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Rose Byrne and Hugh DancyGrade: B-
In many ways Adam is simply another story about the challenges of making a romantic relationship work.
But what distinguishes it from the tide of twenty- and thirtysomething film romances is that the male half of the couple has Asperger syndrome. Director Max Mayer handles the symptoms and limitations of the syndrome with sensitivity and intelligence. He doesn’t make it a big issue — this is no weepy disease-of-the-week movie — but it is certainly essential to the story’s arc, and in no way downplayed.
Hugh Dancy hits it just right as Adam, a science whiz with Asperger’s. His portrayal is heartfelt and appealing. Adam has led a sheltered life until he meets Beth (Rose Byrne), his sweet and far more sophisticated new neighbor.
Adam is not disabled, nor is he merely eccentric. We’re informed early on that those diagnosed with Asperger’s find it difficult to discern such subtle verbal cues as sarcasm or innuendo. As a result, Adam is disarmingly, sometimes off-puttingly, honest.
Life would be easier if everyone always said what they meant and in a calm and measured way. But, in the case of those with Asperger’s, this is almost an imperative, Adam tells Beth. Drawn to his gentle spirit, Beth overlooks Adam’s awkwardness. He introduces her to his almost childlike world and she draws him into her more social existence.
The film is best when focused on their love story. A subplot about a criminal case involving Beth’s accountant father (Peter Gallagher) bogs down the story. A voice-over narration has a Hallmark-card quality. Beth quotes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, making Adam sound otherworldly.
Despite these missteps, Adam is a cut above most romances and boasts a intriguing conclusion. One comes away with a sense of hope, leavened by realism.
In many ways Adam is simply another story about the challenges of making a romantic relationship work.
But what distinguishes it from the tide of twenty- and thirtysomething film romances is that the male half of the couple has Asperger syndrome. Director Max Mayer handles the symptoms and limitations of the syndrome with sensitivity and intelligence. He doesn’t make it a big issue — this is no weepy disease-of-the-week movie — but it is certainly essential to the story’s arc, and in no way downplayed.
Hugh Dancy hits it just right as Adam, a science whiz with Asperger’s. His portrayal is heartfelt and appealing. Adam has led a sheltered life until he meets Beth (Rose Byrne), his sweet and far more sophisticated new neighbor.
Adam is not disabled, nor is he merely eccentric. We’re informed early on that those diagnosed with Asperger’s find it difficult to discern such subtle verbal cues as sarcasm or innuendo. As a result, Adam is disarmingly, sometimes off-puttingly, honest.
Life would be easier if everyone always said what they meant and in a calm and measured way. But, in the case of those with Asperger’s, this is almost an imperative, Adam tells Beth. Drawn to his gentle spirit, Beth overlooks Adam’s awkwardness. He introduces her to his almost childlike world and she draws him into her more social existence.
The film is best when focused on their love story. A subplot about a criminal case involving Beth’s accountant father (Peter Gallagher) bogs down the story. A voice-over narration has a Hallmark-card quality. Beth quotes from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince, making Adam sound otherworldly.
Despite these missteps, Adam is a cut above most romances and boasts a intriguing conclusion. One comes away with a sense of hope, leavened by realism.
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