Here is our list of the best movies on Aspergers Syndrome and Autism.
These are all movies we have enjoyed watching in the past and have found many of them very moving and inspirational. Many of these films feature adults and children with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome.
We hope you enjoy them too and please let us know if there are any that we have missed out.
Adam – Rated PG13
Adam is a brilliant love story that debuted in 2009 and takes place in bustling New York City. The movie is about Adam’s life as a shy and lonesome man with Asperger’s Syndrome. Actor Hugh Dancy stars as Adam and his keen abilities as a performer shine through as he portrays Adam with very real and believable Asperger’s mannerisms. Dancy’s performance draws the viewer in to understand Adam’s plight as he meets and develops a friendship with his new neighbor, a pretty kindergarten teacher named Beth played by Rose Byrne. Adam struggles to communicate with Beth and often finds it easier to recite interesting facts that he knows about various subjects, including his favorite, space exploration. Adam knows everything about astronomy in detail and his knowledge intrigues Beth. Through their many awkward and often comical moments, a meaningful relationship unfolds between Adam and Beth.
My Name is Khan – Not Rated
The movie, “My Name is Khan” is a story that becomes undone after September 11, 2001. The United States changed rapidly after the terrorist assault, and much of the country became fearful of Muslim people. Rizvan Khan, played by actor Shah Rukh Khan, is originally a Muslim from India. He is a gentle person who endures the difficulties caused by Asperger’s Syndrome. Until that fateful day, Rizvan lives a somewhat normal life in America. He meets and marries a Hindu woman named Mandira played by Kajol Devgan. They create a good life together, but once Mandira’s son becomes a victim of an attack on Muslims, she sends Rizvan away. The remainder of the movie finds Rizvan on a quest to make things right and win back his wife. My Name Is Khan sends a message of open-mindedness to the world and sheds some light on understanding both the difficulties of Asperger’s and the sometimes ominous Muslim ways.
Mozart and the Whale – Rated PG13
The movie Mozart & The Whale is based on the book about the lives of Jerry and Mary Newport, two adults who fell in love and are each affected with Asperger’s Disorder. In the movie, the couple is Donald played by Josh Hartnett and Isabella played by Radha Mitchell. The two become acquainted through a group Donald creates for autistic adults to interact with each other and to help prevent the loneliness that often occurs for people with Asperger’s. As the two become a couple, they grapple with their differences in daily social situations and learn various coping methods. Donald and Isabella each possess unique talents, but the difficulties of their pasts give them something in common that helps create a strong bond between them.
The actors do an excellent job of portraying the couple. The story is well written, believable and at the same time, it gives the audience a new understanding of the fact that everyone faces challenges in life. “Mozart and the Whale” was filmed in 2004 in the heart of Spokane, Washington. The movie highlights the beauty of the city and its special attractions. It is a must see movie for anyone interested in Asperger’s Disorder.
Mozart & The Whale (Widescreen)
Temple Grandin Rated PG
This movie is the real life story of Temple Grandin. It illustrates Temple Grandins’ struggle with autism and her subsequent achievements in life. Not only did Temple find a way to overcome the emotional distress, but she also gained a Phd in animal science and became an internationally recognized speaker in the Autistic community. Inspired by generations of people diagnosed with Autism Temple Grandin is truly an example to us all.
Little Man Tate – Rated PG
Little Man Tate came out in 1991. It is about a young genius who has some Asperger’s traits and his single, loving, hard-working, and very protective mother. The child is Fred Tate played by Adam Hann-Byrd. He has the ability to solve complex math problems in his mind and is an expert piano player. Fred gets nervous when too many adults give him attention and he depends on the sheltering of his mom Dede, played by actress and the “Little Man Tate” director, Jodie Foster.
As Fred’s obvious talents gain more attention, a child psychologist who owns a school for gifted children enters the picture. She pressures Dede to enroll Fred in her school but Dede struggles because she knows her child and puts major importance on Fred’s life being lived as normal as possible.
Little Man Tate is a story about triumph over adversity. The characters learn wonderful things about themselves and each other. The movie looks at the life of a young child prodigy and determines how to find a healthy balance in a world that can sometimes be less than kind to those who are different.
I Am Sam – Rated PG13
“I Am Sam” is an emotionally powerful movie about the love between a parent and his child. Actor Sean Penn is Sam Dawson, a developmentally disabled single father who is raising his little daughter Lucy, played by Dakota Fanning. The child’s mother abandoned them shortly after Lucy’s birth, but Sam has done an excellent job of loving and caring for his daughter. Sam also has a marvelous support group of mentally challenged friends and a neighbor woman that help him care for Lucy.
As Lucy gets older and is attending school, she begins to realize that her Daddy is different from the other Daddies and she understands that he has learning disabilities. The other children tease her, but Lucy and Sam have a strong and loving bond that is unshakable. The authorities enter the picture and eventually move Lucy to a foster home where they feel she will receive better care, but Sam and Lucy will not have it.
As Sam prepares to fight for custody of his daughter, he seeks help from attorney Rita Harrison, played by Michelle Pfeiffer. Each of the actors delivers exceptional performances and “I Am Sam” sends out an overwhelming message of the power of unconditional love. The music soundtrack that is comprised of favorite Beatles tunes, offers a delightful addition for moviegoers.
If there are any movies that you think should be on the list but aren’t, leave us a comment below
Has the movie ‘Shine’ (1996) been mentioned?
Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.
Director: Scott Hicks
Writers: Jan Sardi (screenplay), Scott Hicks (story)
Stars: Geoffrey Rush, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Justin Braine
I think I should be in this Asperger’s site and I am looking for someplace that does late testing in grownups I was never tested for any other disability other then A.d.h.d or A.d.d as the doctors call it
How does one broach the subject of AS with a 20 yo death metal bass player, super talented but such low self esteem. My son has had mental health issues since I believe at age 4. But dealing with husband/ father who believes anyone with MH issues(such as myself and my extended family) should just ” snap out of it ” or ” man up”. He refuses meds (believes that me having him take Zoloft in 11th grade ruined his life).
The Imitation Game
What about a film like West Side Story? West Side Story is a famous late 1950’s-early 1960’s musical based on Romeo and Juliet, with a great musical score by Leonard Bernstein, great dancing that’s beautifully choreographed by the late Jerome Robbins, beautiful, richly-colored costumes and cinematography, a great cast, and a wonderful story about love and romance that develops amid conflict between two warring street gangs on the West Side of 1950’s-1960’s New York City, with a wonderful message overall.
i would highly recommend the 2001 Oscar-winning Ron Howard film ‘A Beautiful Mind’ starring Russell Crowe as the late mathematician and co-recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences (1994) John F. Nash Jr. (13 June 1928 – 23 May 2015). One of my favorite scenes is where the pick-up attempt literally blows up in his face. This scene truly underscores the fact that John F. Nash Jr. might have been afflicted with Asperger Syndrome in addition to schizophrenia.
A very sweet and delicate 2015 French romance film is ‘The Sense of Wonder’ (original title: Le Goût des merveilles). It gives me a heartwarming view on the aspi’s world, talents, challenges, communication, love. The beauty of people, the beauty of nature, innocence, light, hope.
Two documentaries: Normal People Scare Me and Autism: The Musical
The 1980’s science fiction film Gattaca should be included in this list. The premise of the movie is that everyone is genetically engineered to be super human, while the lead character is born normal as a love child without the engineering. This is very much the story of living with an intellectual disorder. Everyone else appears super human compared with your own abilities, and you have to work 3 times as hard to achieve a result that ordinary people deem as a normal outcome.
Molly by John Duigan.
Has anyone mentioned the movie “Good Will Hunting” Mat Damon role might be an exaggeration like Rain Man, but Robin Williams is a much more realistic case.
Another movie is “Young Einstein”, from Yahoo Serious
I have not gone through the whole list of Comments.
But I recommend The Black Balloon.
It is a great movie dealing with siblings of those on the spectrum.
Truly touching and how my children related.
Please bare in mind the Acting is not the best. but the story is amazing.
About a Boy
2002
Hugh Grant, Nicholas Hoult
Excellent Aspergers film
I think I should be in this Asperger’s site and I am looking for someplace that does late testing in grownups I was never tested for any other disability other then A.d.h.d or A.d.d as the doctors call it
The Odd Way Home
Lars and the real girl
“Dear John” with Channing Tatum has Richard Jenkins playing the father who clearly has Aspergers.
I know it’s not a film, but there is Swedish tv series “The Bridge” and the main character, detective Saga Noren has to deal with undiagnosed AS. Highly recommend.
Jane Wants A Boyfriend (2016) deals directly with AS and should be added to the main list.
I loved that movie….I cried because I loved it so much. I wish it could be played in school for children.
A Brilliant Young Mind.
As for recent movies Dr. Michael Burry played by Christian Bale in The Big Short is an aspie. If you google Dr. Michael Burry he says that he’s has undiagnosed aspergers.
Most of the movies with characters with aspergers or autism are male. I wish there were more movies with females asperger characters other than Temple Grandin.
Mozart and the Whale has a female with Aspergers. So does the movie Snowcake which has Sigourney Weaver in it.
check out Square Root of 2. Realistic movie about female aspie. -Doug
For a movie involving children you can’t go passed “The Magnificent 7” starring Helena Bonham Carter. She plays a Mum with seven children, four boys and three girls. The three girls are NT’s, the four boys are each and every one somewhere on the spectrum. Christopher is my favourite, a 100% logical Aspie. Love him.
Alan Turing in The Imitation Game comes across as being high functioning on the spectrum. He is brilliant but has absolutely no people skills at all. Mind you I think that Ben Cumberbatch who plays Turing is himself an aspie. He plays Sherlock Holmes as if he’s on a different planet.
Hi
Recommend the Sundance and Cannes award winning film American Spendor.
This outatanding film depicting the autobiography of the writer Harvey Pekar as played Paul Giamatti and featuring Harvey also who depicts many aspyrgers traits and his equially inspirational friend.
Film also includes his comics of the same
Title, writings, TV footage of Harvey on the Letterman Show to relationships and friends with Harvey’s unique outlook on life and struggles with everyday problems we all face to his struggles witn cancer this is an endering film.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Splendor
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvey_Pekar#
A very inspiraional film on a unqiue person, insightful philosopher who broke the mould and changed the world in his own sweet curmudgeon way.
faviourate Harvey Pekar quotes are:
“It makes you feel good to know there’s other people afflicted like you.”
“I realize that I’m pretty flawed, but you know – I haven’t killed anybody yet.”
“Ordinary life is pretty complex stuff.”
“Everybody’s like everybody else, and everybody’s different from everybody else.”
Enjoy the film and Harveys writings.
Stephen
Fantastic thread of posts and im scribnling all the suggestions down please keep them comming and love the inclusion of world cinema and forigne films which gives a perspective all of its own.
Could we please have a downloadable list of books and films and you tube clips or other sources please which is regularly added too.
Im also dyslexic so perfernce for visuals in movies – but recently bought a bunch of books on the subject also and seen some great yountube clips on dyslexic so would be fantastic to have some aspyie ones also.
Its helpful for me to understand but also for my family – it saved my relaionship with my partner whos lovely an wonderful but at time struggles with my aspyi trates and meltdowns or precularities.
Again thank you for a wonderful site and will think of a few films.
Their was one with Mel Gibson in his early years and about his relationship with an older woman. Might not be specificaly aspyies but was learning difficulties spectrum (term i hate but lack another) and touched on prejudice of age gap relationships to a nice mix of nuro typical older woman and nuro – innocence of a young man with learning difficulties and socities perceptions.
The bridge leading female looks at high functioning aspyie and attempts to connect with others with mixed responses.
House and Bones possible traits but big bang sheldo yes and things strated clicking for me there.
NASA or any other high profile organisation can you help with some inspirational media case studies of high achieving aspies and dyslexics – recently read you actively seek out these unique out of the box thinkers.
Thanks and happy new year
Steve
You should consider adding “The Square Root of 2” movie to this list. Pretty cool story about a father’s journey to discovering that his daughter has Asperger’s syndrome. http://thesquarerootof2movie.com/
Thanks for this pick. Small budget film but hit home with some things with me. And great nuance acting by the redhead from that show Scandal (I think).
-Dan R
For a touching story about a young female with autism “Under the Piano” starring Megan Fellowes. It really moved me, I have several members of my immediate family, and significant others on various parts of the autistic spectrum.
Adam was a very good and painfully relate-able movie. Adam does have an extremely violent episode when his girlfriend doesn’t come home on time. It could have turned out deadly and Adam could have gone to jail as a result. I am an adult with Asperger’s autism who has experienced such violence in my own life. I liked the documentary Wretches and Jabberers which I found on Netflix. More low-functioning in terms of communication, but the interest one of the men in photography had I could relate to as I love photography. Though Rainman has drawn criticism as to accuracy, I still find it to be very funny and moving. One must realize that autistics with savant-ism represent a very small percentage. That is all.
Barfi is a Hindi movie about a love triangle between a well-off able-bodied neuro-typical woman, a poor deaf man, and an autistic woman
The film “The Rosie Project” is under production. I think it is going to be the best Aspie comedy ever!!! I devoured the book in one day…can’t wait for the movie. Yay yah.
Amelié.
I have Asperger’s and this has been my fav film for 12 years, because I understood Amelié and I still am mesmerized by the beautiful film work. Amelié and her love interest are definitely both aspies.
Not many foreign movies (I am from the U.S.) move me so deeply that I will tackle the feat of trying to watch the movie and read the subtitles at the same time. Ameile was an exception. Sweet and funny film.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
I liked “An Invisible Sign” (2010)
Jimmy (2013) starring Ian Colletti is pretty family friendly and the character who has Asperger’s is only 14
“mary and max” also should be on this list.
The series Parenthood deals both with a child and his family dealing with his Aspergers but also with an adult friend who realizes that he shares some traits of Asp. with considerable changes to his life. They both are at diff point on the spectrum so I think it is very very good.
two films a very big one rain man and the story of Luke
Story of Luke I could relate to and it should be on top of the list.
Try watching “On Golden Pond”. The leading man, Henry Fonda, plays Norman who strikes me as an aging aspie who’s also got a bit of alzheimers. Katherine Hepburn plays his wife who calls him “my knight in shining armor” when she thinks he’s dying, but an “old poop” around the house. Jane Fonda plays his daughter and their relationship is strained until she makes an attempt to confront him.
I am looking for a movie for my 10 y/o son to watch so he can understand a little more about his behavior. Talking to him does not help but he loves movies and talking about them after.
Janelle:
The Simple Simon are a familyfilm.
It’s a family movie. The film is from Sweden and is about a young man who has Asperger’s Syndrome. The movie is comical. The character Simon is made with an extreme Asperger. In Sweden, called the film ” In heaven/space there is no emotion ,” I think that Simon has many emotions and shows it well. And we’ll see how important it is to practice and planning.
I think the film is really good and hope that the film might be something for your son to see.
I loved Salmon Fishing in Yemen (mentioned above)
also:
How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (very funny, produced by Toby Young who says he may have ASD)
American Beauty (the videographer may have AS)
A Zed and Two Noughts (and other Peter Greenaway movies)
A Clockwork Orange (The director Stanley Kubrick had AS appaently
Can the character ‘Monk’ from the series of the same name, played by Tony Shaloub, be considered an Aspergers character?
Lovely character and series, but I think it is more probable he has OCD…
You should add White Frog (2012) on the list, it’s about how a teenage boy with Asperger’s deals with the loss of his brother. Also add The story of Luke (2012), which is about Asperger’s boy who has to learn to deal with the world outside his home which he’s not familiar with. Another good one would be Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. The character has had to be written with Asperger’s in mind for sure, it only doesn’t say it in the movie.
Good ideas, thanks for suggestions
As Good As It Gets! Jack Nicholson’s character Melvin Udall in my opinion was spot on. Although he is diagnosed in the movie with OCD and not necessarily AS, he possesses all of the Aspire traits that I do – being blunt, needing routine, liking things a certain way, being rude and not understanding why. No matter what other movies or tv shows I’ve seen, As Good As It Gets is the only one that is familiar to me and I can relate to as a disagnosed Aspie.
I’ve been thinking on this and I think Kinsey would be an interesting addition. Note: this is an adult title, based on fact, about an entomologist who wishes to investigate what is “normal” sexual practice. His work is most remembered in the Kinsey Scale of hetero/homo sexual attraction. I would hazard to say that his meticulous attention to scientific method, his efforts to understand his own emotions, and his need to understand the unknown even if it means stepping over social convention and taboos, is typical of many people with Asperger’s. Just feels like an Aspie movie to me.
I loved Benny and June growing up. This started my infatuation with Johnny Depp, as I totally got his character in this movie. Honestly, he’s played several characters over the years that could fall on the spectrum. Now as an adult I’ve been diagnosed with Aspergers.
Where can these movies be purchased. Some I see are general and Netflix available, but not all. Lin
Love this thread. Thank you all for your suggestions. My girlfriend has Aspergers and she likes watching movies with “off” characters, as well as reading books about strange syndromes. This list really gives me clues to movies we can watch together.
Aspergers the Movie. This documentary came out about a week ago and it’s great for getting a solid understanding about Aspergers.
http://aspergersthemovie.com/videos/
The newest I know is a Korean Drama titled Good Doctor. It’s not a movie, it’s a drama tv with 20 episodes. The story is about an autis savant who becomes genius pediatric surgeon