Autism - The Musical
by Tricia Regan
List Price:
Our Price: $24.49
You Save: $2.46 (9%)
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Buy Used: from $13.36 (click here)
Category: DVD
See more DVD releases
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
DVD Cover Information
Actor: Elaine Hall, Kristen Stills, Rosanne Katon, Stephen StillsDirector: Tricia Regan
Brand: NEW VIDEO GROUP INC
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Format: Color, DVD-Video, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 93 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2008-05-13
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: DOCURAMA
Movie Reviews of Autism - The Musical
Movie Review: I love this show
Summary: 5 Stars
I saw this on TV, it was good. The kids are cute and it has good info about autism and living with autism. Good show. I cried a good cry.
Summary of Autism - The Musical
AUTISM: THE MUSICAL follows the extraordinary and innovative acting coach Elaine Hall, five autistic children, and their parents as they improbably, heroically mount a full-length original stage production. Through trial and error, tears and laughter, these incredible families learn to communicate their feelings in song and performance, finding solace and joy in the act of creating.A veritable feast of astounding breakthroughs and heartbreaking hardship, this spellbinding film offers a full-throated celebration of kids living with this increasingly prevalent disorder. Director Tricia Regan vividly captures the individual personalities and problems of each child, from precocious Henry who talks a mile-a-minute about dinosaurs to Neal, a sensitive and articulate boy who nonetheless struggles to speak at all. The parents, too, are fascinating studies in unconditional love, especially Elaine, the mastermind behind the musical and mother of Neal.
A consciousness-raising and empathetic portrait of children and their families living with autism, AUTISM: THE MUSICAL celebrates the spark of humanity in each of us. Called 'Moving, dramatic, therapeutic and unburdened by reliance on talking heads'; (Variety), this film will change the way you look at autism
It's hard to imagine an unlikelier feel-good documentary than the uplifting Autism: The Musical. Directed for HBO by Tricia Regan, but truly the brainchild of the vision--and sheer will--of Elaine Hall, the film is both unflinching in its portrayal of autism, and triumphant in the ways it shows connections among the film's subjects. For those dealing with autism--and as the diagnosis grows more common, that would be nearly everyone--this film is enlightening, engaging, and reaffirming. The film chronicles the first theater arts endeavor of the L.A.-based Miracle Project, the creation of Hall ("Coach E"), a playwright and the single mother of Neal, a nearly speechless autistic boy. Through networking, Hall has met a group of parents of children with an enormous range of autistic symptoms and decides to try a workshop in which the children will, in a matter of months, be cohesive enough to perform in a stage production. The film follows Hall from the initial (and skeptical) meetings of the parents, and introduces the several children followed throughout the rehearsal period. Part of the disarming strength of the film is that it changes its perspective on showing the children's personalities. Viewers first meet 14-year-old Lexi when she's singing a musically complex Joni Mitchell song, in a clear, absolutely lovely soprano, in what appears to be a regular singing lesson. Only later do we learn that Lexi, diagnosed with autism as a toddler, has a hard time originating her own speech--though hearing her sing, the viewer would never have guessed. (Her parents still struggle with Lexi's condition, with her mother alternating between frustration and despair, and her father calmly saying, "It's not up to us to judge the quality of her life.") Other kids with behavioral issues or communication challenges are among the cast members, and the early scenes show a barely-controlled chaos that clearly mirrors the daily lives of the parents. The toll of dealing with their children is shown, as marriages break up and friendships are strained. Yet love blossoms in the most unlikely places, as Hall shows midway through the film. By the triumphant finale, the viewer is as invested in the children's lives as the parents, and the performances, while perhaps not what one would have expected at the beginning, present nothing short of a true "Bravo!" moment. As the kids sing, "Take a chance--get to know the real me." --A.T. Hurley
Documentary DVD Video
DVD Video
- Action & Adventure
- African American Cinema
- Animation
- Anime & Manga
- Art House & International
- Classics
- Comedy
- Cult Movies
- Documentary
- Drama
- Educational
- Fitness & Yoga
- Gay & Lesbian
- Horror
- Kids & Family
- Military & War
- Music Video & Concerts
- Musicals & Performing Arts
- Mystery & Suspense
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Special Interests
- Sports
- Television
- Westerns
Movies most talked about in Good Movies That Has an Autistic Theme
NellRelease date: 2004-02-03; DVD
Best price: $4.09
Price in other shops:
Family PicturesRelease date: 2005-06-28; DVD
Best price: $9.98
The WizardUNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOME ENTERTAIN.; Release date: 2006-08-22; DVD
Best price: $6.99
Price in other shops:
I am Sam (New Line Platinum Series)PENN,SEAN; Release date: 2002-06-18; DVD
Best price: $5.10
Price in other shops:
Mozart & The Whale (Widescreen)Sony; Release date: 2006-12-12; DVD
Best price: $4.95
Price in other shops:
Snow CakeWELLSPRING/GENIUS; Release date: 2007-09-11; DVD
Best price: $7.21
Price in other shops:
Mercury RisingRelease date: 1998-09-22; DVD
Best price: $6.11
Price in other shops:
The Boy Who Could FlyRelease date: 2003-07-08; DVD
Best price: $7.82
Price in other shops:
Autism - The MusicalNEW VIDEO GROUP INC; Release date: 2008-05-13; DVD
Best price: $13.35
Price in other shops:
Rain ManRelease date: 2000-01-01; DVD
Best price: $3.82
Price in other shops:
Similar DVD Movies
Mother Warriors: A Nation of Parents Healing Autism Against All Oddsby Jenny McCarthy
Dutton Adult; Published: 2008-09-23; Hardcover; Book
Best price: $12.45
Price in other shops:
Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (Single Disc)Paramount; Release date: 2008-10-14; DVD
Best price: $11.49
Price in other shops:
Ten Things Your Student with Autism Wishes You Knewby Ellen Notbohm
Future Horizons; Published: 2006-10-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.72
Price in other shops:
John Adams (HBO Miniseries)Warner Brothers; Release date: 2008-06-10; DVD
Best price: $32.50
Price in other shops:
Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger'sby John Elder Robison
Three Rivers Press; Published: 2008-09-09; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.74
Price in other shops:
Autism YesterdayRelease date: 2008-04-07; DVD
Best price: $20.00
Autism is a World - CNNRelease date: 2005-06-14; DVD
Best price: $24.95
Price in other shops:
1001 Great Ideas for Teaching and Raising Children with Autism Spectrum Disordersby Veronica Zysk, Ellen Notbohm
Future Horizons; Published: 2004-12-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $15.12
Price in other shops:
Through the eyes of AutismRelease date: 2008-03-03; DVD
Best price: $8.99
Price in other shops:
Ten Things Every Child with Autism Wishes You Knewby Ellen Notbohm
Future Horizons; Published: 2005-01-01; Paperback; Book
Best price: $8.77
Price in other shops: