Du gehst nicht allein

On DVD, a Netflix rental.

The story jumps around a bit in time but it is never done arbitrarily, and is always easy to follow. It spans from the mid 1950s to the late 1970s.

Claire Danes is Temple Grandin, born with autism at a time when autism was not yet understood. An indication was telling the mother that the 4-year-old girl should be institutionalized, ostensibly for the rest of her life, because there was no "cure." This movie, and Temple Grandin's life, shows that there is no cure, but it also shows how that cannot hold back a person with the correct motivation.

I've always liked Claire Danes, as a pleasant actress in lightweight roles, but her performance here caught me completely off guard. The biggest compliment I can give is that very quickly I wasn't watching Danes portray Grandin, I was watching Grandin. I have seen many, many great performances in my 50+ years of enjoying movies and none were better than hers here.

Julia Ormond is her mother Eustacia and Catherine O'Hara is her Aunt Ann, where Temple first was exposed to life on a farm while visiting her for the summer before college.

Temple had difficulty but managed high school, and then also college. She was unusually bright, but not in the usual sense. She could not just listen to a subject, she had to visualize it, experience it, and when she did was able to master it like few could. In college her great motivator was David Strathairn as Dr. Carlock, a science teacher. Not only did he stand up for her when others wanted to dismiss her as too difficult, he taught her that when she sees a door (a barrier) she should look it as a door of opportunity. She kept that vision as she encountered barriers, and she encountered them often.

Temple Grandin was both practical and empathetic. One of her specialties became livestock, cattle. She knew they had a purpose, to be killed for our food, but she set out to improve the handling of cattle so as to keep them calm and minimize their suffering. It is estimated that 50% of the cattle handled in North America today are done so by techniques she pioneered and worked to have implemented. Today she is a professor.

A superb movie of a really inspiring woman.

March 2018 update: I watched it again now, it was just as absorbing as it was when I first watched it.

That this production is near onto perfect can readily be documented by the votes cast. That it touches intimately on subjects so personal and universal through a story documenting a case of autism can only be appreciated by viewing it. It is an amazing effort on the part of so many persons bringing this story forward so vividly. Maybe Temple was lucky that doors were not kept out of her reach at times of incredible change; maybe her gifts would not have been realized had she not been strong enough to open the doors herself or been strong enough allow others to help. But luck has nothing to do with the quality of this vision shared. This production is something to which all should aspire.

I found it wonderful, precious, motivational, makes you feel as if you are a character in the movie. It just pulls you in her mind and makes you discover her thinking also making you wish you could help her. Also shows you in this world life isn't easy an some people are not very nice (as we all know) but out of the hundreds of people is very much ONE person not afraid to help. Temple shows the viewer we can all be scared. Whether you have disabilities, fears, doubts or anything you can imagine you simply can do it, she showed it. Claire Danes you made me believe you were Temple Grandin I applaud you for your dedicated work maybe will see you at the Awards in 2011. Take a Bow (or a Hug Machine) So much more to add but I advise watching & Watch with your heart.

"If I could snap my fingers and become non autistic I would not do so. Autism is part of who I am." - Temple Grandin

If this were not a TV movie I would expect it to be listed as an Oscar nominee. The movie is captivating not only for the exceptional acting but providing us with a glimpse into the world of autism. Everything about this movie points to excellence: the writing, the direction, the cinematography and the acting of a superb cast featuring Claire Danes in what must be the role of a lifetime.

The movie is moving in its emotional impact without becoming maudlin. The pace of the movie is quick and takes us through a number of years in the fascinating life of Temple Grandin without losing us or boring us.

Temple Grandin describes herself in the movie as "different not less." I would describe the movie as "different and great."

The cast and the crew may well be in line for Emmys and Golden Globes. If so, let no one say it was because of sympathy for the subject matter. It deserves any awards it wins for the excellence of the production values.

This is TV at its best!

I saw a documentary on Temple Grandin that I found very inspirational. I had hoped that this film would bring about the same feelings and, thankfully, it did not disappoint. Claire Danes hit a home run with this one; I was really impressed with her portrayal. She went smoothly through the extremes of emotion that Temple felt: terror to delight, anger to pride. The sometimes halting, awkward way that Temple speaks combined with the often too-loud volume must have been difficult for her to mimic. But Danes managed to do it very convincingly. The director, Mick Jackson, should also be proud of what he's accomplished. The addition of the moving cattle diagrams and the distorted sounds really gave the viewer an idea of how Temple's mind works. This is my favorite HBO film since "Something the Lord Made" and I hope it gets the recognition it well deserves.