Adam Directed by: Max Mayer Cast: Hugh Dancy, Rose Byrne, Peter Gallagher Running Time: 1 hr 37 mins Rating: PG-13 Release August 7, 2009
CLICK HERE to read De Salvo's interview with Hugh Dancy and Rose Byrne CLICK HERE to read De Salvo's interview with director Max Mayer
Plot: When a young man with Asperger’s Syndrome meets his new neighbor, he has a difficult time transposing his feelings. As the two of them awkwardly forge a relationship, Beth [Rose Byrne] finds the lack of Adam’s [Hugh Darcy] tempestuous pursuit both innocently adorable, and frustratingly baffling. This is the story of how two very different lives can uncannily assist one another’s previously stagnant progression.
Who’s It For? People who are afraid to reveal their true selves to another. Those who balk at even trying to do so in the first place. Romantics who can’t differentiate between fate, and serendipity. Aspiring screenwriters looking to be inspired into writing a cutting-edge love story instead of the sludge Hollywood slings at us every summer…
Expectations: I had only seen a brief trailer before taking a chance on this one. It left little doubt that the lead character had a difficult time understanding how to react to others. Having only previously seen Dancy in (cough, cough) Confessions of a Shopaholic I was very interested to see what he could do with exceptional material, as opposed to filler rom-com fluff.
SCORECARD (0-10)
Actors:
Hugh Dancy as Adam Raki: How do you make it possible for an audience to actually believe you’re having such a hard time fitting in? Take a cue from Dancy, and do your homework. After seeing this film, I looked up the symptoms of Asperger’s, and the kid nailed each… to the wall. It wasn’t just that, though. Any relatively talented actor could mimic a chemically imbalanced person. It takes a true actor to force us to believe he IS this person. There are only a few instances when Dancy seems to take things a bit too far, but those are likely moments than warranted it.
Score: 9
Rose Byrne as Beth Buchwald: Byrne had yet to be given an opportunity to showcase her ample skills. As Beth, she delivers a textured performance that brings a fragile, love-hungry young woman to life in a refreshing manner. So many other actresses could have done so much less with this character. What makes her interpretation unique are the moments in which her eyes attempt to call out to Adam when words could do no such thing. This is acting. This is what makes the practice an art form. Byrne won’t likely receive an Oscar nomination for her efforts, but she will finally receive a high amount of praise for a lead role.
Score: 8
Peter Gallagher as Marty Buchwald: What made Gallagher’s role as Annette Benning’s fellow-adulterer in American Beauty is that he hadn’t yet done The O.C. Since that prime-time soap opera’s inception, he’s had a tough time shaking the Sandy Cohen-aesthetic. This reality still rings true, and Marty Buchwald comes across as a less-benevolent version of the television character Gallagher became famous portraying. This sounds trite, but who wouldn’t phone it in for a fat paycheck?
Score: 5
Talking: Asperger’s Syndrome limits (almost altogether) a person’s ability to see an issue from someone else’s perspective. As a result, Adam Riki’s responses are occasionally humorous statements that border on unwavering aloofness. You learn early on it’s okay to laugh at Adam’s conversational shortcomings without feeling guilty. While this isn’t a film that pokes fun at the said disorder, it does enlighten us with a character that wants to get better, but knows he can’t. Love convinces you that "impossible" doesn’t exist.
Score: 8
Sights: Tight pockets of New York City’s classiest district. It’s nice how Meyer decides to keep the locales tightly-knit. This is how Adam sees the world: Very little variation. He’s a slave to routine, and much of the city is ignored to get this reality across.
Score: 8
Sounds: How could you do a think piece without music that enables young people to conjure up scripts like this? Indie Rock. All day. Sometimes it works [more often than not in this case], sometimes it doesn’t. It just is.
Score: 8
PLOT SPOILERS
Best Scene: When Beth returns home one afternoon, and pokes fun at Adam, he quips back, “I’m not Forest Gump, you know,” with a dead pan. Beth is momentarily shocked, and then realizes Adam’s just made a joke. This being something someone with Asperger’s should have trouble with, she’s instantly pleased he’s trying to make her happy. Beautiful moment.
Ending: Director Max Meyer [who also wrote the film] hadn’t yet done a feature film. Outside of directing an episode of The West Wing, and Alias, he’s rarely directed anything. What we find at this film’s conclusion is that his future behind the camera looks bright. While I don’t want to give too much away, let’s just say Meyer’s sense of irony is well intact, and Hollywood endings mean virtually nothing to him. Yet, somehow, he still knows how to tug at the heartstrings. Women with soft hearts will cry. Men who claim to only have wept at the conclusion of Field of Dreams, or The Natural may have to conceal their faces once the credits start to role at the end of this one. Just saying.
Questions: How could anyone function with Asperger’s? It would virtually stymie all said functions at a social gathering. These people are heroes… If they were only aware of how impressive their very efforts were.
Rewatchability: Yes. A keeper. Get in on Blu-Ray. I’m soooo over DVDs.
OVERALL
Adam is a gorgeous, gorgeous film about how courage means the most when he [or she] wielding it may not even be aware of its significance. Adam Riki is a nice young man. A loner. Someone who isn’t sure how to function without his routines. Anyone who can’t envision enjoying a vacation, a day at the beach, or a three-day weekend will be able to relate to this character. You know who you are. He’s a reluctant hero. All those who find him “cute,” or “interesting” have to deal with his social awkwardness. It has to be very hard to get past that, especially once you begin garnering feelings for him. That’s the catch: He can say, “I love you,” without understanding what that means to you. How difficult is that? About as tough as anything the heart can take. Rehearsed emotion can be convincing, but it’s not enough for those who actually FEEL something. This is a story about how difficult a situation can be for someone who truly loves somebody who can’t compute what it is that means.
Final Score: 8/10