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Coming-of-age documentary biography on Owen Suskind, a young man who was unable to speak as a child until he and...
Coming-of-age documentary biography on Owen Suskind, a young man who was unable to speak as a child until he and his family discovered a unique way to communicate - by immersing themselves in the world of classic Disney animated films. From director Roger Ross Williams, winner of the Oscar for Best Short Documentary in 2010.
"At three years old, a chatty, energetic little boy named Owen ceased to speak, disappearing into autism with apparently no way out. Almost four years passed and the only stimuli that engaged Owen were Disney films. Then one day, his father donned a puppet - Iago, the wisecracking parrot from Aladdin - and asked “what’s it like to be you?” And poof! Owen replied, with dialogue from the movie.
"Life, Animated tells the remarkable story of how Owen found in Disney animation a pathway to language and a framework for making sense of the world. By evocatively interweaving classic Disney sequences with verite scenes from Owen’s life, the film explores how identification and empathy with characters like Simba, Jafar, and Ariel forge a conduit for him to understand his feelings and interpret reality." (Sundance Film Festival)
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94 %116 reviewsRotten Tomatoes® rating
81 %3,801 reviewsAudience score rating
"Human psychology and animated children’s films are two very different things that connect with me on a personal level, like a spinal cord that brings fluency to my identity."
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Flicks
Flicks"I had to fight off skepticism about Life, Animated - it feels a little tidy. But maybe there is something to be gained from identifying with a character onscreen if you have immense difficulty navigating the world."
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Vulture
Vulture"A warm testament to a family's love and resilience."
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Variety
Variety""Life, Animated" makes fascinating points, about the power of cinema, about meeting our loved ones where they are and, as Ron says, about who gets to decide what constitutes a meaningful life."
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The Washington Post
The Washington Post"Mr. Williams's decision to prioritise his subject's point of view feels frustratingly restrictive. Belabouring the cartoon connection, the director leaves the family struggles that enrich Mr. Suskind's 2014 book of the same title stubbornly veiled."
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The New York Times
The New York Times"It's a beguiling mix of animated storytelling and narration that doesn't flinch from exploring the emotional highs and lows that accompany a life with autism."
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The Guardian
The Guardian"A young autistic man connects to the world through Disney animated movies. Instead of false hope, this truly inspirational film offers up possibility, the chance of a stimulus that might get past the blocks of developmental disorder."
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Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone"The film is a documentary gem."
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Hollywood Reporter
Hollywood ReporterLife, Animated | Details
Award winner- Directing Award (Documentary) winner at Sundance Film Festival 2016
- Rating
- PG, Coarse language
- Runtime
- 88
- Genre
- Documentary
- Country of origin
- USA, France
