Drama

History

Temple Grandin

HBO Films

Ruby Films

United States of America

English

Claire Danes

David Strathairn

Barry Tubb

Melissa Farman

Charles Baker

Blair Bomar

Cherami Leigh

Tamara Jolaine

Julia Ormond

David Born

Catherine O'Hara

Chloë Evans

Jordan Strassner

Michael D. Conway

Xochitl Romero

Joe Nemmers

Richard Dillard

David Blackwell

Toby Metcalf

Brady Coleman

Silver Renee

Chad McMinn

Nicole Holt

Jake Messinger

Cynthia Huerta

Jessica Looney

Cassandra L. Small

Kurt Cole

William Akey

Phil Harrington

Megan Moser

Carl Savering

Allison Wood

Gabriel Luna

Brian Bentley

Clark Perry

Brett Hill

Max W. Jenkins

D.J. Castillo

Chris Olson

Robert Newell

Cheryl Cave

Kelli Bland

David L. Dunn

Rick Espaillat

Mike Rembis

Steve Uzzell

David Houston

Earl Nottingham

Rachel McDaniel

Robin Lee Walper

Patrick Bertucci

Helen Ingham

Fred Bothwell

Kelsey Buchanan

Gerry Robert Byrne

Michael Crabtree

Mick Jackson

Christopher Monger

Merritt Johnson

Margaret Scarciano

Dante Di Loreto

Scott Ferguson

Paul Lister

Alison Owen

Emily Gerson Saines

Leo Trombetta

Richard Hicks

Meghan C. Rogers

Gabriella Villarreal

Cindy Evans

Anthony Edwards

Gil Bellows

Alex Wurman

Ivan Strasburg

Temple Grandin (Claire Danes) is just out of high school and sent to her Aunt Ann's (Catherine O'Hara, fitting into dramatic character roles very nicely) Arizona ranch. Her initial reaction to the climate and awkward way of behaving shows us that she has Asperger's Syndrome and/or autism. Asperger's is a milder form of autism, where the subject has better communication skills like speech, but is still unable to connect with our view of normal behavior. Temple grows to love the ranch, working with the animals and inventing an automatic gate that can be opened with the pull of a brass rod. She is very smart and detail-oriented, but must go to college. Temple's mother Eustacia (Julia Ormond, also maturing nicely into character roles) has been dealing with Temple's outbursts all of her life, and knows what it takes to calm Temple down. Unfortunately, college life is tough for Temple, who builds a machine that calms her but horrifies other students (it's a version of a cattle hold). Temple is thrown into this collegiate setting in the days before special services, yet she manages to make it through, and goes on to get her master's degree in animal husbandry back in Arizona. Again, Temple runs into obstacles- in the form of the cattlemen who don't want her around studying such silliness as what the cows' mooing mean- plus she is a woman, and they just aren't allowed. Temple designs and implements a new way to send cattle through a medicinal dip that is more humane to them, and then goes about rethinking the way cattle are slaughtered. Temple feels that animals were put on this earth for the service of man, but there is no reason we cannot be kind to them as part of their use as food and other products, and it makes good business sense.

Temple is headstrong, but she does not see the world like you and I do. She sees everything as a picture, and takes puns and jokes literally. When she hears the term "animal husbandry," her mind calls up a person marrying an animal, and so on. Death is a foreign concept, too, for both animals and humans. When a major character dies, she wonders where they went, and doesn't understand saying goodbye to them at a funeral, since she just told them goodbye when she saw them last. Somehow, Grandin went on to write for technical ranching journals, before becoming an autistic advocate, and the screenplay is based on two books- both of which she authored. Mick Jackson's direction is fantastic. Using special effects appropriately, he shows the viewer how Grandin is able to picture things in her mind. These scenes are a great learning experience without overwhelming the screen with technical wizardry, and tell us that autistics are not mentally deficient; they are different, not less (a line from Temple's mother). While the screenplay jumps back and forth in time too often (college, and then boarding high school?), it does not lose its focus on Grandin. While the supporting cast gets to use their onscreen time, the film has one central character who is fascinating enough to watch without any melodramatic gristle to get in the way. O'Hara is great as Aunt Ann, who knows her niece so well. Her reassuring phone calls and scenes with Temple's worried mom are well-played. Ormond is phenomenal as Temple's mother. I could completely associate with her, watching her offspring doing something strange, and blaming themselves for their child's condition. Eustacia is no screaming battleaxe, telling everyone where to stick their assorted diagnoses. She has the patience of a saint, deciding to teach Temple to speak with flash cards, and hesitantly accepting that her child is not able to show love and affection. David Strathairn is also wonderful as Temple's science professor at the boarding school, recognizing that Temple is brilliant if the coursework is changed to fit her learning style. Claire Danes is a revelation. She has been simply good in "Romeo + Juliet" and the third "Terminator" film, but her googly-eyed emoting in the overrated "My So-Called Life" drove me batty. I have seen interviews with the real Temple Grandin, and Danes doesn't just do a good job, or master some observed mannerisms, she becomes Temple Grandin. She nails it from the very first scene, and consistently got it right. The viewer doesn't need someone to come out and explain every one of Temple's quirks; her fear of automatic doors and lashing out physically when she feels threatened are all embodied by Danes. She is so good, I forgot I was watching a performance. This is one of the best pieces of acting I have ever seen, and I have been reviewing films in one way or another since elementary school. I loved "Temple Grandin." I could associate with it thanks to a family situation, but many more can find inspiration here. Not only will Temple's story inspire autistics and their families, this work might demonstrate to emerging artists what a powerful medium film can be.

Temple Grandin (Trailer)

Best Movies

Temple Grandin

Cast & Crew

Videos

Cast

Claire Danes

David Strathairn

Barry Tubb

Melissa Farman

Charles Baker

Blair Bomar

Cherami Leigh

Tamara Jolaine

Julia Ormond

David Born

Box office

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