The Tic Code

You've got to admire a director who can take real life and keep it real on the big screen, and at the same time produce a wonderful, funny and touching film.

With The Tic Code, Gary Winick has done just that. This will be the most realistic movie about Tourette's Syndrome you will ever see. It totally hit home as I was constantly reminded of my childhood. Other kids laughing and making fun, and me feeling alienated because of my supposed abnormality. This movie does a great job in displaying people's ignorance about the subject. Those who have simply seen the episode of L.A. Law which featured a witness with severe Tourette's, don't know the story. If you see this movie, you'll be all the wiser, and you'll be treated to a great film at the same time.

This movie gets 4 stars.

The Tic Code is a touching drama about a boy who suffers from Tourette's syndrome, his mother who tries to support her son and a jazz musician who also is afflicted with TS. The film is heart-rending to watch, especially the scenes where the boy tries to understand why his father has abandoned him. In the centre of the film is an absolutely brilliant performance by Chris Marquette as the boy. An astonishing performance.

Tourette's syndrome has also been the focus of Jonathan Lethem's great novel Motherless Brooklyn, which is a novel I recommend, even though it is nothing like this film.

(6/10)

THE TIC CODE (2000) **1/2 Polly Draper, Gregory Hines, Christopher George Marquette, Desmond Robertson, Carol Kane, Tony Shalhoub, Bill Nunn, Fisher Stevens, Robert Iler, Camryn Manheim. Affective character study of a young boy (newcomer Marquette in a remarkable display of natural acting) whose undeniable prodigious musical talent is only marred by his ongoing struggle with Tourette's Syndrome with the support of his strong-spirited single mother (Draper very good, who also wrote the screenplay) and the jazz saxophone player (Hines, equally exemplary) who enters their lives who also shares the affliction.

Smartly written and presented with a nice flow of direction until the final moments that feel overwrought. Draper based the storyline loosely on her husband Michael Wolff's own personal experience with the condition (the musician has a cameo and also scored the film) which adds another layer of conviction to the seriousness it is respected with. (Dir: Gary Winick)

Polly Draper deserves accolades for this incredible movie! She manages to give viewers a look at what life is like for those of us with TS (Tourettes' Syndrome) without getting maudlin. I discovered as an adult that I had TS when I took my sons to the neurologist because of their tics. It was almost a relief to know that there was a medical reason for the odd movements and noises I made growing up. Watching what this family goes through because of TS brought me to tears many times during the movie. I saw Miles go through the same physical and emotional traumas that I've seen my own sons go through daily in public. Well meaning but uninformed people have made some very hurtful comments about my childrens' tics. Fortunately for my sons TS is better understood than when I was a child. This movie gives a true portrayel of the ramifications TS has on a family. The increased stress, the friction between the parents, parents and school personnel, not to mention the heartbreak of having a loved one picked on or made fun of because they are different. She touched on a lot of the problems TS can cause but managed to show that TS can also have good consequences. Increased creativity, more energy, compassion for others who are different - these are the highlights. I recommend this movie to anyone with a family member with TS. Not only does it shed some light on the Syndrome, but it is full of great jazz music. Last but not least, Gregory Hines and Christopher George Marquette gave stunning physical performances.

Polly Draper (who wrote this and co-stars) can be truly proud of this effort, a beautiful and deeply felt labor of love. Brilliant performances from the always-sublime Gregory Hines and Chris Marquette, who portrays the young Miles with breathtaking believability; he does not hit a false note in the entire movie, and his scenes are not easy, which is an understatement. Never wallowing in sentimentality, the film maintains a gritty, soulful tone throughout. Highly recommended.