differently people see the world, and how often we mistake the gifts of others for oddities which need to be locked away, never to disturb the world of the comfortable and expected.  I was grateful for those who struggled through difficulty, for those who were and are willing to encounter differences and engage them in order to make this world a more beautiful place.

Temple Grandin was born with autism, and at the age of four a doctor encouraged her to be institutionalized.  Her mother refused to accept this, and was determined to give Temple a fulfilling life.  She was not alone, and through the help and love of others Temple found her niche and worked hard to be successful at whatever she tried.  The movie did an excellent job of highlighting the obstacles that were put in her way, of how the world refused to accept her differences and mocked her pecularities.  There were countless opportunities for Temple and those who loved her to give up, but through perseverance and love doors were opened and she had the courage to walk through them.

It's simply a great movie.  The first few minutes are slow as the characters in the movie are developed and the director seeks to establish Temple's gifts.  Temple is different, and I was ready to give up on what was different, rather than struggle forward and try to understand.  Claire Danes does an excellent job capturing Temple in all her triumphs and struggles, and the two hours you'll spend watching this movie will help you realize that those who see the world differently aren't always wrong, and are worth more of our time and patience.

The movie’s director, Mick Jackson, said of Dr. Grandin, "She was an inspiration to all … and a hero to everyone in the autism world."   Claire Danes, who portrayed Temple in the movie, said, “It was an honor to portray the life of this brilliant woman."  

Learn more about Temple Grandin at her website:  templegrandin.com